English 221: Intro to Creative Writing
Agenda: April 10, 2008
Group Work: Identify:
The ground situation
The dynamic vehicle or triggering event
The specific sequence of steps in the rising action sequence (number them)
The Turning Point
The DenouementWhat is the protagonist's problem rooted in character, not in the situation? (Dumbo's problem is not his big ears. That's his situation. His problem is how he feels about his ears.)
How does the story engage the reader's moral imagination? How is it an example of situational ethics?
What is the story about? What about what it's about?
FOR NEXT TIME: 4/15
READ: IW pgs 273-283 & Charles Baxter's "Snow" p284-293. Come prepared for a QUIZ on Plot in Baxter's Story
WRITE: Choose any one of the Try This writing exercise prompts in IW Chapter 8. You may use this exercise to expand on a story you already have in mind, or you may use it to jumpstart a new story that you might expand. You choose. Type up this exercise, bring it to class, and be prepared to swap it with one of your peers.