Session 8: Stepping into the Drama of the Story to Draft Congratulations on bringing your stories and characters to life! You’ve planned, made lists, decided on things, sketched and suddenly the story has taken a life of its own. You’ve maybe started to notice that your characters speak and act in ways that surprise you, even though you are writing them! That’s the magical power of writing fiction! At some point your stories take you by the hand and drag you along for the ride!

Teaching Point: Today what I want to teach you is this: before writers get going on a draft, they think a lot about ways to make a draft into a really good story. But once they’re in the midst of the story, they try to lose themselves in it. They become the characters, and writing is a bit like a drama, happening to them. This happens all the time when we are reading a great book! You tend to become the character you are reading about. You picture yourself in the storyline. In a book called The Stuff of Fiction, Gerald Brace (1972) says it this way: “It is not enough for a writer to tell us about a person or a place; he must give us the illusion of being the person ourselves…the basic failure in much writing is the failure of the writer’s imagination: he is not worth it…not trying hard enough to live from moment to moment in the very skin of his characters. ***As writers, you need to try to do this work—to live in your characters’ skins as you draft their stories!

Demonstration Re-read the latest section of our Esmeralda story and I tried to put myself into her skin and I started from the moment she entered the party. I was finally at the party I wanted so badly to be at. Yet, there I was, sitting on the floor next to the television that was blaring some reality show. I couldn’t make out anything that was being said on the show because the stereo was also blasting. All of a sudden I heard a crash. I looked away from the tv just in time to see a kid, I think from my science class, pick himself up off the floor. “Who’s next?” he asked. He gestured to the couch. “I am,” another guy said and hopped up to stand on the back of the couch, balancing on his toes. “1-2-3” the crowd called. All at once the new kid, who I didn’t recognize, jumped off the couch and landed with a thud on the coffee table.

Remember our plot diagram??? I’m going to pretend that the next dot on the diagram says, “She goes into another room only to hear a few people gossiping about one of her friends.” I’m still working on trying to BE Esmeralda. “I mean, did you see what Tilly wore tonight?” Liz snorted. “No one wears that color anymore.” I just sat quietly on the edge of the chair. I didn’t think I even knew what Tilly was wearing. I never paid attention to those sorts of things. Another girl, I didn’t know her name, rolled her eyes, “She’s always wearing and saying and doing the wrong things. It’s like she doesn’t care what people think.” I was shocked. They had to know I was friends with Tilly. We ate lunch together everyday and, if she hadn’t been late to the party, we would have been sitting together. Why would they talk about my friend in front of me?

Recap Do you see that when you write-when any fiction writer writes-you keep in mind the big plan for how a story will probably go, but you let the details emerge from the specific, exact actions the characters take? Usually our scenes involve two or three characters, and one does or says something and then the next one reacts.

Active Engagement-Handout With a partner, you will work together on the unfolding scene. You will add your work to the handout. Remember, you need to be Esmeralda to do this! You are sitting uncomfortably in a room with people you thought you wanted to be friends with, but now your not so sure. Again, you really want these people to like you, but you also want to be loyal to your friend Tilly! Remember that actions matter, don’t just use dialogue! Be the character Put yourself in the scene Then describe what the character is doing, feeling, thinking. We will be sharing with the class so get something GOOD down! I was shocked. They had to know I was friends with Tilly. We ate lunch together everyday and, if she hadn’t been late to the party, we would have been sitting together. Why would they talk about my friend in front of me?

Add to your Handout: How to Write Compelling Fiction Become the main character, living through the drama of the story and then allow your writing to unfold.

Mid-Workshop Teaching-Creating Patterns as a Means of Cohesion How do writers make sure the various pieces of their stories feel connected and integrated, thus cohesive? Transition words and phrases (handout) Interconnected patterns throughout your story. Look at Samee’s story and notice how he mentions certain names and details often so that the scene fits together!

Transitions and Transitional Phrases

Paragraphing to Structure Fiction You can also use paragraphs to move your story from one place to another. Example: Student draft from last year! Forcing myself to get up and do something productive. Sighing, I slowly lifted up my duvet savoring the warmth beneath my sheets. I stood up slowly heading to my dresser. I took the snow globe that sat on the corner of my dresser immediately turning the round object upside down. I reached into the broken rubber base pulling out my silver key. I took my time getting to my closet. Inserting the key into the keyhole and then twisting the knob. I sighed relief washing through me as the scent filled my nose.

Paragraphs also create dramatic impact! Look at this example from Thirteen and a Half: Ashley started sobbing again. “Maybe I should call my mom,” I whispered. “Don’t leave!” screamed Ashley. So I didn’t. Notice how the lines of dialogue are indented. This shows you that a new person is speaking. Do you see how the last line is set off? There is no real reason for this. It’s Rachel Vail’s way of creating dramatic impact! This is a big moment in the story!

How to Write Compelling Fiction Use paragraphs wisely (to move in place and time, to highlight something, or dramatic impact).

Homework: Look at your paragraphs. See if you use them for organization (separating some things and connecting others) Do you have transitions that help move your story along? Add them in as necessary. When a new person speaks, do you start a new paragraph? If you aren’t doing these things, make a note of it and add them in!