The document details a webinar presentation on a literature project involving international language and literature instructors and guest authors. It emphasizes contemporary authors' engagement with students through various methods including Skype interviews and creative competitions, as well as exploring genres and literary analysis. The roles of different authors, including Cathi Unsworth, Kai Strand, and David Arenstam, are highlighted along with their writing processes and influences.

1. Literature in the making!
LPM Webinar
May 2, 2017.
Presenter: M.-Hélène Fasquel –
American OIB Language and Literature
instructor. Lycée Nelson Mandela,
Nantes.
Guest authors: Cathi Unsorth, Kai
Strand, Eric Price and David Arenstam.
Host: Amélie Silvert
Organizer: Jurgen Wagner.
1

2. OIB Language and Literature
 International option
 L/L syllabus:13 works
 6 hours and a half per week
 Includes:
◦ Traditional analysis of literature (close reading, essay
writing, commentary practice, debates, discussions,
group/pair work, project-based pedagogy, oral practice,
presentations,…)
◦ Guest speakers, webinars, online creative
competitions, projects involving American and French-
speaking authors,…)
◦ But also flipped learning (when most appropriate),
◦ And IT-enhanced classes. 2

3. ◦ Reading the first 2 chapters of Unveiling
the Wizard’s Shroud;
◦ Analyzing Eric’s style, the characters’
psychology, personalities, in order to be
able to write the next chapter,
◦ 2 Skype interviews;
◦ Reading the various documents shared
on Padlet,
◦ Reading their friends’ chapters;
◦ Publishing the new chapters on Eric’s
author’s website in order to start a
competition ;
◦ Webinar with Eric, Katie Carroll, and Kai
Strand (discussion of the creative
process);
◦ Webinar with 3 French-speaking authors:
Nathalie Bagadey, Cyane and Sophie G.
Eric Price project (Since
2014)

4. New project: Literature in the making
 Author partnership.
 Skype interviews and analysis of
today’s literature!
 All the links and slides 
4

5. One project -- 3 steps
Readin
g the
excerpt
and
analyzing
it
Step
#1
Preparing
the
interview
(questions,
discussion
topics)
Step
#2
Skype
interview
and
discussio
n
Step
#3

6. Aims
 To discover new contemporary
authors,
 To analyze the excerpts,
 To study different genres (fantasy,
whodunit, contemporary poetry,
historical fiction…),
 Authors directly engaging students
and discussing their creative process,
their experience and writing habits.
6

7. Method
 I share with the students:
◦ an introduction by the author,
◦ A short biography,
◦ The excerpt,
◦ Reminders (literary analysis),
◦ Specific questions depending on the
excerpt,
◦ A bibliography including the extract
recorded by the author and a blog post.
7

8. Cathi Unsworth: what I write about
All of my novels really set out to explore
why crimes are committed and our
reactions to them as a society. Some of
them are based on specific crimes that did
happen but had no proper resolution, others
are inspired by events that highlight areas I
am concerned about. Because noir fiction
has almost always been told from a male
viewpoint, and because the majority of crime
victims are women, I try and look at this from
a female perspective. However, in the case
of Weirdo, the transgressors are female,
which made it even more of an interesting
challenge to write.
8

9. Cathi Unsworth: How I write
Up until recently, I was working full time
as a sub editor and had to fit my writing
in around that. I always used to write in my
lunch hour, and I really enjoyed having that
break. I don't think you have to have
any sorts of rituals to it, you want to
write you just grab the time you need. If
you can write two pages a day, every
day, you can write a novel in a year. It
breaks it down to a less intimidating
form and becomes something you can't
wait to get back to. This is how I have
done all mine!
9

10. Cathi Unsworth: Research
I love doing research into historical
crimes, because you look for the villains
and you will find unsung heroines and
heroes who never got their say. I think
of my work as giving them a voice. At the
moment I have been researching the
1940s, which although a terrifying world
had many inspiring people living within it
and just getting on with their lives in the
middle of a World War, which is both
humbling and fascinating to learn about.
10

