Lesson

Skills/Concepts Emphasized:

#1: Character Sketch Based on Photographs

Creating a character through character history and back-story; selecting character detail; the importance of showing versus telling in writing; the resonance of image in story

#2: Beginning a Story

Analysis of story beginnings; effective strategies for beginning a story and introducing character, setting, and/or narrative situation

#3: Character Sketch Based on an Imagined Character and Description of Character Performing an Everyday Action

Creating a character through character likes and dislikes, physical details, personal possessions, spoken language or thoughts, gestures that reveal a character’s personality and psychology

#4: Ending a Story, Ursula Hegi’s “Doves”

Close reading to understand the “clues” a narrative holds for how a writer might end a story; imitation of an author’s writing style; using the present tense in storytelling; creating satisfying closure to a story

#5: First Draft, Short Story Using Character from Assignment 3

Crafting a character-driven story; the “center” of stories

# 6: Inspiration, Place, and Story

Using music as a source for inspiration (brainstorming, pre-writing); attention to setting detail; using musical tone to understand tone and tonal effects in language

#7: Revision of Short Story from  Assignment 5

Revision (beginning and ending, character development, narrative movement/plot, narrative structure, voice) and editing (language choice, grammar, punctuation) 

#8: First Draft, Short Story Using Pre-writing to Music from Assignment 6

How setting/place shapes story and story shapes setting/place; relationship of character(s) to setting; creating a narrative from descriptive writing

#9: Short-Shorts and Microfiction

Pacing; narrative modes (summary, scene, dialogue, indirect discourse); irony; word choice; resolving a story within a small narrative space

#10: Revision of Short Story from Assignment 8

Revision (beginning and ending, character development, narrative movement/plot, narrative structure, voice) and editing (language choice, grammar, punctuation)