To understand story telling basics we must go over a couple of vocabulary words!
Plot Diagram
- Introduction/Exposition/Beginning: The introduction or beginning of a story. This is where you introduce the main character(s), the world/world building (setting), mood, and time.
- Conflict: This is the main problem (inciting incident) conflict that causes the start of the plot. Often show as a main goal for the main character to overcome.
- Rising Action: This is the build up or pressure. All the events that cause the tension in the story lead to the climax.
- Climax: The most important part of the story. Intense. Exciting. A big bomb is dropped on the main character. It is a turning point for the main character, including their goals and plot.
- Falling Action: This is every and all events that happen because of the climax. During this part, the story starts coming to an end. Questions get answered and characters start achieving their goals.
- Resolution: Doesn't have to be a happy ending but it does have to be an ending.
*It is okay to end your story on a cliffhanger, but DO NOT end your story on the climax. That is an UNFINISHED story*
Genres
- Fairy Tale: story about faeries, gnomes, elves, wizards, magic, and magical creatures. Usually teaches some kind of lesson.
- Fantasy: story with otherworldly, usually magical, settings or characters.
- Historical Fiction: historically real setting or events or characters. Things may be twisted for the sake of the story so most historical fiction is not 100% truthful.
- Horror: A story made with the intention of scaring the reader using paranormal creatures, death, murder mystery, or other suspenseful and fearful elements.
- Mystery: A story where a character solves a crime or their goal is to unravel secrets.
- Mythology: A story that involves the meddling or lives of traditional gods or goddesses. (There are more than just Greek and Roman pantheons.)
- Magical Realism: Magic or magical elements are used in the real world. Sometimes occupied as part of the real world.
- Romance: Main focus is on a relationship and the development and events that play out during a relationship.
- Science Fiction: using science (real or imagined) as the main setting and fuel to the plot. Usually takes place on other planets or in space.
- Dystopian: A society where there is great suffering or injustice.
- Adventure: A story (can include any other elements from any other genre) where the characters embark on a grand journey to reach some goal or complete a quest.
- Folktale: Where the author takes a folktale and puts their own spin on it. (Cinderella, Bloody Mary, La Llorona, ect)
- Young Adult: A story that centers around characters ages 12 to 18.
Genres can often overlap and merge with each other.
A story can be both dystopian and young adult.
A story can be both a romance and a fantasy.
The Writing Process
The writing process are the stages you, as the author, go through when writing your story. They are the idea phase, the brain dump phase, the organization, the outline (all of the previous stages are a part of the planning/prewriting phase), first draft, edit, second draft, final edit, final draft.
- Idea phase and brain dump: This is where you throw down every idea that pops into your head onto paper. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense. You're just getting all the possibilities down to sort through them later. Here, your ideas don't have to be just words. They can be diagrams, graphs, pictures, drawings, charts, lists, dialogues, anything you need to help bring visualization to your ideas.
- Organization: Now, you go through your ideas. Which ones are good enough to kee and which should you get rid of? Now, you need to put them in the order you want them to happen in your story. A timeline would be useful here.
- Outline: Now, you take each of the major points from your timeline and you work out all the details from the beginning to the end. The outline is one of the most important parts of the writing process. The outline is the guide to your story and will help you from getting stuck or not knowing what to do next with your story.
- First draft: This is the first complete writing of your story, beginning to end.
- Edit: This is where you go through your story start to finish and make all of the corrections needed such as grammar, spelling, and wording mistakes. The result of this edit is the second draft of your story. You then need to edit again, which is the second edit.
- Final draft: This is your finished story that comes after you have made sure the story is as perfect as can be!
Assignment
Down at the bottom of this post will be the rules for the story, along with what genre you are assigned to write!
Your assignment is to start your brainstorming. You are to use two pages in your notebook to begin drawing, writing, and designing all the ideas you have for your story. These ideas DO NOT have to be organized. Most brainstorms aren't logical or organized. Do what works for you. You are to send me these two pages of your work as your assignment so I have proof that you have done this. Make sure you use elements from the genre you are assigned.
This assignment is due Friday, June 19th.
Rules for Story:
You are to write AT LEAST 2,000 words or 4 pages for your story.
No graphic sexual content.
No graphic gore or violence.
This story has to be completely in English.
Your Story Genre!
- Antonia Cardenas - Mythology
- Jonás - Adventure
- Diego-Mystery
- Rohán - Romance
- Antonia Duran-Science Fiction
- Sara-Dystopian
- Lukas-Historical Fiction
- María-Fairy Tale
- Matilde-Young Adult
- Isidora-Horror
- Daniela-Fantasy
- Jullieta-Folktale
- Mati-Magical Realism
- Blanca- Mythology
- Joaquin-Adventure
- Daniel-Mystery
- Benjamin-Romance
- Monse-Science Fiction
- Ana-Dystopian
Our Zoom classes take place on Fridays at 11:30 AM. Our zoom ID is: 242-193-439. The password is: english
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario