Synopsis for Semester Final Project
cinzialollim
IntrotoCreativeWritingPresentation.pptxWeaving a Story
An Introduction to Creative Writing
Professor Judson Wright
Writing Discovers Worlds
Literary Genres and Subgenres
Fiction Genres
What Makes a story?
Setting
Characters
Mood
Theme
Plot
Setting
The location when and where the actions of the story take place.
Bringing Your Setting to Life
Show the world through the narrator’s POV
Use time-related details
Use it to reveal character
Bring in the senses
Build mood
Make it an integral part of the story
THEME
The basic idea of the story. Themes often deal with universal concepts such as love, failure, coming-of-age, death, courage, etc.
“What is your story about?” It’s about the theme, not the plot.
MOOD
The feeling or atmosphere that the writer develops through the story. It could be happy, hopeful, suspenseful, or scary. Both the setting and descriptive vocabulary help create the mood.
Characters
The people in the story.
Bringing Your Characters to Life
Think about what your character looks like on the outside. What’s something distinct about them?
Don’t make them perfect. Think about their flaws or shortcomings.
What is their primary motivation?
What does the character do to show their personality? What do they say?
Bringing Your Characters to Life
Put your character in situations that highlight different sides of their personality. Do you act the same with your family and you friends and your classmates and the police and a burglar and a…
How does your character change? What do they learn?
Allow for discovery.
PLOT
What happens in the story.
Kurt Vonnegut “the Shape of Stories”
Bonus: The Hook
“It was the day my grandmother exploded.”
– The Crow Road, Iain Banks
“There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”
— The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
— 1984, George Orwell
Before You Turn Something In…
…make sure it’s interesting and original!
…check for errors!
…review! When you can: write, set it aside, come back to it!
…check for errors!
