Learning Fiction from Film Created by Ashley Lamb

Play Field Trip Next Week! September 18-27 Harvey by Mary Chase, directed by Hallie Dizdarevic The affable but eccentric Elwood P. Dowd is complicating his sister Veta's social ambitions by fraternizing with an invisible, mischievous, six foot tall rabbit. A trip to the psychiatrist goes sideways in this beloved, brisk, and sly comedy.

The Art of the Scene How many times have you seen, “Once upon a time” starting a story? Probably more than you can count. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH ONCE UPON A TIME? The solution to that problem is… THE SCENE Great stories start IN THE ACTION OF A STORY! A scene helps us do just that. Rather than beginning to TELL your story, TAKE US INTO YOUR STORY THROUGH SCENE. This is done by beginning with description or dialogue that puts us directly into the moment rather than waiting for the build up.

See what I mean? Look at the difference between beginning by telling and beginning by scene: Telling—”I’m going to tell you about a funny thing that happened to my mother and me yesterday evening. I am twelve years old and I’m a girl. My mother is thirty-four but I am nearly as tall as her already.” The Umbrella Man, Roald Dahl Scene—”The tree bark scratched my hand. The slender limb trembled beneath me. I tightened my grip on the trunk and squinted down at the kids on the ground. I suddenly felt dizzy. Their grinning faces became a blur.” The Dead Body, R.L. Stine

Story Structure Once you understand the concept of scene, it’s important to think about how you will structure your story. There are 3 common ways to do this, although they are not the only way. Chronological—telling the story in order from beginning to end. Clothesline—telling a story in order from beginning to end, but also telling other stories within it. Wrap Around—beginning a story at the end, jumping to the beginning and telling the story through.

Chronological Example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone How do we know the story is chronological?

Clothesline Example: The Notebook How do we know the story is clothesline structure?

Wrap Around Example: Walk the Line How do we know the story is wrap around?

First Lines… To help develop a scene, think about first lines. First lines can propel us into story, or they can be a traffic light before you start the car. Here are some great examples… “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.” "Tap-dancing child abuser. That’s what The Sunday New York Times from March 8, 1993, had called Vivi.“ “I wish Giovanni would kiss me.” "Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.“ “I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army.” “There I sat on the porch, drowning a mouse in a bucket, when the van pulled up.”

Now, you try… Okay, are you ready? After everything you have learned about writing short stories, it is time to structure your own. First, decide which structure would best suit the characters, conflicts, setting, and point of view you’ve decided on. If you don’t know for sure, play around with all three: starting the story for each one and then deciding which one you want to continue. Second, begin writing the story through scene. Describe the setting, the character, or begin with dialogue. Start the story in the action, don’t do a lot of telling to get us there.