Short Story. Writing Workshop

Transcription

1 Writing Workshop narrative Short Story Did the stories and characters in this unit surprise you, make you think, or remind you of something you know? Stories can entertain you and draw you into other worlds. In this workshop, you will learn how to write a short story about a real or imagined experience or event. Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook. write with a purpose writing task Write a short story in which you entertain your audience by showing a complex character facing and resolving a conflict or struggle. Idea Starters a conflict that takes place in the distant future a new invention that causes problems for people an unexpected event that has surprising consequences a dangerous adventure the essentials Here are some common purposes, audiences, and formats for fictional writing. purposes audiences formats to entertain readers to express thoughts about life or human nature classmates and teacher parents writinggroup members Web readers literary magazine writing contest blog posting movie or TV show CD recording common core traits 1. development of ideas introduces and develops characters and a setting introduces and develops a central conflict uses techniques such as dialogue and description resolves the conflict in a satisfying conclusion 2. organization ideas presents a natural and logical sequence of events uses transitions to convey sequence uses pacing to develop the plot 3. language facility and conventions establishes and maintains a clear point of view uses precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language uses effective and varied sentence structures employs correct grammar, mechanics, and spelling Writing Online Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML7N unit 3: understanding theme

2 Planning/Prewriting W 3a e Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. W 5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning. Getting Started choose a story idea A good story needs a main character facing a conflict, or problem. Here are two ways to choose a story idea: Start with a character. Build your story around an interesting or unusual person. That character might be a real person or someone you invent. Start with a conflict. Base your story on a problem or conflict you have heard about or experienced. Choose a conflict that s ripped from the headlines, or make one up. think about audience and purpose As you think about your story, keep your purpose and audience in mind. Your purpose is to entertain your readers and keep their interest. ask yourself: Who are some interesting people I know or have read about? What kinds of conflicts have I read about in the news? What conflicts do people my age have? Which of these would make for an interesting story? Will my character s conflict be external (against an outside force, such as another character or a force of nature) or internal (within his or her mind)? ask yourself: Who is my audience? What characters or conflicts will they enjoy reading about? How can I engage my readers so that they won t want to stop reading my story until they get to the end? plan characters and setting The star of your story will be a complex main character, one who seems like a real person. The supporting roles will be played by minor characters. You ll need to help your readers understand each character s personality, actions, and relationships with others. You ll also need to develop a definite setting: where and when the story takes place. Use precise language and sensory details to describe the places, season, time period, or time of day. Such details help to create a mood and give readers more information about the characters situations. At this point, brainstorm as many descriptive details as you can about your characters and setting. Organize your details in a chart. what does it look like? Main Character girl at camp hangs out with a group of friends slowpoke friends call her Turtle easily frightened overactive imagination Setting camp in woods summertime late at night crunch of footsteps on leaves sound of owl hooting full moon creepy shadows writing workshop 433

3 Planning/Prewriting continued Getting Started plan your plot As you know, the plot is the series of events in a story. You can use a story map to plan what happens at each stage of your plot. Exposition Introduces the characters and setting. Sets the stage for the conflict. Rising Action Shows how the conflict becomes more complex as the main character faces obstacles. Creates suspense as the plot builds to the climax. Climax Describes a turning point in the conflict the conflict will be settled in one way or another. Falling Action and Resolution Reveals the outcome of the climax and shows how the conflict is resolved. The main character is usually changed or learns a lesson. what does it look like? Story Map Setting: the woods, near a campsite Characters: main a girl walking by herself; minor someone following her Conflict: A girl is being followed by a stranger. Exposition: The girl is walking alone in the woods, separated from her friends. She realizes she is lost and searches her pocket for something to help her. Rising action: She hears crunching and footsteps and sees a shadow behind her. Climax: The person catches up with the girl. Falling action/resolution: The person hands the girl her cell phone and leaves. She realizes the person wasn t going to harm her. choose a point of view Decide who will tell your story and choose a point of view. The point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. First Person The narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself or herself as I. Third-Person Limited The narrator is outside the story and tells the thoughts and feelings of only one character. Third-Person Omniscient The allknowing narrator can tell what all the characters are thinking and feeling. ask yourself: What would my story be like if my main character told it? What would my readers learn about the character by hearing his or her voice? What if the narrator were outside the story? What additional insights could this narrator provide about the events and characters? If I choose the third-person point of view, should the narrator know what every character is thinking, or just one? How will I establish my point of view and maintain it throughout my story? Describe to a peer your main character and conflict. Ask: What more would you like to know about the character? What would be an interesting way to resolve the conflict? YOUR TURN In your Reader/Writer Notebook, record your story ideas and details about your characters and setting. Then develop a story map like the one on this page. Share your plan with a peer and then revise it based on his or her feedback. 434 unit 3: understanding theme

