Category:
- Strong opening; interests the reader. It has a good "hook." Vivid. It puts the reader into the action. That is worth 5 points.
- Individual stories have clear beginnings, middles, and ends. Each story can stand alone. The end of each story, however, has a transition that leads nicely to the next level. The work comes together as a whole as well as a series of narratives. 20 points.
- Character development: (Less important in the prologue but of paramount importance n the cantos). The writer uses strong dialog, facial expressions, gestures, and movement. Overall, the character comes to life. Whether you are depicting the narrator, the guide, or a sinner, I should be able to get a good sense of who he/she is and was. Overall, you do more showing than telling. Don't tell me this is a bad guy and why. Show me. Develop the character. 20 points.
- Setting: Vivid and interactive. Characters act upon the setting they encounter and perhaps the setting acts upon the various characters. I should be able to see, hear, feel, and maybe even smell the setting. Look at what Dante does. 20 points.
- Each Canto (not necessarily the Prologue) includes a simile. 5 points.
- There are at least two mythical allusions (which can also be similes). I prefer Biblical or Classical, but am open to others, provided that you run them by me first. If it includes a world mythology that I do not know, you must also include footnotes. 5 points.
- Voice: This applies to all characters, but even more so to the primary characters--the narrator and the guide. Their voices should come across as real. That might mean that characters use a different register of diction, depending upon the character's class, time, and education. Make your character believable. Chances are, you will be best served by being yourself anyway. Tell the story as you would to a friend or a group of friends, instead of a teacher. That means that you want your audience to be mesmerized by the story. You're the center of attention and everyone wants to hear more. If you are using slang or I.M. talk, you must remember that I am old. You probably need to use a footnote so that I will get it. 15 points.
- It has to follow Dante's paradigm. In other words, everyone is suffering for something that he/she has done on earth and the punishment fits the crime. 10 points.
- I will deduct additional points for improper punctuation, paragraphing, bad sentences, weak diction, format, and other mechanically-related items.
- I will also deduct 10 points per day for any Inferno not turned in on time (on a date to be determined this week. On-time means that you have all of it, research, research notes, rough drafts, notes written on a napkin at your favorite restaurant, etc.). All late papers (and if you have the final draft but nothing else, it will not be accepted) will include a "Late Work Form" and as such, given directly to the teacher or to another English teacher (who will sign and date it) in my work room. I will also call any parent of any student who does not have the work on the day that it is due.
- I have not revised it yet, but you will also include a writer's memo. Basically, it's a list of questions that you have to answer regarding your process and your final product. It will count as a quiz grade. Again, you will have plenty of notice before it is due. And it definitely will not be due the week of March 15th, as we have a vocabulary test that week.
