Today, we will read the short stories "Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver, "The Hit Man" by T.C. Boyle and "Class Notes".
To help understand the first story, let's take a look on the internet for "King Solomon and the Baby". Take 5 minutes to find and read that story. Then let's read Carver's version.
A short story does not have to be long to be powerful, as you can see. If you'd like to use "Popular Mechanics" as a model, you may write an extra credit story draft and include it in your draft docs for Thursday (see below). The prompt: take a Biblical or mythological story and retell it for a modern/contemporary reader/audience. Here are some ideas you can use for Bible stories...or myths.
After reading, let's take a look at "The Hit Man". T.C. Boyle tells the entire story of his character from early childhood to death. Stories that cover the entire life of a character are often called "EPIC". You'll note how each "episode" of the protagonist's life is given a subtitle (or chapter title). Try this technique yourself...
1. In your journal, create a character and name this person. His/her name will be your title.
2. Jot down a list of important and non-important details or events from this character's life in your journal. Include "early years", important life events (like marriage or buying a first house), non-important life events (like going to the dentist or buying soap), and characteristics or important quirks for your character (like allergies, poor eyesight, personality flaws, etc.), finally, include actions the character does (like baking a cake or playing softball, etc.)
3. Include how the character dies or where the person is at the end of their life (you do not actually have to have your character die!)
4. From this longer list, pick about 10 or so items from your list and order them from "Early years" to "Death or the end of useful life"
5. Then for each item, give the section an interesting/intriguing title. Write a sentence or up to a few paragraphs for each section detailing what happens.
Call this the "Hit Man" story on your heading. Write the draft.
Short Story #3: Read "Class Notes". Select a class (this one or another...) and for each member of the class, make up a story about what will happen to that person 10 or 20 years after graduation from high school. Where are these people now? What happened to them? [please change the names of your friends and classmates so as not to upset anyone...but you can hint at who you are writing about if you must...). Write the draft.
HOMEWORK: These short story exercises should be developed and turned in at the end of the week (by midclass Thursday) as a Google Classroom assignment. We will be choosing and reading one of your short story drafts 2nd part of Thursday's class.
To help understand the first story, let's take a look on the internet for "King Solomon and the Baby". Take 5 minutes to find and read that story. Then let's read Carver's version.
A short story does not have to be long to be powerful, as you can see. If you'd like to use "Popular Mechanics" as a model, you may write an extra credit story draft and include it in your draft docs for Thursday (see below). The prompt: take a Biblical or mythological story and retell it for a modern/contemporary reader/audience. Here are some ideas you can use for Bible stories...or myths.
After reading, let's take a look at "The Hit Man". T.C. Boyle tells the entire story of his character from early childhood to death. Stories that cover the entire life of a character are often called "EPIC". You'll note how each "episode" of the protagonist's life is given a subtitle (or chapter title). Try this technique yourself...
1. In your journal, create a character and name this person. His/her name will be your title.
2. Jot down a list of important and non-important details or events from this character's life in your journal. Include "early years", important life events (like marriage or buying a first house), non-important life events (like going to the dentist or buying soap), and characteristics or important quirks for your character (like allergies, poor eyesight, personality flaws, etc.), finally, include actions the character does (like baking a cake or playing softball, etc.)
3. Include how the character dies or where the person is at the end of their life (you do not actually have to have your character die!)
4. From this longer list, pick about 10 or so items from your list and order them from "Early years" to "Death or the end of useful life"
5. Then for each item, give the section an interesting/intriguing title. Write a sentence or up to a few paragraphs for each section detailing what happens.
Call this the "Hit Man" story on your heading. Write the draft.
Short Story #3: Read "Class Notes". Select a class (this one or another...) and for each member of the class, make up a story about what will happen to that person 10 or 20 years after graduation from high school. Where are these people now? What happened to them? [please change the names of your friends and classmates so as not to upset anyone...but you can hint at who you are writing about if you must...). Write the draft.
HOMEWORK: These short story exercises should be developed and turned in at the end of the week (by midclass Thursday) as a Google Classroom assignment. We will be choosing and reading one of your short story drafts 2nd part of Thursday's class.
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