In this assignment, you will be writing a short story, featuring a character with a conflict—the protagonist must start out in media res (in the middle of a life-changing conflict). You might want to think about it as if you opened a door and saw the character that you interviewed for your newspaper profile in the middle of a turning point.
Some typical themes you might want to consider:
* Coming-of-age realization about a person/place/or thing [a person appears at a class reunion or shows up for the first day on a job]
* Person-in-jeopardy plot where a person is “dropped” into a dangerous situation [think CSI]
* Family gathering plot [always a setting for some type of stress]
* Personal challenge plot [a person receives “bad news”]
Remember to “frame” the character with a vivid setting and start with a “catchy” opening paragraph.
In order to develop a living, breathing, multi-faceted character, it is important to know way more about the character than you will ever use in the story.
One of the easiest ways to build characterization and personality in a protagonist is to surround them with people to interact with. When a character is in a short, compressed story with only 1-2 minor characters, developing an interesting character becomes a greater challenge.
Here are two things to remember when writing a story with one central character:
General Requirements:
* Write an original entry that concisely addresses and answers the prompt in 500 – 600 words.
* Correct literary style, mechanics, and ample diction applied.
* Assignment is free of grammatical and basic mechanical errors.
* Assignment is submitted correct MLA Format.
