Category Archives: Story structure

Concerns and techniques for developing plots

Deciding on a direction

Posted on September 14, 2013 by

“Say what you are going to say, say it, and finally say what you have said.” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this rule for organizing the written word repeated in the educational realm. But rules are meant … Continue reading →

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The rise and fall of…

Posted on August 20, 2013 by

Sit still in a swing, and it is a bit boring. Start moving, pumping with your arms and legs to move in an ever higher arc, and it becomes a thrill ride – at least until you become tired. Then … Continue reading →

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What’s the problem?

Posted on August 17, 2013 by

When students embark on writing fiction, they can typically handle coming up with characters and settings. The element that causes the greatest problem for the students is the problem  (a.k.a. the conflict). Reading fiction may be a form of escape … Continue reading →

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Hiding the truth in plain sight

Posted on August 16, 2013 by

  “I don’t get it. It just about a bunch of animals, but the pigs are mean.” I still cringe when I hear students make comments like this. My own children were introduced to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, when they were … Continue reading →

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What do you do with the dead body?

Posted on August 15, 2013 by

The freshman in the learning lab was finally beginning to adequately describe people with believable motives, but had run into a problem with his narrative. I was quietly explaining to the student that in his story many people saw Jack … Continue reading →

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Classic fan fiction

Posted on August 13, 2013 by

During 1960’s there was an outbreak of science fiction written by amateurs who used already developed and idolized characters – those from Star Trek were favorites – from there came the term fan fiction. However, with the advent of the … Continue reading →

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