Weeks Four and Five: Plot and Character

Mon 2/3 (S): (Same assignment as for Friday 1/31)

  • Read through your freewrites and exercises for the class (you can also look at older journal entries and relevant notes/ideas you've written down before this semester).

    • Post FIVE possible ideas for a story

      • You might start with an interesting character

      • Or an image

      • Or with an opening line or ending line

      • Or with an interesting location

      • Or a plot

    • THEN, do a freewrite on one or more of these ideas in your journal.

      • 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 beginning or end of your freewrite.

    • Post ideas and freewrite here: Canvas link is here (link is now active)

    • Total word count (for prompts and freewrite combined): 300 words or more

Weds 2/5 (L):

  • Read Writing Fiction, "Tower and the Net: Story Form, Plot, and Structure," pp. 124-151 (you can skip the short stories)

  • Note: this is CHAPTER 6 so we are not going chronologically through the book.

Thurs 2/6--Block E OR Fri 2/7--Block D (L):

  • Short story reading: "One of These Days" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (157-159) in reader.

    • 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 use the word "(word to be announced)" in your story.

      • Please write on a word doc that you'll bring to class (it will be shared and posted in Google Classroom).

    • Block D: please use the word "marble" in your story.

    • Block E: please use the word "jaws" in your story.

Continue to think about/generate ideas for your first story, which is due Weds 2/12 (E) or Thurs 2/13 (D). Word count: 900 words.

Monday 2/10 (S):

    • Read Chapter 3 of Burroway, pp. 44-72

  • 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.

        • Note: Do NOT record or videotape anyone without their express permission! Very important!

      • Total word count: 300 words (or more)

      • Put how long it took you at the beg. or end of your assignment

    • Please post on Canvas here.

Tues 2/11 (S): No class today (I have chaperoning duty!), but please do the following for homework:

  • 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?

  • Assignment purposely short b/c story submission #1 due Weds (E) or Thurs (D)--also because the assignment for Monday was long.

Weds 2/12 (Block E) or Thurs 2/13 (Block D)--L: Story submission #1 due

  • Block D: optional--put the word "root" in your story somewhere

  • Block E: optional--put the word "ice" into your story somewhere....

  • Note: no extensions can be granted on this assignment because we can't postpone workshopping the stories.

  • Note 2: If you think your story might be triggering for some reason, please put a little note at the top to let your classmates know.

  • Bring three copies to class to share with classmates

    • Note: this story will only be read by the three classmates in your workshopping group--not the whole class.

    • Workshopping groups are posted below

      • Block D:

        • Group 1: Olga, Lily, Garrett, Chris

        • Group 2: Maxwell, Olivia, Emma, Pablo

        • Group 3: Hamed, Isaac, Lucia, Ruby

        • Group 4: Mannat, Max, Nicole, Megan

        • Block E:

        • Group 1: Ali, Archa, Adin, Om

        • Group 2: Kabir, Cole, Stephanie, Isaac

        • Group 3: Andrew, Annika, Manu, Skyler

      • Group 4: Emma, Natalie, Natu, Yasmeen

  • Important: no extensions on this assignment

  • If you have any questions about your story you want feedback on, I'd suggest you put them at the end of your story, rather than the beginning.

    • It's often a good idea to write down specific questions you have for your peers!

  • Note: Please don't leave your classmates' stories lying around. Remember that these stories are confidential.

  • Requirements for Story Submission

Fri 2/14 (S): Workshopping:

  • Read student stories (workshopping during class time)

  • In the margins and at the end of the story, please do the following:

      • Comment on something you appreciate about the piece.

      • Consider what's meaningful, evocative, interesting, exciting, and/or striking about the piece*

      • Comment on neutral questions you have--what you'd like clarification on, etc.

      • Questions are neutral when they do not have an opinion couched in them.*

      • Suggest corrections for mechanical errors respectfully.

    • Very important: Remember to be encouraging, not harsh--these are early drafts!

  • Authors: print out and bring a copy of your own story (so you can refer to it when your classmates comment on it)

* These phrases are from Liz Lerman's website: https://lizlerman.com/