General Enduring Understandings:

• Writing is rarely easy

• The process of writing creates new insights and ideas

• The act of telling stories unites all of us in a global culture

• The more we write, the better writers we become

Fiction

"Some things can only be said in fiction, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t true."   

                                    -Aaron Latham

Essential Questions:

• When does a story about one person become a story about all of us?
• Why do some stories compel us to read further?
• How do we know when we have the “right” idea for a story?
• What elements are important in creating a good story?
• Why are details and figurative language important to good writing?

"Writing, like life itself, is a voyage of discovery."

                          -Henry Miller    

We'll cover these general areas as we study fiction:

  A. Structure

                1. length

                    a. the vignette

                    b. the short story

                    c. the novella

                    d. the novel

                2. Plot

                    a. plot structure

                    b. development

                3. Characterization

                    a. description

                                1. physical traits

                                2. emotional/relationships

                    b. development

                4. Setting

                    a. description

                    b. importance

                                1. relationship to characters

                                2. relationship to plot

                5. Dialogue

                    a. structure       

                                1. external

                                2. internal