Week 6 Writing Exercises

I thought each of the exercises were interesting, but here's the one's I found to be the most helpful:

"Gifts to Yourself"

The description alone stood out for me - especially the part about "deleting superfluous details". Through outlining a lot of the important details, it better helped me interpret and analyze elements of the story - something I was unable to do by simply reading through it. There's a number of issues with my story in which more detail should be at one point, and less at another. By reading through it, I would analyze it as a whole, and not the individual elements and important details. It got me thinking about adding new scenes here, or emphasizing/downplaying certain details in my story. A number of the ideas generated from this exercise is making its way into my final draft.

"Magnifying Conflict"

This was another big one. I realized that my story is lacking an emphasized conflict, that being of my main character with himself and his morals. My story up to now has been a simple chronology outlining actions and events, like retelling a story to a family member, or sharing an event with a friend. To me, conflict is an important essential to fiction because it makes it more meaningful, and more involving the reader. So through this exercise, I got a clear understanding of what's basically essential - stressing a high level of tension, adding the idea that the characters need to make choices by presenting the issues arising with each, etc.


"Writing Outside the Story"

This was an exercise I did to help better gain the feel of my main character. I really felt like I was writing in his own words and not my own because I feel I've established the fact that he's a news reporter who is having trouble dealing with his own morals as he goes about his daily work that is sometimes not a very pretty sight. So I've definitely strengthened that element to a point where the characterization I feel is a little more believable.

"Ways to begin a story" I thought was a good resource if you're stuck on how to start your story, but I am currently satisfied with my own as I am sure others in the class are of theirs.

That's all, I'll probably be uploading my paper late tonight, and by late tonight I mean early Sunday morning as I take my time working out the kinks. It's been a good semester!

-Kevin