Note: Ongoing assignment: Be thinking about/generating ideas for your first story, which is due Thursday 2/9.
One possible way to start: think of two interesting characters (maybe based on people you know) who have conflicting desires.
Another possible way to start: peruse the newspaper or web for strange stories. Use one as the basis for your own story.
A third possible way: do some people-watching, take the strangest character you observe, imagine having the most bizarre conversation with them that you can imagine, and see if this turns into a story. . . .
Fourth way: look through your freewrites and assignments for the class; see if one of them sparks a story idea OR if combining two leads to an idea.
Mon 1/30--S: Read Writing Fiction, "Tower and the Net: Story Form, Plot, and Structure," pp. 230-251.
Note: this is CHAPTER 7 so we are not going chronologically through the book.
Tues 1/31--S: This assignment has two parts:
Short story exercise: Write a short story in 100 words. Notice that if you're going to manage a conflict, crisis, and resolution in this small space, you'll have to introduce the conflict immediately.
Please post on Canvas, under "Discussions"
Remember to post in the correct block (E or F)
Block E: Please use the word "apothecary" in your story.
Block F: Please use the word "plywood" in your story.
Weds 2/1--L:
Short story reading: "One of These Days" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (157-159) in reader. Also,
Read through your old freewrites
On Canvas, post FIVE possible ideas for a story: 5 Ideas and Freewrite
THEN, do a freewrite on one or more of these ideas in your journal. 700 words.
Remember to follow Goldberg's guidelines for a freewrite.
Keep fingers moving; don't worry about grammar, punctuation, etc.; go for the jugular, etc.
As always, please time your freewrite and put the time it took at the beg. or end of your freewrite.
Fri 2/3--S: Read Chapter 3, "Building Character: Characterization Part I" in Writing Fiction. Please read the chapter carefully! (67-83; you can skip the short stories.)
Read "The Rememberer" in reader (relatively short).
Mon 2/6--L: There are three parts to tonight's assignment:
Go to a cafe (or some other place where people are talking) and listen to people's dialogue.
Try to write down snippets of their speech.
Make notes on the way people talk (intonation, word choice, rhythm, speed, pacing)
Also, observe the gestures, movement, and facial expressions that accompany the way people converse.
Please be subtle and respectful!
Note: if you're not comfortable observing strangers, ask family members or friends if they mind if you observe and take notes on their conversation.
Note:if you write about a person I might know (in this or other journal entries), please change the name and a key characteristic of the person so I won't recognize them, if at all possible.
You need only write 300 words on this topic; the remaining 400 words are your own choice.
Total word count: 700 words.
Put how long it took you at the beg. or end of your assignment
Please post on Canvas here
Read "Hills Like White Elephants" in your reader.
Pay attention to how Hemingway uses dialogue to craft his story. How does literary dialogue different from the actual dialogue you overhear?
Review Chapter 3 of Burroway (just briefly--no more than five minutes)
Weds 2/8--No class; CPS Day
Thurs 2/9--Story submission due. Click here for details: story submission 1
Tips on dialogue are here: Dialogue Tips for Story
Note: if you want specific feedback from the students who will be reading your story, please make a list of your questions and put them at the end of the piece.