4 Writing Workshop Drafting The following chart shows how to write a draft of an effective short story. W 4 Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Developing Your Short Story exposition Start with a hook to grab your audience s attention. For example, you might begin in the middle of an interesting conversation or an exciting scene. Introduce the characters and setting, and set the stage for the central conflict. Establish a point of view by introducing a narrator, or the voice that tells the story. rising action and climax Use precise words and phrases to describe the characters, setting, and events. Include complications, or obstacles, that show how the conflict becomes more complicated. Pace the events to create suspense and keep your audience interested in the plot. Sequence events so that they happen naturally and logically. Make sure events build to a climax or turning point. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses, such as before, meanwhile, and after to help your audience understand changes in time or setting. falling action and resolution Provide a conclusion that resolves the conflict. Tie up any loose ends that might leave your audience feeling confused. grammar in context: punctuating dialogue Be sure to follow punctuation rules when you write dialogue for your story. Begin a new paragraph each time a different character starts speaking. Rule Use quotation marks to enclose both the character s words and the punctuation for those words. Use commas to set off dialogue tags that occur at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence. Examples What do you want? You left your cell phone by the pool. My friend joked, You re as slow as a turtle! Let s hurry, Nina urged, or we ll miss dinner. Don t lose your phone, warned my mother. YOUR TURN Develop a draft of your story, following the structure outlined in the chart above. As you write, make sure to punctuate dialogue correctly. writing workshop 435

5 Revising You can improve your story by adding details about your characters, including more dialogue, and making your plot more entertaining for your audience. The chart below will help you identify ways to revise and rework your draft. short story Ask Yourself Tips Revision Strategies 1. Is the plot compelling? Does it develop a conflict through all stages of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution)? 2. Is the point of view maintained throughout the story? 3. Are the characters realistic and interesting? Do I describe the setting with vivid details? 4. Does the pace keep the story moving? 5. Are the story events sequenced in a natural and logical order? Circle the sentences in which the conflict is introduced. Place a check mark next to the beginning of each plot stage. Identify pronouns that reveal the point of view from which the story is told. Label the story s point of view; then circle any parts that use the incorrect point of view. Underline descriptive details about each character and the setting. Highlight sentences that make the story seem slow. Number the major plot events. Underline transitions such as later, before the party, and after the game that help readers follow the plot. If necessary, add sentences that develop the conflict or explain how it is resolved. If any parts are circled, rewrite them using the correct point of view. Add details and dialogue to develop characters. Add vivid sensory details to describe the setting. Rewrite or revise parts that are highlighted. If necessary, try a new approach. Rearrange events that are out of order. If you are lacking underlines, add transitional words, phrases, and clauses to help readers track the order of events. YOUR TURN Working with a classmate, review the chart above. Answer each question in this chart to decide how your drafts could be improved or reworked. Take notes so that you remember your partner s feedback when you are ready to revise your draft. 436 unit 3: understanding theme

