Writing: Structure Increases Creativity

Writing For Gifted Students

★ Depth and complexity ★ Content imperatives ★ Universal themes

Deﬁnition of Depth “…exploring the discipline by going past facts and concepts into generalizations, principles, theories, laws…” Texas State Plan For The Education Of Gifted Students

“appropriately differentiated classroom

material, activities, projects, products, homework, and assessments

complex enough

abstract enough

open-ended enough

multifaceted enough

stretch in knowledge, thinking, and production.” Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Principles/Theories/Laws ★Plot Structure. ★Themes. ★Character Archetypes. ★Types of Conﬂict.

Think like an author.

Analyzing Literature Creating Literature

Initial Lesson Establishing a

Deductive Lesson

Structure increases creativity.

Music Film Visual Art Structure increases creativity. Technology

Groups Investigate the

Lesson II Plot Structure Pattern that frames the dramatic structure!

Deﬁnition Characteristics naosdasdnzmxn naosdasdnzmxn asasdasd asasdasd dsdfsdfs dsdfsdfs Exposition naosdasdnzmxn naosdasdnzmxn asasdasd asasdasd dsdfsdfs dsdfsdfs Examples Non-Examples

ACT I Exposition

Deﬁnition In the exposition, the reader meets the protagonist and sees life before the conﬂict starts

Essential Characteristics ★Introduces protagonist’s character traits ★Introduces general setting ★Shows life before conﬂict.

Examples

Non-Examples ★The real conﬂict does not begin in the exposition. ★Nemo’s capture and Marlin’s attempts to ﬁnd him are not part of the exposition.

Judge how the author uses the exposition to show the characters’ traits.

Judge how the author uses the exposition to show the characters’ traits. What actions, thoughts & dialog in the exposition contribute to character traits?

ACT II Rising Action

Deﬁnition The series of adventures the characters go, moving towards the climax. The action gets increasingly tense as the climax approaches. This action begins with an event known as the “inciting incident.”

Essential Characteristics ★Several mini-adventures within the main plot ★Longest act of the story ★Builds tension, excitement, and suspense over time

Examples Inciting Incident

Judge how the author uses the rising action to show the characters’ traits.

Judge how the author uses the rising action to show the characters’ traits. What actions, thoughts & dialog in the exposition show a character changing?

ACT III Climax

Deﬁnition The climax is the peak of the action. It could be a huge battle or an exciting action scene.

Essential Characteristics ★Most intense, exciting moment of the story. ★All storylines come together. ★Uses character’s changes to solve conﬂict.

Judge how the author uses the climax to show how characters have changed.

Judge how the author uses the climax to show how characters have changed. How did the rising action equip the characters to handle the climax?

ACT IV Falling Action

Deﬁnition The falling action is a short but vital part of the story that resolves the climax.

Essential Characteristics ★Shows the outcome of the climax ★Tells the reader the status of the main characters

Examples

ACT V Dénouemont

Deﬁnition The dénouement reveals how the characters have “changed over time.”

Essential Characteristics ★The characters are back in a similar setting as the exposition ★The protagonist’s actions show the effect of the story’s conﬂict. ★Shows how the characters have changed.

Examples

Non-Examples ★“And they lived happily ever after.” ★“And he never made the same mistake again.”

Judge how the author uses the dénouement to contrast with the exposition.

Judge how the author uses the dénouement to contrast with the exposition. What actions, thoughts & dialog in the dénouement contribute to the characters’ change over time?

Lesson III ThemesBig ideas that frame the story’s meaning.

Do you know that story where the character goes from good to bad?

Fall From Grace

Deﬁnition A character begins a “good” person but becomes “bad” or “falls from grace.” The character then achieves redemption and becomes “good” again.

Essential Characteristics ★The protagonist begins heroically. ★A selﬁsh act destroys the protagonist’s reputation. ★The protagonist returns to the hero status through selﬂess acts.

Examples

The Quest

Deﬁnition The protagonist is on a mission to ﬁnd a place, a person, or an item. During the journey, the main character experiences a change over time.

Essential Characteristics ★Character begins humbly ★Character acquires comrades ★Quest changes the character ★The quest is less important than the ﬁnal growth

Examples

Coming Of Age

Deﬁnition A character grows up and loses their childish ways. This may mean taking on new responsibilities or realizing that something isn’t important.

Essential Characteristics ★Character is young ★Character clashes with authority (teacher, parent, older sibling) ★Character goes through a conﬂict which changes their point of view ★Character understands the point of view of the authority

Examples

Alienation

Deﬁnition Protagonist is alone and out of place. During this time, the character learns about himself and grows. He may also help those around him grow as well.

Essential Characteristics ★Strange setting and characters. ★Character learns these surroundings. ★The other characters may learn from the main character.

Examples

It’s A The Lion King The Giver Wonderful Life The Little To Kill A Spiderman Mermaid Mockingbird Island Of The Up Wall•E Blue Dolphins

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Lesson IV Archetypes The beginning of interesting characters.

Inductive Lesson

An archetype is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype

Analyze Within An Archetype

Deﬁnition: Hero The hero is a protagonist who begins as a humble, non-heroic protagonist.

Examples ★Luke Skywalker ★Neo, from The Matrix ★Jake Sully, from Avatar ★Frodo Baggins ★King Arthur

Deﬁnition: Mentor The mentor guides the hero, teaching them skills and character traits, perhaps gifting them an important item

Essential Characteristics ★Experienced protagonist's conﬂict ★Older than protagonist ★Tests & challenges protagonist ★Gives protagonist helpful gifts

Examples ★Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars ★Charles Xavier, X-Men ★Merlin ★Glinda

Character Unique Archetype Character

Base Off Existing Characters Your Hero

Character Growth

Character Growth Exposition Dénouemont

What actions, thoughts, and dialog show this growth? Exposition Dénouemont

How does this character contribute to the theme?

Guide To Developing A Unique Character

Lesson V Conﬂict The cause of the protagonist’s change.

Types Of Conﬂict ★ Character vs Character ★ Character vs Nature ★ Character vs Society ★ Character vs Self

Conﬂict causes the character to change...

Analyzing Literature Creating Literature

Author

Theme Character Setting Plot Conﬂict Author

Think like an author. Identify the theme of this story.

Identify three events in the rising action that support this theme.

Evaluate how the character has changed from the exposition to the dénouement. How does this change support the theme?

In what way does this character parallel an archetype? In what ways is the character unique? How does this support the theme?

Judge your evidence and pick the three that most clearly support the theme.

Elaborate on each piece of evidence, explaining how it demonstrates the theme.

Body ¶ 1 Body ¶ 2 Body ¶ 3

Body ¶ 1 One way the author demonstrates the message of ‘letting go’ is through Marlin’s change from the exposition to the dénouement. In the exposition, Marlin is timid, shown by his poor joke. This trait is also shown in his fear of leaving home. In the dénouement, Marlin has let go and is shown to be a humorous risk-taker, shown by his race with Nemo and his successful joke.

Writing: Structure Increases Creativity

by JTaylor Education on Aug 10, 2010

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Writing: Structure Increases Creativity — Presentation Transcript