Writing a Story: Exercise by Exercise - 8
As I noted in the first articles of this series, writing readable prose is a multi-tasked process. However, we are simplifying the process by breaking a story into components and using exercises to draft it one element at a time.
We are telling a story based on the following plot.
~A boy enters a room. His sister joins him. They do their task. They leave the room together.~
In Exercise 1, we described the room the boy is entering. In Exercise 2 we created the character of the boy. Next we described how the boy enters the room. Then we created a second character – the boy's sister. Next we wrote a paragraph to describe how the sister enters the room to join her brother. Then we wrote some dialogue in which the brother and sister argued over what they should do. We then described their activity in the room.
Now, keeping the character descriptions in mind, we are going to conclude the story with the exit of the brother and sister from the room. Are the brother and sister scared, relieved, concerned, happy when they complete their task? What do they do next? Do they study the room? Do they leave the room together or first one then the other? Do they run out of the room or take their time? Do they hug each other? Does something happen as they are leaving the room that helps the reader anticipate what might happen next, like do we hear a car drive up causing the brother and sister to be happy or scared? What did they learn, if anything? What do they believe is the result of their activity? Has this been a life-changing experience?
For a real life example to compare, describe the completion of a task that you and someone else –good friend or sibling –completed and how you felt. It could be as simple as cleaning the house, washing the car, or fixing the car. Were you both happy or content that you completed it? Or were you relieved? Anxious to get on to the next task?
This description of their exit from the room offers you, the author, the opportunity to inform the reader why the experience was important and to hint what might happen next. You can even use some dialogue if it's helpful. Have fun, and next time we'll put it all together in one story, and edit our work to make it flow.
Joyce T. Strand
Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series
http://joycestrand.com
We are telling a story based on the following plot.
~A boy enters a room. His sister joins him. They do their task. They leave the room together.~
In Exercise 1, we described the room the boy is entering. In Exercise 2 we created the character of the boy. Next we described how the boy enters the room. Then we created a second character – the boy's sister. Next we wrote a paragraph to describe how the sister enters the room to join her brother. Then we wrote some dialogue in which the brother and sister argued over what they should do. We then described their activity in the room.
Now, keeping the character descriptions in mind, we are going to conclude the story with the exit of the brother and sister from the room. Are the brother and sister scared, relieved, concerned, happy when they complete their task? What do they do next? Do they study the room? Do they leave the room together or first one then the other? Do they run out of the room or take their time? Do they hug each other? Does something happen as they are leaving the room that helps the reader anticipate what might happen next, like do we hear a car drive up causing the brother and sister to be happy or scared? What did they learn, if anything? What do they believe is the result of their activity? Has this been a life-changing experience?
For a real life example to compare, describe the completion of a task that you and someone else –good friend or sibling –completed and how you felt. It could be as simple as cleaning the house, washing the car, or fixing the car. Were you both happy or content that you completed it? Or were you relieved? Anxious to get on to the next task?
This description of their exit from the room offers you, the author, the opportunity to inform the reader why the experience was important and to hint what might happen next. You can even use some dialogue if it's helpful. Have fun, and next time we'll put it all together in one story, and edit our work to make it flow.
Joyce T. Strand
Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series
http://joycestrand.com
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