English 8 Sem 1 4-1

4 -1 Due Date 12/12

4 - 2 Due Date 12/19

4 - 3 Due Date 1/10

4.4.2 CST 1/17

5.1.2 EXAM 1/24

English 8 Unit 4 - 1

Creative Writing

Planning a Work of Flash Fiction

​Objectives

​

• Identify the characteristics of narrative writing in a work of drama.

• Review how the elements of fiction are used in stories.

​4.1.1 ReaD

​The text you're about to read is from a play called Alicia in Wonder Tierra (or, I Can't Eat Goat Head), written by Silvia Gonzalez S. in 1996. The play is inspired by the story of Alice in Wonderland. But in the play, the main character — a young girl named Alicia — stumbles into a magical world that is filled with brilliant imagery and details from Latin American culture. Because it is a play, most of the story is told through speech between the characters as well as descriptions of the actors and the stage. As you read, pay attention to what the characters say and how the dialogue develops the play.

​4.1.2 page 1

​Staging and Dialogue 4.1.2 page 3

​Staging -- Directions in the text of a play that explain how the play should look and how it should be performed. Staging is also known as stage directions.

Dialogue -- Conversation between two or more characters in a literary text.

Staging and dialogue in plays work together to develop characters and events.

Multiple Choice

Determine whether this example is most likely from a play or from a prose narrative.

[SUZANNE, wearing a long dark dress, walks into the kitchen, which is full of chickens.]

• Play

• Narrative

Multiple Choice

JONES. [Dancing around the living room] Aren't you going to ask me how it went?

• Play

• Narrative

Multiple Choice

LaVerne handed her grandmother the kitten. "Happy birthday, Gran," she said.

• Play

• Narrative

Multiple Choice

Nobody said a word about my big win, so I packed up my canoe and went to Crab Corner to buy myself a fancy dinner.

• Play

• Narrative

​4.1.2 page 5 Prose Techniques

​Dialogue -- As in a play, dialogue can reveal a lot about characters and help move the action of the narrative forward. Notice that it looks a little different in prose though.

​Description is used to explain the setting, action, and characters in a narrative. Description makes use of imagery: details that appeal to the reader's sense of taste, touch, smell, hearing, or sight.

​Prose techniques

​Prose Techniques

​Pacing is the rate at which the story moves forward. The length of sentences, punctuation, and word choice can all contribute to the pacing of a narrative. For example, long sentences tend to slow down time in a story, whereas short ones will speed up the action.

Multiple Choice

Which narrative technique is illustrated?

"You won't get away with it this time," she said. "Oh no? What makes you so sure?" he asked. "Because this time, I'm not going to let you."

• Description

• Dialogue

• Pacing

Multiple Choice

Which narrative technique is illustrated?

The forest was cool and quiet. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the deadfall at her feet and illuminating a fluffy chattering squirrel that scurried up the enormous evergreen beside her.

• description

• dialogue

• pacing

Multiple Choice

Which narrative technique is illustrated?

Memories returned to her as she thought about what had just happened, memories of times in her life when friends were easier to make and seemed more loyal, when even bad times didn't seem so bad.

• Description

• Dialogue

• Pacing

​4.1.3 page 1 Put it all Together

​4.1.3 Narrative Writing

​Narrative writing is the foundation of all stories, focusing on real or imagined events. Narratives that focus on real events in the writer's life are often called personal narratives, and fictional narratives include novels, short stories, and flash fiction. But all narratives use particular elements to enhance the writing.

Clear Focus--- Like all narrative writing, a work of flash fiction should focus on a single event or issue. The details of the story should clearly support the focus of the narrative. The title of the story often reveals the focus as well.

​Plot -- Short stories should contain an engaging and easy-to-follow plot. Often the plot is told in chronological order.

Setting -- Short stories and flash fiction often use imagery and vivid descriptions to create an interesting setting.

Characters -- Flash fiction stories use dialogue and description to create interesting characters.

​4.1.3 Focus

Multiple Choice

Which title best fits the focus of the narrative we just read?

• Everyone Should Have a Pet

• Lizard Girl

• The Terrarium

• The Extinct Lizard

​4.1.3 Logical Conclusion

​Because the events of a story are often told in order, it's important that the conclusion flows logically from the rest of the story and be satisfying for the reader. The conclusion is the way a story wraps up, so writing a strong conclusion means paying special attention to the climax, falling action, and resolution.

​Please respond to ME in the CHAT:


What are some of the distinctive features of drama?