Narrative

Write Away: Choose one thing on your Character Profile to Write about IN the voice of your own character

Narrative:
Over the next several weeks, you will create a story. It will be our biggest Portfolio piece for the quarter.

Process: 50 percent
Product: 50 percent

you will create

• characters: 3-dimensional, relatable
• a setting: vivid, relevant
• a plot:
• Specific requirements, due dates, etc will be provided later

First, let's warm up and create some momentum

GREEN cards: a place
Pink cards: a person

2 students:
each assigned a character and are in a setting

Their only job?
talk to each other.

our job?
to think about what keeps conversations moving.

ANSWER:
MOTIVATION
i.e. one person wants something from another

Let's give a motivation to one character: what does character a want from character B?

Now resume dialogue with character A expressing his/her motivation/desire

Now, resume dialogue with character A expressing his/her motivation/desire

Now it kind of stalls out after awhile.
WHY?

A: With only one "positive Motivation" the plot can only go in 2 possible directions:
he/she either gets it or not

Character A has a positive motivation, Character B has a negative motivation: (to get away from a in the easiest way possible.)

So, how can we sustain this conversation? How can we add some complexity?

A: Add a second positive motivation
(i.e. Character a wants a date w/char. B; Character B wants to Borrow $100 from CHAR. A)

This is where we get conflict--the building block of any story.

resume dialogue with 2 motivations

see? now characters begin to show signs of complexity. There is some suspense, some tension, some story!

BUT-how do we break out of the ruts of predictability? (i.e. the dumb jock, the nerdy computer programmer?)

A: by developing complex characters, by allowing characters to suprise us in some way, to defy stereotypes,

We must give them a past, some secrets, some baggage, a passion, some fears, a favorite kind of ice cream, etc.

When we have deep and rich, and real characters, we can have suspenseful, unique, and interesting stories.

With flimsy, underdeveloped, or type-cast characters, we can only have flimsy stories.

Up Next:
create your own scenarios

Who are you?
Where are you?
Why are you there?
How did you get there?

What do you want? (from other character)
Why do you want it?

Today:
One-on-One Meetings
and
Setting and Social Map Project

Due today:
2 Maps:
Setting (10 labeled elements, 3 starred)
Social/people: (10 labeled Elements, 3 starred)

Write away:
Tell a story from one of your maps. ENter a moment; Include action, description, dialogue, sensory detail

Due today: first two pages of your story

"Once upon a time"
Come on.
We can do better.

What makes an "epic opening"?

IN your I.R.B. (or a book off the shelf) check out how Stories begin

In R.A.W.Journal, Write Opening Line you found and its effect (What does it make you picture? Feel? Wonder?)

What technique Is the author using to create a compelling opening?

Ways In:
-Wide angle lens
-dialogue
-sensory detail to convey a sense of place
-a reference to the past