Today, I had a "duh" moment. My course proposal is my book outline. WOOT!!
...troubleshooting or what I learned from being obsessive. First, the course needs to be a twenty-eight day focus, so I changed the format to 3 2 hour days over three weeks. Second, like any class, it needs internal structure.
Course Title:Functional Structure for Genre Fiction
Instructor: Jodi Henley
Number of Sessions: 3 2-Hour sessions for a total time of six hours.
It needs to go from the bottom up.
Course Outline:
*Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their work in progress or plot ideas.
Day 1
Hr. 1
Handout: What is Structure?
Introduction to Plot
1. Aristotle’s Poetics/Christopher Vogler “The Writer’s Journey”/ Joseph Campbell “mono myth”
2. Syd Field “Intro to 3 Act structure”
3. Dwight Swain Scene and sequel/Debra Dixon “GMC”
4. Robert McKee/Robin Perini “Turning Points”.
5. Misc. structure: The “W” “plotting Wheels: “Writing software” “6 stage linear structure”.
...and build knowledge in logical progression...
Hr 2
The importance of characterization and proper motivation
1. Linda Segar “Creating Unforgettable Characters” The psychology of family and background.
2. Stanislavsky, “Method acting as a tool for characterization”
3. When your characters come to life. What to do when the character is wrong for your plot.
Wrap-up and overview. 15 minute question and answer.
Assignment: Study the plotting method that calls to you and explain why you picked that particular method.
Flesh out the back story of your characters. Walk them into a convenience store robbery. How do world view and character traits impact their actions?
Day 2
Review of Day 1 and interactive homework review.
Same thing for the next two days. Each day reviews the previous day and provides immediate feedback. At this point I'm willing to present just to make sure it works. I have a book burning a hole in my computer screen. :)
6 comments:
Of course. That makes such sense; you'll try it out first, then write the book, and I can buy and read it.
I've taught a community college class (on journaling) that I took over from someone else. Then I wrote a proposal for a selling what you write class and ended up teaching it privately. Good experience, but I find it hard to teach what I instinctively do (maybe because I'm still so in-process). You, on the other hand, have SOMETHING. You're Monkish enough to think it through so well. I hope you have a blast. :o)
I'm laughing here. Thank you, Deanna. The first time I ever saw Monk he was wiping the inside of a squad car with antibacterial wipes before he sat down. (I do that in planes, everything--seriously, the wall, the window, the armrests, the table)
No sense trying to sell if I can't do it first. I think Hague inspired me to go for it. And I think I'm just enough of a soapbox orator to love it to death. (we'll see this Saturday)
How'd it go?
It's still a few days away, the first. It's part of Nano at the Library Month. Which is a good thing, because otherwise I'd be trying to log into the forums and getting time out messages. :) But I'll get pictures. Hopefully there will be more than one person. Then again, maybe one is good. LOL
Oh, I was thinking it was this weekend. Doy. *smacking forehead.*
Ah, so it's THIS Saturday! I've got everything crossed for you (for luck).
Yep, you're Monk-like, alright. I think that's a good thing, though.
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