Fiction WritingFiction WritingFebruary 14February 14thth, 2008, 2008

Today’s AgendaToday’s Agenda Writing promptWriting prompt Discuss tensionDiscuss tension Review examplesReview examples Perspective exercisePerspective exercise

RemindersReminders You must post to the wiki by Tuesday You must post to the wiki by Tuesday

of each week if you want to earn creditof each week if you want to earn credit

You will lose points if posts are late and You will lose points if posts are late and will not receive feedbackwill not receive feedback

Wiki posts and personal journal are Wiki posts and personal journal are worth 100 points—don’t lose the points worth 100 points—don’t lose the points by not posting!by not posting!

Fiction WorkshopFiction Workshop Next week, your first draft of fiction is due Next week, your first draft of fiction is due

and there will be a slight change in the and there will be a slight change in the calendarcalendar

Please bring enough copies for everyone in Please bring enough copies for everyone in the class the class

You will take the copies home with you, You will take the copies home with you, read them and write a one page critique read them and write a one page critique letter to the author. letter to the author.

We will discuss the details of the critique We will discuss the details of the critique letters next week.letters next week.

Writing PromptWriting Prompt If you could travel to anywhere in the If you could travel to anywhere in the

world where would you go and why?world where would you go and why?

Writing RemindersWriting RemindersEssential Elements of Creative WritingEssential Elements of Creative Writing

ImagesImages EnergyEnergy TensionTension InsightInsight PatternPattern StructureStructure

TensionTension Tension= ConflictTension= Conflict Tension creates interest, intrigue and Tension creates interest, intrigue and

generally charges a piece of writing generally charges a piece of writing with energywith energy

Tension keeps the story alive and Tension keeps the story alive and movingmoving

TensionTension Four elements of tensionFour elements of tension

– Person:Person: a person with a problem. Your a person with a problem. Your character should have some type of strugglecharacter should have some type of struggle

– Desire:Desire: Character wants and needs something Character wants and needs something – Stakes:Stakes: As a result of a want, what is at stake As a result of a want, what is at stake

for this character if they DON’T get what they for this character if they DON’T get what they want? What are the consequences?want? What are the consequences?

– Obstacles:Obstacles: Struggles the character must face Struggles the character must face in order to achieve the desirein order to achieve the desire

TensionTension Building tensionBuilding tension

– Tension is easier to build when there are Tension is easier to build when there are multiple characters. It is not unheard of multiple characters. It is not unheard of to have one character stories, but to have one character stories, but creating tension becomes a greater creating tension becomes a greater challengechallenge

– Be specific about what your character is Be specific about what your character is going through: use images and energy to going through: use images and energy to let us experience everything the let us experience everything the character is going throughcharacter is going through

How to Create Tension in How to Create Tension in FictionFiction

Through essential elements of fiction Through essential elements of fiction writing:writing:– PlotPlot– CharacterCharacter– SettingSetting– Point of ViewPoint of View

PlotPlot A simple, formal, organizational A simple, formal, organizational

device that almost always develops device that almost always develops some sort of conflictsome sort of conflict

A plot has five main parts: A plot has five main parts: exposition, rising action, exposition, rising action, conflict/climax, falling action, conflict/climax, falling action, and denouementand denouement

Diagram of Plot StructureDiagram of Plot Structure

ExpositionExposition Background information about Background information about

characters, setting and conflict:characters, setting and conflict:– Naming the protagonists (main Naming the protagonists (main

characters) and antagonist (opposing characters) and antagonist (opposing force against protagonist)force against protagonist)

– Defining the nature of the conflictDefining the nature of the conflict– Giving characters a place to be (setting)Giving characters a place to be (setting)

Rising ActionRising Action Events leading up to the primary Events leading up to the primary

conflictconflict– Longest part of the storyLongest part of the story– Develops the conflictDevelops the conflict– Reveals more and more about the Reveals more and more about the

protagonists, setting, and themesprotagonists, setting, and themes

Conflict/ClimaxConflict/Climax The pivotal moment of a storyThe pivotal moment of a story

