After hearing the pitches from my classmates for their literary piece, I was impressed and a little worried about my own work!
I thought Peter's idea for an 'Almost Famous' style article about the pressures, trials and triumphs of a rock photographer was really interesting. I enjoyed his sample and it's description of waiting in line to enter a gig. I noticed he used the very Gonzo technique of first person narration and internal dialogue such as" "come on, let me in," I thought" to give the reader access to his thoughts and the stressful, crazy nature of the music business.
Birgitta's pitch for a story about her mother's friendships as a nurse and their impact on her career and family was also very good. The many people her mother formed relationships with in the hospital and their separate stories would perfectly create chapters within her work and be connected by the central character ( her mother) and the underlying common themes of mortality and illness.
Another sample which really stood out for me was Erica's description of her grandmother giving birth in a tent as the rain crashed against its walls on her family's pearl farm. I thought her use of imagery was great and really set the scene for the story's focus on the development of the farm into a successful business.
Rhianne's story about members of her family affected by cancer was another touching proposal. Her description of holding her grandfather's hand made me reflect on the members of my own family who have died from cancer. I thought her use of the image of holding the patient's hand and feeling them let go as a metaphor for death was excellent and really drove home her story's theme of the transient nature of life.
For my own work, I would like to focus on the theme of 'fatal attraction' and the lengths to which it can drive the individuals involved. While I have a rough idea of the story I wish to write, I am still unsure of how it will be structured and which tense to use. The pitches given from other members of the class, however, have given me a clearer understanding of the many topics which can be covered by literary journalism and the different styles in which authors can choose to write.