11. Cathi Unsworth: my favourite
writers/influences
My favourite crime fiction
writers are Derek Raymond,
James Ellroy, Jake Arnott
and David Peace - all people
who use the true secret
histories of our times to tell
their stories. I love the way
these brilliant writers weave in
all sorts of pop-cultural
elements to tell their tales, and
how subversive they are with
it. 11

12. Cathi Unsworth: my favourite
writers/influences
I have also been very influenced
by the women I grew up
admiring - Siouxsie Sioux,
Lydia Lunch and Joolz Denby
are my three punk era icons,
and two of them, Lydia and
Joolz, also are fantastic noir
writers. I was lucky to have
such strong role models and to
have met all three and found
them as wonderful in real life as
I thought they were. 12

13. Cathi Unsworth: my favourite
novel
is I Was Dora Suarez by Derek
Raymond (Robin Cook in France),
because it made me want to become a
crime writer myself. I was lucky enough
to meet Derek/Robin when I was much
younger and he inspired me in literature
the way Johnny Rotten had in music.
This was the first noir fiction I read
where the victim was the most
important person and that is something
I always keep with me. 13

14. Cathi Unsworth: Music
Music always forms a big part of my research -
I look up the most popular songs of the day
and then start listening in and I find that
somehow opens 'The Time Tunnel'
effectively. Perhaps because a moment is
captured forever on a recording. During the
1940s I found the music to be perhaps my
favourite of any period - the big band swing
sound, made by all the people Adolf Hitler most
wanted to kill: Jewish people, black people,
homosexuals, intellectuals - often all of them in
the same band. And it is so alive, inventive,
joyful and beautiful and it makes you want to
dance and laugh and forget yourself - incredibly
important then. No wonder Hitler lost.
14

15. Cathi Unsworth: Film/TV
archives plus Pulp Fiction
I also like looking at contemporary films and TV
archives, most of which I can find at the South
Bank in London at the British Film Institute, where
they have a public access library you can search
and watch from their archive. You get speech
patterns from that, as well as the clothes people
wore, the way they did their hair, what their
main concerns lay with. This also ties in with
reading contemporary literature from the time
period concerned. A proper historian once told me
this is way more useful than reading history books,
as again you get within popular fiction how people
spoke, looked, where they hung out, what their
habits were. You also get inspired by the quality of
the writing.
15

16. Cathi Unsworth: Importance of
teaching
I think we have to make sure future
generations continue to value the
written word as a powerful means of
communicating and gaining
knowledge. It is something that has really
been eroded in my country, where libraries
are facing closure and English - and
history - is taught in a very limited way
compared to how it was in my own
childhood. The Establishment knows that
knowledge is power which is why we have
to go on reading and producing books
ourselves.
16

17. Cathi Unsworth
 For more information about
Cathi and her books please visit
www.cathiunsworth.co.uk
 Facebook: Cathi Unsworth, Writer
17

18. Kai Strand
 Award winning and best selling author
of fiction for kids and teens.
 Also publishes for new adult & adults
under the name LA Dragoni
 Along with author websites, social
media accounts, newsletters, & blogs,
manages or contributes to publishers’
social media presence.
18

19. Kai’s creative process
19
• First Draft
Usually work on more than one at a time, but I work straight
through from beginning to end with very little editing during
the first draft.
• Revision
I like to go through at least two revision cycles on my own
before sharing with anyone. Sometimes it is just beginning to
end, other times it is reading the story backward a chapter at
a time.
• Critique
My critique partners finally get to see it.
• Revision
This is when I implement their suggestions – they may ask
for more out of a character, back story or stronger character
motivation, stronger setting, etc.

20. Kai’s creative process (cont.)
20
• Read aloud
My own kids are usually my audience. I ask for their feedback as I go along.
Try not to ask leading questions. More like, “What is the main character’s
conflict? What do think he’ll do next to try to resolve it?” This is especially
important if I’m trying for plot twists. I want to make sure the mc acts out of
character.
• Revision
This is usually the lightest round of edits.
• Submission
I’ve learned two things about writing.
1. You’ll never be completely satisfied with the story, so it is impractical to
wait for that to happen. Time to submit is when you are very pleased with
it.
2. You will go through more edits with the publisher anyway, so it’s equally
impractical to fall madly in love with that particular draft of the story or you
will be very disappointed when you see their suggested edits.

