Top Banner
Creative Writing Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are standards that you can learn and correct ways to write good fiction.
22

Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Dec 17, 2015

Download

Documents

Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Creative Writing

Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are standards that you can learn and correct ways to write good fiction.

Page 2: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Why Do People Write Fiction?

They grew up around storytellers. It is part of their family culture (Smith 128).

Writing haunts them—the art of the craft provokes them (Wallace 140-141).

It is fun (Wallace 142). Works Cited Blythe, Will. Ed. Why I Write Fiction: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction. New York:

– Little, Brown and Co., 1998.

Page 3: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Why Write?

“To satisfy a basic, fundamental need.” The same reason kids draw pictures. (Gaitskill 155).

“To give form to the things we can sense but not see” (Gaitskill 156).

“To feel important, in the simplest egotistical sense” (Gaitskill 158).

Works Cited Blythe, Will. Ed. Why I Write Fiction: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction. New York:

– Little, Brown and Co., 1998.

Page 4: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Why Write?

“To reveal and to restore things that I feel might be ignored or disregarded” (Gaitskill 159).

“To communicate” (Gaitskill 160). Works Cited Blythe, Will. Ed. Why I Write Fiction: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction. New York:

– Little, Brown and Co., 1998.

Page 5: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Why Write?

Much of what I write “is sad. But because of that tender sadness, I also feel humility and joy and love. It’s strange because much of what I write about does not seem loving. But to write makes me feel love” (Gaitskill 163).

Works Cited Blythe, Will. Ed. Why I Write Fiction: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction. New York:

– Little, Brown and Co., 1998.

Page 6: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Why Write?

“I can’t do much of anything, except write. I have no jump shot. I can’t balance my checkbooks. Small machinery puzzles me. I have no nose for news. Cooking bores me” (Chiarella 182).

Works Cited Blythe, Will. Ed. Why I Write Fiction: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction. New York:

– Little, Brown and Co., 1998.

Page 7: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Descriptive Language

To write effective fiction, you must use descriptive language. The more concrete you can be in describing, the better your fiction. BE SPECIFIC! Compare the following:

She sat down to breakfast. She plopped down on the hard wooden chair; she

looked down at her breakfast: grayish eggs, burned

toast, and water.

Page 8: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Characters

You need to try to create interesting characters. In order to do this, you must know them very well. In fact, if you don’t know the color of their toothbrush, what they do when they get mad, or what they think of their grandmother, you probably don’t have a fully developed character.

Page 9: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Characters

You have a few things to consider when selecting a name for your characters.

Don’t pick a long name. Pick a name that fits your character. Don’t pick a name because it is your

favorite.

Page 10: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Characters

Characters can be classified as flat or round. The deeper qualities in round characters are

those that make the character more realistic, and meaningful. These characters come ALIVE!

Every thing a character does is motivated by something. You (the writer) must know the character’s motivation!

Page 11: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Characters

Characters should be developed with enough depth and logic to make them believable.

To be an effective writer, you need to convince your readers that your fictional characters could exist! A character’s actions also must be believable.

Page 12: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Plot

You will also need to think about creating an interesting plot. Your story must have a beginning, a middle and an end. You need to have a problem as well as a solution. This is often talked about in terms of conflict, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

Page 13: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Plot

“A dull story is like a dull meal at a restaurant. Patrons don’t complain, but they don’t come back” (Minot 28).

You need to create tension. Do this by creating conflict.

You need to make your reader curious about what will happen next!.

You need to create suspense.

Page 14: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Plot

BE SUBTLE WHEN CREATING CONFLICT! Don’t be overly dramatic. Don’t try to shock your

reader by creating a sad or tragic event. Sad and tragic events usually come across as not believable!

Dealing with a tragic car crash, a serious illness, family problems and going to jail are too major for an effective short story. Subtle is better!!!

Page 15: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Plot

Your character must change in some way before the end of your story. If your character doesn’t change, there is no point to writing their story.

Your character’s change can be subtle--they might have a new sense of hope, a new respect for their mom, etc.

Page 16: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Conflict

Conflict refers to whatever causes the central tension in a story.

People verses people People verses society People verses nature People verses themselves

Page 17: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Resolution

The resolution must fit the plot. You can’t drop a completely random ending

on your reader. You must have a conflict, believable

characters, a series of events that go together with dramatic effect, and then a realistic resolution. (Piece of cake!)

Page 18: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Dialogue

Dialogue is essential to a fiction story. Dialogue tags are used to help the reader know

who is talking. (he said/she said) Descriptive dialogue tags help the reader know

who is talking and add description. (“Excellent work,” Mrs. Garrison said, flipping through the student’s stories.)

Page 19: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Dialogue

Don’t use - she hissed - she laughed - he groaned. It calls to much attention to you as the creator of the fiction, and it slows down your dialogue.

You may use - he yelled - she whispered - I screamed. These are fine, because they can be performed with words. But, descriptive dialogue tags are really the best!

Page 20: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Dialogue

It is also important to vary your dialogue. Try to use a combination of tagless dialogue, descriptive tags and simple tags

Don’t use a long tag if you already have long dialogue.

Page 21: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Getting Started

I have found that an excellent way to get started on a story is to develop a fictional character. Think a lot about what the character likes and dislikes. What is their greatest fear? Often times, a story will develop from there.

You may have an issue that you feel strongly about. Sometime this can develop into a story or plot.

Page 22: Creative Writing 4 Over the next several weeks we will be learning how to write fictional stories. Contrary to what some of you may believe, there are.

Creative Writing

Start thinking about your character/conflict.