Here are the overall directions for Blogging About Literature:

1. Choose a challenging book, most likely written by an American author.  It should have 200+ pages and not be something read for a specific class here at the high school (it should also not be something you’ve read already).
2. If you and another person in class are interested in reading as a pair, talk with them to choose a book.  Otherwise, you can read a book independently of others.
3. Set a schedule for your reading.  You are going to need 7 chunks of your book (as you will need to blog about what you are reading and thinking at least 7 times). Use the calendar that I gave you to write down the chapters/page numbers for each week. If you are reading with a partner, coordinate your timing.
4. You will post about your thoughts while reading once a week for seven weeks.  If you want to break your sections down into smaller sections and write more blog posts because the writing of information helps you to ‘talk’ through your thoughts on the book and the larger ideas within it, PLEASE DO.
5. These blog posts must have at least 300 words and incorporate at least one image, gif, video clip, or visual aspect. You can also include links in your posts to connect to your ideas about what you have read. You also need to make sure your writing is in your school appropriate voice.
6. Your blog posts need to be analysis, thoughts, connections, etc about the section you read, NOT SUMMARY!!  If you have trouble thinking of what to write about, here are some questions/prompts:
   1. What are your reactions to the plot? Does it seem plausible?  corny?
   2. Discuss the characters. Whom do you like?  dislike?  Are the characters true to their natures?  Have you learned anything from them?
   3. Is there a particular quote or scene that is memorable? Why?
   4. What are the “big ideas” in this book? What is the author trying to express?
   5. What questions do you have? What are you wondering about?  What bugs you? What are you confused about?
   6. Do you have any predictions for the plot or characters? What do you think is going to happen?  Why?
   7. Are the characters or plot reminding you of anything in your life?
   8. Do you like the author’s style? diction? 
   9. Any other topics that strike your fancy pertaining to the book . . .
      • At all cost, avoid plot summary! I will not give you credit for simply telling what happens in the story.
7. To make this experience more than just an individual one, you will be reading others’ thoughts and engaging in a digital conversation with them.  Each week you must comment on at least two people’s blog posts.  If you are reading with a partner, one of those two must be that partner, the other should rotate each week.  When you comment, you need to follow the commenting guidelines (which is another page linked to my blog). The biggest thing to think of is to connect their ideas in the post to your book, your ideas, etc
   • For those of you reading with a partner, your comments must be a conversation, meaning at least four comments in a thread between you two.
8. Read the comments made on your posts and reply.  Create a dialogue in the comments section about the big ideas, about the literature, about the connections between literature and life, etc.
9. For the most part, this is an out of class assignment.  There may be times we will have class time, but for the most part, this is homework.