– Most dramatic part of the pieceMost dramatic part of the piece– Places characters in opposition to one Places characters in opposition to one

anotheranother– Reveals themes most clearlyReveals themes most clearly– Sets up the terms of the resolution of Sets up the terms of the resolution of

the storythe story

Falling ActionFalling Action Action following the conflict before the Action following the conflict before the

resolutionresolution– Typically much shorter than the rising actionTypically much shorter than the rising action– Fills in any necessary gaps before a resolution Fills in any necessary gaps before a resolution

can be madecan be made– Leads up to the final resolution of the storyLeads up to the final resolution of the story– Not all pieces have a definitive falling action. Not all pieces have a definitive falling action.

It is not uncommon for a story to move very It is not uncommon for a story to move very quickly from conflict to denouement.quickly from conflict to denouement.

DenouementDenouement ResolutionResolution

– Resolves the conflict established in the Resolves the conflict established in the climatic part of the piececlimatic part of the piece

– Brings the conflict to a state of Brings the conflict to a state of equilibrium and suggests the meaning equilibrium and suggests the meaning of the conflict either implicitly or of the conflict either implicitly or explicitlyexplicitly

Understanding Plot Structure in Understanding Plot Structure in ActionAction

Activity: Reread the Activity: Reread the fiction piece fiction piece “Bodies” by Jessica “Bodies” by Jessica Shattuck on page Shattuck on page 180 of your book and 180 of your book and take note of the take note of the elements of plot elements of plot structure: exposition, structure: exposition, rising action, rising action, conflict/climax, conflict/climax, falling action and falling action and denouement.denouement.

Moving on to CharacterMoving on to Character

How will yourHow will yourcharacters walk,characters walk,talk, act, dress, talk, act, dress, tnd so on??tnd so on??

CharacterCharacter Characters must be more than imaginary—they Characters must be more than imaginary—they

must be real, vivid and clear to the readermust be real, vivid and clear to the reader A good character is one that elicits empathy from A good character is one that elicits empathy from

the readersthe readers A convincing character is one that evokes A convincing character is one that evokes

knowledge that extends beyond what is strictly on knowledge that extends beyond what is strictly on the page, visible to the readerthe page, visible to the reader

For example: When we close a book or put down a For example: When we close a book or put down a story, we should be able to imagine these people story, we should be able to imagine these people going on with their lives, just as we might imagine going on with their lives, just as we might imagine a sister, an uncle, an acquaintance on a train, a sister, an uncle, an acquaintance on a train, moving through the world when we’re not there.moving through the world when we’re not there.

How Do You Develop Good How Do You Develop Good CharactersCharacters

A character sketch:A character sketch:– Before writing a story, it is a good idea to write a Before writing a story, it is a good idea to write a

brief character sketch on the main characters that brief character sketch on the main characters that reveals bits and pieces about who they arereveals bits and pieces about who they are

– This will help YOU gain sense of who they are so This will help YOU gain sense of who they are so that you can accurately reveal them to the readerthat you can accurately reveal them to the reader

– You must first know your character’s habits, daily You must first know your character’s habits, daily routines, language, and personal characteristics routines, language, and personal characteristics in order to successfully translate that to others.in order to successfully translate that to others.

– You will, of course, develop and add more You will, of course, develop and add more attributes to your characters as you write but you attributes to your characters as you write but you should go into your fiction piece with a general should go into your fiction piece with a general guide of who your characters are.guide of who your characters are.

Setting: Where Will You Tell Setting: Where Will You Tell the Story?the Story?

SettingSetting Location, location, location!Location, location, location!

– Readers must know where they areReaders must know where they are– How characters fit into the location—How characters fit into the location—

why are they there? Is it their why are they there? Is it their hometown? Did they just move?hometown? Did they just move?

– In this sense, location can reveal In this sense, location can reveal characterscharacters

– Purposeful, concrete descriptionsPurposeful, concrete descriptions

Point of View: Who Will Tell the Point of View: Who Will Tell the Story and How?Story and How?

