Welcome to my writing workshop for budding young authors. Learn how to create your characters and "show don't tell" their feelings. Write beginnings that "hook" your readers. Learn to use a "writing camera" to freeze a scene, and more! Download free worksheets. Click LESSON 1 on the left sidebar to begin.
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Aug. 25, 2007
Lesson 15- Ups & Downs
This lesson is best done by downloading the worksheets and reading the material. There is a great diagram on the first page that shows how your story needs "ups & downs" or "peaks and valleys." This means you need your character to have bad times and good times, conflict and troubles to overcome, which leads to MORE conflict and trouble to overcome. This trouble doesn't have to be "bad guys." It could be your character having a conflict inside herself as she decides to do the right thing or not. Perhaps she sees someone bullying another child. Does she step in? Does she do nothing? Does she run for help? That's a conflict right there as she tries to decide what to do. What she ends up doing will be based on what kind of character you have created (remember your character charts? What kind of a person is your character?) This roller coaster is a picture of a peak and a valley. It will help you remember that stories need ups and downs. That's what keeps the reader reading (after you've hooked him, of course!).
The second page of the worksheet shows the "peaks and valleys" for Jack and the Beanstalk. Study it well. It is a great example of how a story has ups and downs for our hero.
The third page of the worksheets gives YOU the opportunity to write the nutshell summary for a favorite book or movie. Then you decide what the problem is. After that you write a few of the ups and downs from the book. You decide what the climax (darkest moment) and then the resolution (problem solved), and at last, the satisfying ending. Good luck!
The fourth page of the worksheet is for YOUR story. You don't have to complete that worksheet right away, but if you have a story in mind, it's a great worksheet to organize your thoughts.
Here, as an example, I have done the third page of the worksheet for my story, Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home. Nutshell summary: Andi's poor choices plunge her into danger when she takes her horse, Taffy, and leaves her home on the Circle C ranch. Hook and problem : She nearly gets killed while trying to go near her brother's wild horse Up : Andi spends time with Taffy at her special place near the creek Down: She's late for supper and embarrassed at the important guest; Up: She's allowed to escape to her room Down : Andi overhears plans to send her to San Francisco to school Up: Takes Taffy and leaves Down : Thief steals Taffy and leaves Andi on the road Up: Finds new friends, a Mexican immigrant family, who take her in Down : Searches for Taffy but can't find her Up: Finds a clue in the tiny town of Livingston Flats Down : The immigrant family Andi is with runs out of money to live Up: They all get a job on a fancy ranch Down : The teenage girl, Felicity, is mean to Andi and her friends Up: Andi discovers Taffy is on this ranch Down : Felicity won't give Taffy back Up: Andi grabs her horse and runs Down (CLIMAX--darkest hour ): Andi gets caught and locked up until she signs over Taffy to Felicity Up : Her family shows up at the ranch Resolution : Her family helps Andi get her horse back, and Felicity is shown to be a very inconsiderate young lady and will be punished Satisfying Ending : Andi gets her horse back and they all go back to the ranch.
That was the "bare bones" of the story--like a skeleton. All of these ups and downs can (and have been) turned into exciting chapters ("scenes"--see Lesson 14).
Your assignment:
1) Download the worksheets for lesson 15: LESSON 15--Peaks and Valleys
2) Fill out the worksheet for your favorite book or movie. Post it on your blog like I did the one above. It does take awhile. Don't be in a hurry. Think it through. Don't get too detailed! Just tell the MAJOR ups and downs, or it will take way too long.
3) If you are ready, do a Peaks & Valleys page for your own story. If you are not ready, that's OK.
Don't forget to sign Mr. Linky and leave a comment!
I am a fellow writer...working on "baby" #3....I just wanted to say that I love your blog. It is very encouraging for young writers....I will probably send my teenage daughter to it to learn more!
Regarding the last lesson, hee...hee...good point. Thank you so much for your constructive critique! I will try to revise Lesson 14 and show it to you later.
(Do I need to do that before I graduate?)
This was time consuming and a little difficult but fun! It really made me think, to have to come up with all this and I feel like I know my favorite movie even better now! ;)
It's hard to find books or movies to properly do that with!!!!!! But, it's done even if it's a bit long! Not the most glamorous bit of work on my part.
I have finished this workshop!!!!!!! yay! well, yes, i'm very sorry to leave it, but it still leaves a sense of accomplishment. (For anybody that is reading this, i did lesson 16 before lesson 15. sorry, still one more to go!) so please come check it out and tell me what you think, mrs marlow. I did, by the way fix that story i was trying to post by putting it into three seperate postings. by the chapter, if you know what i mean.
so long everybody, i'll miss you and come visit me at my blog!
Elizabeth
This roller coaster is a picture of a peak and a valley. It will help you remember that stories need ups and downs. That's what keeps the reader reading (after you've hooked him, of course!).
Nutshell summary: Andi's poor choices plunge her into danger when she takes her horse, Taffy, and leaves her home on the Circle C ranch. 
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Jan. 4, 2008 - great blog!