1. English 10
Short story unit

2. Why is POV important?
Perspective from which the narrative is told impacts our understanding of the story
Different perspectives provide depth into the thoughts and feelings of different characters and how they experience a situation

3. The Three Little Pigs
Who remembers the story of “The Three Little Pigs”?

5. Short story assignment
Introduction – What do you look for when reading a story?
Purpose – Why are you writing the story?  What do you want your readers to know/think about?
Audience – Who is your audience?  
Structure your story with a beginning, a middle, and an end

6. Photos and Objects
Sit and look at the photos and objects you brought to school with you. 
Think about why they are meaningful to you:
Who is in the photos? Why is this person/these people important?
What are you doing in the photo? Why was that experience meaningful to you?
Who gave you the object (treasure, keepsake, etc.)? Why do you like it? Why is it meaningful to you?
Write all your answers down.

7. What elements or components do you notice in a great story?

8. Review of Elements of Fiction
Setting
Plot
Characterization
Conflict
Point of view
Theme

9. Point of view
The vantage point from which a narrative is told. Most writing uses two basic points of view: first person and third person (omniscient).

10. First Person Point of View
Definitions
First Person Point of View
The story is told by one of the characters in the story (“I”). The narrator is in the story. First person narrators only know what they themselves think, feel, do, see, and hear.

11. Third Person Point of View
The story is told by someone from outside the story through the eyes of one or more characters (“he, she, they”).
The narrator tells what the characters think, feel, and do.
Third person narration can be limited omniscient, omniscient, or objective.

12. Limited omniscient and omniscient point of view
Limited omniscient narrators only know about one character and what that one character knows, thinks, feels, and does.
Omniscient narrators know about everything that happens and what any character knows, thinks, feels, and does.

13. Objective point of view
The story is told through description of events as they happen, but the narrator does not provide any characters’ thoughts and feelings
Think of the narrator as only being able to record events similar to a camera filming a scene in a movie
Objective narrators can only report what they see and hear. Only the characters’ actions and words are told.
Thus, this story telling form suffers from the limitations of film – but at the same time can produce a film-like effect.

14. Photos

15. Creating a design Suggests new beginnings
Gives you info you need to read the rest of the story
Suggests new beginnings
Should be a feeling that the ending satisfies
Something needs to be at stake

16. Considering what point of view to write your story from

17. The Writing Process

18. Discovering a Subject
Before writing, we think of a question of a problem that needs solving.
These are usually related to incidents and events that cause the artist, the writer, to pay attention to what is external as well as internal (looking at the self). ​
Most questions are generated by looking at our personal experiences, or what we know​
This is the basis for discovering a subject​

19. In order to discover a subject…
We must be open to every possibility, so that we can allow discovery to take place
Be without expectations and let your imagination take you where you want to go​

20. What makes a great piece of writing?
A great piece of writing is universal​
It uses the personal (takes risks!) in order to achieve this end​
By incorporating details stemming from the personal, we create a level of specificity that is integral to our readers understanding and their ability to relate to our stories​

21. Sensing an Audience
Who is your audience? How do they think about things? What is appropriate?​
“Allow the audience to have a relationship with you through writing.”
Art provides a common ground for shared human experience and consequently shared knowledge (from Carolyn Mamchur’s lecture and Powerpoint presentation)​
Descriptively capture what one wants to say​

22. Searching for Specifics
Look for details that matter​
emotional part is integral as the audience should be engaged when reading your writing​
Show don’t tell​
Be authentic​
Look inward and convince the audience of the value of what is being said​
Reveal truth and clarity of a subject through implicative details​

23. Creating a Design Set up Complications/Conflict Resolution Beginning
Act One
Middle
Act Two
End
Act Three
Set up
(provides info you need to read the rest of the story)
More planned: controlled
Complications/Conflict
(Contains emotional truth: What is it that you want to learn?)
Confrontation:
(something needs to be at stake)
Discovery happens
Resolution
(suggest new beginnings; end satisfies)
More planned
Controlled

24. Assignment Write a narrative about yourself as a child​
Doesn’t have to be factual truth, but there should be emotional truth​
Bring the following to next class: several pictures of yourself as a child and/or objects that were/are meaningful to you ​
Stare at the photos until they “speak” to you – they will guide you to think about and realize something that you didn’t know about before​

25. Drafting a plan Consider who your protagonist will be
Who or what is the antagonist?
Start creating a character sketch of these characters/forces
Consider what the problem of your story will be? Will there be a solution?