6 Writing Workshop analyze a student draft Read this student s draft; notice comments on its structure and suggestions for how it could be made even stronger. W 3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue. W 5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. 1 2 A Stranger in the Woods by Ashley Hildebrandt, Horace Mann School I was walking in the forest. I was all alone walking back to my tent. All of my friends had gone ahead of me because I was too slow. I d been walking for about an hour now, and I knew I was lost now, which isn t very unusual for me. I was instantly sure of what I needed to do. I reached into my pocket and realized it was empty. I frantically searched the ground around myself and walked with panic in my movements. I remembered then where I d left it. I had left my only hope out by the lake. I then heard a soft crunching of leaves. It continued rhythmically edging closer and closer. As I listened carefully, I hesitantly decided to run to the left. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me until the only sound audible was my hard breathing and my feet gently destroying the leaves beneath me. I breathed a sigh of relief. An owl hoot-hooted. I caught a glimpse of the bright full moon. The soft crunching began again. A jolt of panic shot up my spine as I saw an approaching shadow. My heart and breathing paused, and I couldn t get my legs to move. The exposition establishes the main character, the setting, and the conflict. However, the opening lines are not likely to hook the reader. Ashley can improve her exposition by adding dialogue. Ashley further develops the conflict and begins to build suspense. Use Dialogue to Create Interest Ashley s repetitive sentence structures in the first few sentences are awkward and not likely to grab her reader s interest. By adding dialogue, shown in blue, she transports her reader to the scene of the action. The dialogue also keeps the reader from getting confused about why the main character is alone in the forest. ashley s revision to paragraph 1 Hey, Turtle! We ll never get back to camp walking this slow! Yeah, giggled Nina, my bathing suit is wet. I m running back to camp. Me, too, agreed the rest of my friends. They disappeared, leaving me trudging along all alone. I was walking in the forest. I was all alone walking back to my tent. All of my friends had gone ahead of me because I was too slow. I d been walking for about an hour now... writing workshop 437

7 analyze a student draft continued 3 A man, now visible, moved closer, with death written all over his face. As I was building up the courage to scream, the man stopped only an arm s length away from me. The suspense builds as a man approaches. Ashley could add 4 The man stared at me for what seemed like a lifetime and finally asked, sensory language to help her audience This yours? picture the man. 5 Yes, I whispered. 6 He handed me the phone and walked off into the darkness of the woods and I stood staring after him. I walked right after him in order to thank him and after walking for a minute, I stood in front of five tents surrounded by my friends. I never thanked the stranger in the woods. The conflict is resolved in a satisfying and surprising conclusion. Add Sensory Language In her draft, Ashley describes the man following the main character as having death written all over his face. Since the man is simply returning the character s cell phone, this description does not fit the context of the story. How can Ashley create suspense but not mislead the reader? Sensory details details that appeal to the five senses will help. Such details will also help the reader visualize the man. ashley s revision to paragraph 3 in the moonlight perspiration dripping from his red, puffy face. A man, now visible, moved closer, with death written all over his face. felt a scream rising in my throat, dressed in workout gear, As I was building up the courage to scream, the man stopped only an arm s length away from me. YOUR TURN Use the chart on page 436, feedback from your peers and teacher, and the two Learn How lessons to revise and rework your story. Evaluate how well you have achieved the traits of a good short story and whether you have succeeded in entertaining your audience. If necessary, try a new approach to better meet your purpose. 438 unit 3: understanding theme

