Fantasy Short Story Draft

Let's take a quick quiz on Chapter Two of The Hobbit. After our pop quiz, please do the following:

1. Complete your fantasy map.
2. Create a character (a hero or antihero like Bilbo or someone who has something to strive for or gain something for a reason)--this will be your protagonist. A protagonist DECIDES to act and get involved and make decisions that often threaten his/her safety (going off to war, battling a monster, saving a town, solving a riddle, etc.)--You may use your original character sketch as your protagonist, but you don't need to if that didn't work out so well. Try a new character sketch if you need to.
3. Pick a location or setting that will be important in your story. Describe it. Use imagery to provide details about the location. Each NEW location in your story will need to be described in detail. Remember that in fantasy stories we (the readers) need to feel comfortable about how this world or setting works, who's in it, and what it's like. It's your job as a writer to provide this information for your reader!
4. Pick a situation or quest for your protagonist. (see below)
5. Use the hero's journey archetype and write a short story that includes at least the following scenes:

• Status quo (what is life like for your protagonist? What is "normal")
• Call to adventure (what makes your character get up and go on a quest?)
• Departure (your protagonist must leave his/her comfort zone)
• Mentor or assistance (your protagonist should get some help or advice from someone, like a teacher or mentor or guide or coach, etc.)
• Trials (usually 3 is the magic #--3 trials, each one more difficult than the last--leading to your climax)
• Approach/crisis (have your character fail at first...no one said this should be easy...that's why the character will become a "hero")
• Approach/success (then have your character try a different tactic (maybe this time with a magic weapon or object to help him/her)--and succeed
• Treasure (your character should gain something--even wisdom is something--by the end of the story)
• Result/return/resolution/status quo (hero returns home; back to the drawing board...)

That's about 10 or 11 scenes, folks. Your story should be AT LEAST 10-11 paragraphs in length--and can be more. Use the model short stories we've read (like the Conan stories) to help you.

Starting an idea for a fantasy story:

Choose a situation; draw heavily on some fantasy plot tropes:

• A hero or protagonist explores the unknown (a strange tower, a dark forest, an ancient ruin, etc.)--usually looking for the object of a quest. 
• A hero or protagonist has to defeat an ancient evil
• A hero or protagonist has to recover an object of great wealth, usually to battle and overcome evil or a malignant force
• A hero or protagonist has to save or rescue his/her family, a loved one, an important person, a city, a country, the whole world...
• A hero or protagonist has to fulfill a quest or difficult task or undertaking
• A hero or protagonist must escape a prison or difficult situation
• A hero or protagonist must rescue prisoners or slaves or loved ones from a difficult situation
• A hero or protagonist must break a curse or find an important object to heal a wound or bring someone back from the land of the dead (or any impossible thing)
• A hero or protagonist makes contact with a lost race of beings

Settings can include:

• Castles or towers
• Caves or caverns
• Abandoned mines
• Crypts or tombs
• Ancient temples or sacred places
• Strongholds or keeps
• A village or town

Remember to describe your fantasy world with details. This is called diction (specific word choice) and diction helps to create tone, theme, develop characterization, describe setting by providing imagery, and creates verisimilitude (making something made-up sound real). 

Drafts aren't due yet, but the more off task the class is, the shorter our deadline...

HOMEWORK: Please read and briefly summarize chapters 3-4. Bring your books back with you to next class so we can read chapter 5 together. Feel free to continue to write your fantasy story draft.