First personFirst person Second personSecond person Third personThird person

First PersonFirst Person Usually employs the “I” voice and Usually employs the “I” voice and

sometimes the “we” voice. sometimes the “we” voice. A first-person narrator tells the story A first-person narrator tells the story

through their eyes. through their eyes. This point of view often implies This point of view often implies

intimacy as the narrator speaks intimacy as the narrator speaks directly to the readerdirectly to the reader

Second PersonSecond Person Second person affords a different Second person affords a different

kind of intimacy where the “you” kind of intimacy where the “you” voice is used rather than “I.”voice is used rather than “I.”

““You” can be singular or plural: “you” You” can be singular or plural: “you” as in “you, Robert Burns,” or “you” as in “you, Robert Burns,” or “you” as in “you, the Scottish people.”as in “you, the Scottish people.”

Second person is more challenging Second person is more challenging than first and thirdthan first and third

Third PersonThird Person Third person limitedThird person limited

– Story is told from the point of view of a participant in the Story is told from the point of view of a participant in the action. The point-of-view character must be present for action. The point-of-view character must be present for any action or dialogue because they are filtered through any action or dialogue because they are filtered through that individual’s consciousness.that individual’s consciousness.

– For example, if you are writing third-person limted from For example, if you are writing third-person limted from Michael’s point of view, this doesn’t work: “When Michael Michael’s point of view, this doesn’t work: “When Michael was out of the room, Andrea walked over and whispered a was out of the room, Andrea walked over and whispered a secret to Mary.”secret to Mary.”

Third person omniscientThird person omniscient– Can switch back and forth between observations about Can switch back and forth between observations about

“he” or “she” and then refer to “they” when observing “he” or “she” and then refer to “they” when observing families or societiesfamilies or societies

– The all-knowing narratorThe all-knowing narrator– Seemingly can reveal more information about characters, Seemingly can reveal more information about characters,

but is often less person than third-person limited because but is often less person than third-person limited because the narrator is not a character.the narrator is not a character.

Point of View, Perspective and Point of View, Perspective and Character Development Character Development

ActivityActivity Objective: To recognize the power of Objective: To recognize the power of

perspective and point of view in fiction perspective and point of view in fiction writing and to understand how to incorporate writing and to understand how to incorporate varying voices through the characters in your varying voices through the characters in your writing. writing.

Assignment: You will each start a short story Assignment: You will each start a short story with the same line. After five minutes of with the same line. After five minutes of writing you will get up and move to your writing you will get up and move to your neighbor’s computer and write the next neighbor’s computer and write the next portion of their story. You will continue to portion of their story. You will continue to rotate computers until you return back to rotate computers until you return back to your computer with a completed story.your computer with a completed story.

Begin Your Story…Begin Your Story… Background: Thomas, Sydney and Alex Background: Thomas, Sydney and Alex

are childhood friends now in their early are childhood friends now in their early thirties living in New York City. thirties living in New York City.

Begin your story with the following line…Begin your story with the following line…““Thomas glanced at Sydney, noticing the Thomas glanced at Sydney, noticing the

slight curl of her lips as she laughed, slight curl of her lips as she laughed, and he wondered…”and he wondered…”

Writing Your Fiction PieceWriting Your Fiction Piece You can choose to write in any of the You can choose to write in any of the

following styles of fiction:following styles of fiction:– Short shortsShort shorts– Short StoriesShort Stories– NovellasNovellas– NovelsNovels

HomeworkHomework Write your fiction piece and bring enough Write your fiction piece and bring enough

copies for everyone in class, including myselfcopies for everyone in class, including myself Reread the fiction piece “What I saw From Reread the fiction piece “What I saw From

Where I stood” by Marisa Silver (page 167) Where I stood” by Marisa Silver (page 167) and outline the plot structure: what is the and outline the plot structure: what is the exposition, rising action, climax, falling exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement? Post to your wiki by action and denouement? Post to your wiki by TUESDAY.TUESDAY.

Read pages 229-239 in your textbook about Read pages 229-239 in your textbook about insight insight

Post to your wiki a brief response to the Post to your wiki a brief response to the above readings by TUESDAY. above readings by TUESDAY.