8 Writing Workshop Editing and Publishing In the editing stage, you review your writing to make sure that it is free of grammar, usage, and punctuation errors. Be sure to also check closely for misspelled words. Even minor grammatical and spelling errors can keep readers from enjoying your story. W 3d Use sensory language. W 5 Develop and strengthen writing by revising, editing, and rewriting. L 1b Choose among simple, compound, complex, compound-complex sentences. L 2b Spell correctly. grammar in context: using a variety of sentence types A good story can lose its punch if the audience gets bored because of repetitive sentences. Effective writing includes a blend of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Simple sentences have only one independent clause. Compound sentences contain two or more independent clauses, usually joined by a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, yet, for, so). Complex sentences have one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Compound-complex sentences have at least two independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. In the last paragraph of her draft, Ashley uses the word and three times and has too many long compound sentences. To eliminate repetition, Ashley first highlighted the repeated word and then decided where to delete it to create more varied sentences. He handed me the phone and walked off into the darkness of the woods, and then and I stood staring after him. I walked right after him in order to I had walked thank him and after walking for a minute, I stood in front of five tents surrounded by my friends. [By breaking up several long sentences into a blend of types of sentences, Ashley made her resolution easier to read and therefore more effective.] publish your writing Share your short story with an audience. Illustrate your story, bind it, and give it as a gift to a friend or family member. Post your story on a class blog and invite classmates to read and comment on it. Adapt your story into a short film. First write a script and cast the characters. Then shoot and edit the video before you arrange a screening to showcase your work. YOUR TURN Correct any errors in your story. As you are proofreading, make sure you have used a variety of sentence types. Then publish your final story for others to enjoy. writing workshop 439

9 Scoring Rubric Use the rubric below to evaluate your short story from the Writing Workshop or your response to the on-demand writing task on the next page. short story score common core traits Development Effectively and engagingly introduces, develops, and resolves a conflict; develops characters and events with strong dialogue and description Organization Effectively establishes a natural and logical sequence of events; uses effective pacing and transitions Language Consistently maintains a clear point of view; ably uses precise words and sensory language; shows a strong command of conventions Development Introduces, develops, and resolves a conflict in an effective way; develops characters and events with dialogue and description Organization Has a natural and logical sequence of events; uses mostly effective pacing and transitions Language Maintains a clear point of view; weaves in precise words and sensory language; has a few errors in conventions Development Introduces, develops, and resolves a conflict; could use more dialogue or description to develop characters and events Organization Has a generally logical sequence with some unnecessary events that cause ineffective pacing; uses some transitions don t make sense Language Usually maintains a point of view; includes precise words and sensory language; includes a few distracting errors in conventions Development Introduces and resolves a conflict, but needs more development Organization Has a confusing sequence due to unnecessary events; has a slow pace at times; needs more transitions to convey sequence Language Has some lapses in point of view; could use more precise words and sensory language; has some major errors in conventions Development Introduces a conflict but does not develop or resolve it Organization Has too many events that confuse the plot; has an uneven pace Language Often changes point of view; lacks precise words and sensory language; has many errors in conventions Development Has no conflict; lacks dialogue and description Organization Lacks sequence and transitions, which causes ineffective pacing Language Has no clear point of view; does not include precise words or sensory language; has major problems with conventions 440 unit 3: understanding theme

10 Writing Workshop Preparing for Timed Writing W 10 Write routinely over shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. 1. analyze the task 5 min Read the task carefully. Then read it again, underlining or circling the words that tell the type of writing, the topic, the purpose, and the audience. writing task Type of writing Purpose Audience Write a short story that will entertain your classmates with a plot focused on two best friends in conflict. Create believable characters and place them in a definite setting. Give specific details about events that lead to a resolution of the conflict. Topic 2. plan your response 10 min Brainstorm experiences (real or imagined), characters, or places on which you could base a short story about two best friends in conflict. Which of these would make for the most compelling story? Decide on an idea. Then create a story map like the one shown here in which you develop key elements of the plot. Conflict: Characters: Setting: Events: Resolution: 3. respond to the task 20 min Use your story map as a guide, and keep the following points in mind as you write: Start writing, even if you re unsure about how to begin. You can always go back and rewrite the beginning of the story later. Describe the plot events in a logical order from the introduction of the conflict to its resolution. Write from the same point of view throughout your story. You might have a firstperson or a third-person narrator. Remember to keep the action moving. Use realistic dialogue, descriptive details, and sensory language to bring your characters to life. 4. improve your response 5 10 min Revising Check your draft against the task. Does your story explain the conflict? Is it well-paced? Are your characters and setting believable? Proofreading Correct any errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Checking Your Final Copy Before you turn in your story, read through it once more to catch any errors you may have missed. writing workshop 441

