Weeks Four and Five: Plot and Dialogue

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.