Creative Writing, Week Nine

Spring Semester

MONDAYFlash Fiction Photo Project

Warm Up

• Use sensory language to develop the setting for the beginning of a story that takes place here.

Finish Pieces from Last Week

• Finish your flash fiction piece based from last week.

• Compare your original with the expanded and the abbreviated versions of the story.

• Which do you like best and why?• When are details helpful? When do they get in

the way?

One Last Peek at Flash Fiction

• Consider how the following operates as a story in flash fiction form (though its original intent was not that).

• Why does this work?

I Lost My Camera

A short story and a plea

Your Turn

• Create a short flash fiction story in 20-30 photo shots.– Each shot should include the text of the story in

the photo and a storyteller.– Before you begin, consider the “point” of your

story and what you want to accomplish.– For the purposes of this assignment, keep it short

and stay creative.

TUESDAYStyle and Setting

Warm Up: Compare/Contrast the settings of the two images. Use sensory language to describe each and explain how the settings affects the style or tone of a potential story for each.

A Walk on the Beach

• Read the passages with beach settings.• What is different?• How does the style of the writing impact the

mood and tone of each piece?

Defining Style

• Take a look at “Defining Style”

• What is style in writing?

A Walk in the Woods

Use sensory language to change the mood of your writing based on the same basic setting.

• Creepy walk through the woods• Peaceful walk through the woods• Sad walk through the woods• Joyful walk through the woods• Irritating walk through the woods• Romantic walk through the woods

From “Five Facts of Fiction”Places have meaning. Most stories have scenes in several different

places. You should always make sure you describe each of these places in some way for your readers. Don’t assume that they will know exactly what you mean if you just say “the school” or “Patricia’s house.” What readers often do when they hear things like this is make a picture in their mind of something from their own life. But that’s like letting someone else write part of your story. The thing to be aware of is this: places are meaningful to people. If you say that a character is walking by a river, to you that may mean they’re headed for a relaxing and contemplative afternoon jaunt. But a reader thinking about a white water raft trip or a picture of Niagara Falls will develop a completely different (and incorrect) set of associations. Places have meaning to people. Describe them thoroughly so the meaning they get is the meaning you intend.

From “Five Facts of Fiction”

Things have meaning, too. Things in your story (important objects, entities, and activities) can mean things to your readers, too. Sometimes, especially in horror stories, authors use things as “symbols” so that they come to represent ideas for the reader. For example, a writer might use a description of a frail, withered tree to stand for the idea of getting old and reaching the end of one’s life. If a writer just does this once or twice, it’s called “symbolism.” If the whole story is a kind of symbol, it’s called “allegory.” For fun examples of this, read the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

WEDNESDAYModel Texts

Warm Up

Use sensory language to describe the setting. Make sure your language “sets the table” for the mood of the story.

Homework

• No homework collected today.• Homework assigned: draft one of your short

story needs to be started. – The rubric for the final piece is in your envelope.

Style’s Impact on Mood

• Watch these two trailers for Mary Poppins

“Some Fortunate Future Day”

• Read the short story and answer the questions.

Work Time

• Work on your character questionnaire and begin working on your short story.

FRIDAY

Warm Up

• Free Write Friday

The Uglies

• Take a look at the language of this passage.

Setting Goes to the Movies

Setting Goes to the Movies

• How do these settings impact the films?• What do we learn from the very beginning

about the characters and the story? What clues do they provide?

• How is the mood established through color, music, imagery, and details in the setting?

Work Time

• Work time on short stories and character questionnaire.