11 Technology Workshop Creating a Class Blog Whether you want to reach new readers, receive feedback on your writing, or share writing tips, a blog, or Web log, is a useful way to share stories and improve your writing. Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook. produce with a purpose task Create a blog in which you and your classmates can share stories and comment on one another s writing. With a team of classmates, plan and build the blog. Then add posts, or messages, to spark discussion among your online community. common core traits a strong class blog... uses the Internet as a way to produce and publish original stories on various topics has a structure that is easily navigated has a visually appealing home page with appropriate text and graphics has interactive discussion, with questions, responses, and comments is updated regularly W 6 Use technology to produce and publish writing. SL 1c Pose questions and respond to others questions and comments. SL 2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually). Media Tools Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML7-442 Plan and Produce the Blog The following guidelines can help you create your blog: Determine your discussion threads. Include a separate discussion thread chain of related posts for each story. Clearly label each thread with the writer s name and the title of the story. In addition, think about other threads you might include, such as threads focusing on tips for overcoming writer s block or ideas for short stories. Take notes on all the team s ideas before voting to select the best ones. Map out your home page. Sketch your home page, visually representing how users will link to the different threads. Discuss and vote on what other information to include. For instance, you might explain the purpose of the blog or rules for participation. Set an agenda. Make a plan to complete all the team s goals by specific deadlines. Divide the work equally. One person might research Web sites that can host your blog. Another might create a logo for the home page. Make sure any graphics you plan to include are not copyrighted. In addition, each person should be responsible for posting his or her own story with a request for questions and comments. Build the blog. With the assistance of your school technology coordinator, assemble your blog on the Web site you chose. 442 unit 3: understanding theme

12 Participate in an Online Discussion Sharing your opinions in a blog is different from discussing stories in class. Here are some tips for participating in a meaningful online discussion: Clearly state and support your position. Identify your question or comment at the beginning of your post. Remember to refer to specific parts of the story. You can add links or cite other bloggers posts to support what you say. Make it brief. Most bloggers don t want to scroll down indefinitely. Keep each post containing your feedback short and to the point. leave a message Use a respectful tone. Your audience can t see you face-to-face and observe your reactions to their ideas. That s why it s important to Subject: A Stranger in the Woods details maintain a polite tone. Use these guidelines Date: 10/14 Joan M said... for your posts. Be positive and friendly when you talk about a writer s work. Use precise literary terms, such as plot, suspense, conflict, and character. Support your opinions with reasons. Give specific suggestions for improvement. Don t rewrite someone else s work. Let the writer make the final changes. Ashley, your story did a great job of creating suspense! However, a couple of details did not seem believable to me. Would the main character have walked for an hour before realizing she was lost? How far was the campsite from the lake? At several points in your story, you imply that it is nighttime (seeing the full moon, the man walking into the darkness), but the narrator sees the stranger s approaching shadow. How could she see a shadow if it is dark outside? Respond politely to readers comments. Ask readers to clarify any confusing suggestions. publish your comment Keep the discussion focused. Analyze and respond to the main ideas and supporting details in the posts. Reply to other posts by explaining how they helped to clarify or elaborate on the discussion or the story. Add relevant observations and new ideas to keep the discussion moving and on topic. Invite other classmates into your blogosphere. Motivate other classmates to interact and collaborate with you on your blog. Send them an with the link so that they can join in. YOUR TURN Plan and produce a blog using the guidelines on these pages. Once you ve launched your blog, read a new short story at least once per week and post your feedback. technology workshop 443