21. Kai’s Skype visit
I visit classrooms every chance I get. I love talking
with students about writing, their reading habits, their
hobbies. It was a pleasure to visit Marie’s class and
speak directly with each student.
21

22. For more information about Kai and her books visit
www.kaistrand.com
22
Young Adult Middle Grade
Find Kai online:
Facebook: Kai Strand, Author
Twitter: @KaiStrand
Contact her at kaistrand@yahoo.com

23. Eric Price
Why I write fantasy
 Reluctant Reader
◦ Comics
◦ Sci-Fi/Fantasy
◦ Stephen King
 Hi-Low Readers
◦ A story I would have liked to read
◦ Typically enjoy Fantasy
 Chance
◦ Writing Course
◦ 3 Choices
23

24. Eric Price
Influences
Palahniuk
◦ Style
King
◦ Characters
Rowling
◦ Plot
24

25. Eric Price
Working with Marie
Hesitation
◦ Internet Scams
Rewards
◦ Class Project
◦ Exposure
 Students
 Teachers
25

26.  Eric’s website
 Flipped learning Scoop It
 Literature Scoop It
 Literature Facebook Group
 Project Padlet
 My website
References

27. David Arenstam
 A teacher (Thornton Academy) and
writer from Maine.
27

28. David Arenstam
 My debut novel – Homecoming: A
Soldier’s Story of Loyalty, Courage,
and Redemption – was recently
published and I am now speaking
about the book, the writing process,
and how this has influenced my
classroom.
 Some of my favorite authors are: John
Irving, Ernest Hemingway, E.L.
Doctorow, Margaret Atwood, Nathaniel
Philbrick, and Alice Munroe.
28

29. David Arenstam
 I have always been someone who loves to
read, tell stories, and experience all that life
has to offer.
 As a writer, I can think of no better
classroom than observing the people who
fill our days and the places we travel to.
29

30. David Arenstam
 You can find more information about me, my work, and my
classroom here.
 DavidArenstam.com
 MySecretMaine.Com
 Facebook.Com/AuthorDavidArenstam
 @DavidArenstam – Twitter
 https://www.amazon.com/David-Arenstam/e/B00X2OPV32/
30

31. ◦ Reading Cyane’s novel,
Les Enfants de Calliope,
about the environment,
◦ Writing a summary of
one chapter (group
work),
◦ Sharing it with a
researcher, James
McKay, University of
Leeds, in order to help
him work with Cyane
(English version).
Excerpts.
Cyane – research and
literature

32. Cyane’s contact information:
 www.les-enfants-de-calliope.com
 E-mail: cyane@nats-editions.com
 https://www.facebook.com/cyane.ecrivain
32

33. eTwinning project
 eTwinning project involving 4 schools (British and
American International Sections) with Chris Segond,
Debra and Heather Bainbridge.
 Building Bridges: From 3e Inter to 2nde OIB
 In this project, four international sections will come
together to build links. This project focuses on the
difficult steps of transitioning from a 3e
International Section (British, in our case) to a
2nde OIB section (one American, one British in this
project). We will ask our students to talk about their
fears and expectations, to give each other good
advice for preparing for the 'next step', and
discussing reading and the reading process, an
essential part of the work we do in the section. 33

34. Creative writing competition
 Paper Planes Creative Writing Competition
(Animal Circus by Alix et Mathieu and
Devour the pages by Charlotte)
Creative writing

35. What’s the flipped classroom?
Studying drama and prose
 Drama Padlet
 A Streetcar Named
Desire
35
The Great Gatsby
Shakespeare
Hamlet
Death of a
Salesman

36. mhfasquel@gmail.com
On Twitter: @mariehel2
Slideshare
My files on Slideshare.
Blog
On Facebook, LinkedIn &
Google+, eTwinning: Marie-Hélène Fasquel
Feel free to contact me! 36
Contact information

37. 37
Thank you very much for your
attention and participation!