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Mosaic Minutes

BeTWEEN the Lines Class Summary 2/17/14

2/18/2014

 
with Michelle Cameron

Critique of Stories

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What a great batch of first-week stories! As usual, the early weeks of class mean that we discuss a wide variety of story techniques based on critique. Some of the things we discussed included:
  • How stories that are relatable ― speaking to everyone’s past experiences ― can be instantly compelling
  • That strong verbs are the best way to tell a story
  • How description of a character’s appearance should be integrated into the story, rather than just a laundry list of what someone looks like
  • That you should not dilute or deflate a tense scene (unless that’s your intention)
  • How a strong voice in a character can carry a story, particularly in a first person narrator
  • That we all have the instinct to hurry a story when we get close to the end – but that ends up shortchanging the reader
  • That we “show” a story through: Description, especially when the senses are evoked; Dialogue; A blow-by-blow account of what’s occurring
  • That we shouldn’t be afraid to “embrace the gross” in our stories
  • That every story needs conflict, which grows out of what the main character wants
  • That if you’re telling an emotional story, you shouldn’t dilute it just to be funny
  • That sometimes we end up telling two stories rather than just one – which can be a nice problem to have!

Today's Prompt

Our prompt for the day was my “treasure box.” Each student selected an item from it and used it to inspire their stories.
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There were some great story starts (even one or two that were complete). I hope some of them will complete what they’ve begun. 

Homework

This week’s homework is either (pick one):
  • Complete the story begun in class today
  • Find an object from home that means something to them, write about it, and bring it in next week (they can write about pets, but don’t bring them in, please!)
  • Continue with the story begun last week (adding at least 1-2 pages to that story)
  • Start a new story

I can’t wait to see what they’ll write!

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