ELL HL WT1 question

[Tasostasouliss]

Hi all, 

In HL ELL, we were given a PDF version of the book "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen to read. I really liked the book, so I decided to write my WT1 on it. So, my WT1 is on part 3 of the course, because my topic was to write the diary of one of the main characters in Ghosts. So, I tried to put myself in his shoes, wrote what he would write, spoke the way he did in the book, and tried to maintain his character as presented in the book. 

Now, my questions are the following:

1. Was my topic fit for a WT1 in part 3 of the course? My teacher said it was okay, but I would like confirmation since he is new to the IB. 

2. I only have a single reference throughout the WT1, and that's in the rationale. So I have no references in the actual diary entry. However, I didn't use anything either. All I did was read the book, I was based on its plot and the development of the character I was writing about, and that's all there is to it. So is it okay if I have pretty much no references? Will there be a penalty for this? I asked my teacher, but he is not sure, which worries me. 

3. I thought of citing the book, but I don't know where. I was thinking of writing it in the very beginning, something like: "This written task is based on the book 'Ghosts' by Henrik Ibsen", and then reference it in my "References" section. However, as I said, I don't have the actual book- or even an ebook. I have rather a PDF version of the book that my teacher sent me. How can I cite this PDF? It doesn't have any information on it whatsoever, it only says that the book was written by Henrik Ibsen. There's no date, no publisher, nothing. I'm using APA format. 

Any help is welcome! 

Thanks a lot in advance! 

[voh26]

Sounds like your WT1 could work well as a pastiche.

1. Yes, it is fine as a diary, just make sure you respect the conventions (my teacher warned us never to use "dear diary", for eg)

2. Fine. You do not need to cite if you are not quoting from the source.

3. Find a book and use that as your reference. You can also get the ref details online. If you are not referring to any specific page numbers, then any version should do.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

[Tasostasouliss]

5 minutes ago, voh26 said:

1. Yes, it is fine as a diary, just make sure you respect the conventions (my teacher warned us never to use "dear diary", for eg) 

Thanks for the reply!

By the way, I wrote the date on the top right, started with "Dear diary" and finished with "Sincerely, <name>". Why would using "Dear diary" be a bad idea, since it is a diary entry? What could I use instead of it? 

Thanks! 

[voh26]

I remember reading that examiners (and teachers) consider "dear diary" an unconventional way of starting a diary entry, though it is undoubtedly a popular notion of how a diary entry begins. 

If you check authentic entries you'll find that this way of starting is very rare. Even Anne Frank didn't write "dear diary".

Use a date, preferably, for each entry -- or date and location if your chosen character is changing locations frequently.  

[voh26]

You have to be wary with this form...  Make sure that your character is the sort that would likely keep a diary (this counts in "authenticity") and that all the entries are consistently in the voice of the character. I was also warned by my tutor about all this. She said that entries often turn into vague ramblings or include things that would be obvious to the writer (the character making the entries) which also would be inauthentic and would count against you doing well.

There is a lot more to this form than appears to the eye and mind....It is actually quite a lot more complicated than anyone would think. Just be sure to know exactly what the genre "diary" entails.

[Tasostasouliss]

Hmm, one more question. What is the "pastiche" that you mentioned before? I googled it but I didn't exactly understand what it is. 

[voh26]

It is essentially showing that you can write in the style of the author (in your case, Ibsen). What I said about diary entry should not dissuade you from using the form. It was only to warn you that you should know the conventions and use the form judiciously. I actually saw an article about this in the resources of the site I mentioned, but it is no longer there. I think that they do not publish all their articles. It had all the warnings and clues about using this form, which was really handy. Lemme see what I can find out.