EXERCISE: What's In The News?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: December 1, 2006

I think we must be about to start 6x6 -- 6 stories in six weeks. If you liked sibilance, try saying that six times quickly!

Now let's take a moment to consider how you might tackle this. Of course, you can always look at the collection of exercises over at http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/ but perhaps you want one more! Okay . . .

First, you might make a list of some kinds of stories that you like. For example,

1. Cinderella -- virtue at last recognized
2. Achilles -- the fatal flaw
3. Faust -- a debt which must be paid
4. Tristan -- a love triangle
5. Circe -- the spider and the fly, a mousetrap
6. Romeo and Juliet -- starcrossed lovers
7. Orpheus -- the gift taken back

Or maybe you like Robert Heinlein's three plots? Boy meets girl, the little tailor (little guy becomes big shot or vice-versa), and the one who learns better. Later he said maybe there's another one, the gimmick story.

Or take a peek at the master plots and pick out some. Or even think about the books, movies and TV programs that you've seen that you really like.

Second (you did finish the first part, right? You have a list of some kinds of stories that you like?) pick up your newspaper or visit a web site such as http://us.cnn.com/ or google news or yahoo news. Take a look around and see what catches your eye and imagination and emotions. Is it the church bells for AIDS victims? The latest news from Baghdad? The school cop, a sixth-graders, and a taser? Or maybe it's the 40 year terrorist scores?

Whatever it is, think about it in terms of one of your stories. Put some people into the story. Pick some scenes. Most short stories come in three parts -- beginning, middle, and end. The beginning introduces the players and their problem. The middle complicates things, with the protagonist learning that the problem is bigger and the stakes are higher. And the end, ah, that is where it shines, because here is where we find a resolution.

Okay? Mix up one kind of stock story, something out of the news, and the characters and scenery and action that bubble up when you cross these. Write quickly. Revise. And send it out, because a week goes by pretty fast!

Got it? Are you ready?