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Sollarna's Scribery

Write Your World

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    • Lesson 1
    • Lesson 2
    • Lesson 3
    • Lesson 4
    • Lesson 5
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    • Assignment 1
    • Assignment 2
    • Assignment 3
    • Assignment 4
    • Assignment 5
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Lesson 1 Assignments

Assignment #1 (required) – Choosing Your Story
Worth 30 House Points
Due February 28
Turn in completed work HERE or email to owl@sollarna.com (Important: Emailed assignments must include your HOL name and house, and the subject line should state the assignment number.)

  1. Using any combination of the methods listed in Lesson 1, work out three possible story ideas. Choose one idea from the three to use as your class project. Ask yourself which you’re most comfortable discussing and writing. If you are new to noveling, then try not to choose a concept that would feel unnatural or difficult to write. Which story did you choose, and why did you choose it? Please provide a brief summary of your idea. Try to keep your answer between 100 and 300 words. (10 points)
  2. Who do you imagine your audience will be? On other words, who do you imagine reading your story? What is their age(s) and interests? (6 points)
  3. How will you tell your story? Is it a full-length novel, short story, children’s book, poem, comic book, or some other format? (2 points)
  4. From what perspective do you plan to write your story? These are explained in Lesson 1 under Resources. (2 points)
  5. What is your writing goal for this term? How long do you want your story to be? For this assignment you have two options. Option 1) You may complete this step with me. Email me or post in the forum if you’d like me to help calculate your Project Goal. Option 2) You may calculate your goal alone by estimating: how many days per week you can write, how long you can write each day, and your writing pace (Example: Can you write 300 words per hour? 500 words per hour?). If you can write 300 words per day, then multiply 300 by the number of days you hope to write. The product of these two numbers is your goal. If you are creating a graphic novel, you will need to devise a daily or weekly illustration goal as well. (10 points)
    You may change your goal by adding or subtracting from it at any time, so long as your overall effort isn’t sacrificed. Please contact me should you change your goal. 

Extra Credit #1 – Planning Ahead
Worth 30 House Points
Due May 31
Turn in completed work HERE (preferred) or email to owl@sollarna.com (Important: Emailed assignments must include your HOL name and house, and the subject line should state the assignment number.)

  1. Identify and describe three characters in 150 words, total (75 words minimum per character). These may be main and/or minor characters. You do not need to name them yet. Some authors write their first draft without naming a single character! (15 points)
  2. Provide a brief summary for the other two story ideas your crafted in Assignment 1. In your summaries, identify each idea’s the source of inspiration (dream, story dice, epiphany, etc.). Each summary needs to be a minimum of 75 words (please try not to exceed 150 words). (15 points)
    (These story ideas might develop into full novels in the future. Or, they might provide inspiration for a sub-plot in other story. I recommend collecting these valuable ideas and hold onto them.)

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Lesson 1 Resources

Story Cards
(based on Story Dice)

Should you wish to make story cards to assist with plot development, here are some cards you can make (add and/or omit cards to fit your needs). Yes, some of these elements do overlap and appear twice.
To Use: Either separate the cards according to theme (Hero, Setting, Prop, Villain, Etc.) or combine them all. Shuffle and draw several cards at random, then imagine how the different elements might combine to tell a story. You may also enter these elements into an online randomizer, or write on smaller strips of paper and draw from a bag or hat. If you devise other uses for these, please share them with the class!

Heroes: Detective, Mermaid, Scientist, Archaeologist, Doctor, Knight, Princess/Prince, Student, Witch/Wizard, Elf, Astronaut, Cowboy/Girl
Villains: Ghost, Mad Scientist, Dark Sorcerer, Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, Troll, Pirate, Dragon, Evil Queen/King, Alien, Natural Disaster, Criminal/Psycho, Robot
Settings: Mansion/Castle, Asylum, Swamp, Haunted House, School, Science Lab, Cemetery, Cabin, Ocean, Island, Desert, Space, Forest, Mountain, Village, Underwater, City, Jungle, Ice
Tools/Props: Cauldron, Broomstick, Wand, Book, Flashlight, Potion, Ring, Sword, Key, Rope, Food, Music, Camera, Phone, Shield, Wings, Medicine, Disguise, Magic Ability, Trap, Vehicle, Mirror, Crystal Ball
Obstacles/Challenges: Curse, Riddle, Amnesia, Betrayal, Lost, Trapped, Sickness, Storm, Fire, Jealousy, Impostor, Theft, Injury, Confusion
Twists: Transform, Trapdoor, Missing, Betrayal, Split Up/Separation, Lost, Kidnapped, Spell/Curse, Challenge, Secret Identity Revealed, Relocated, Unexpected Death
Prizes: Money, Promotion, Knowledge, Trophy/Award, Kiss, Magical Power, Jewelry, Fame, Inheritance, Feast, Sign of Hope, Help, Insightful Dream, Solution, Key, Added Time, Second Chance
Endings: Survive, Destroy, Conquer, Tragedy, Reunion, Treasure, True Love, Reveal/Unmask, Peace, Solve, Save the Day/World, Cliffhanger

Points of View

First Person The main character tells the story and uses “I” as the narrator. The story is told through this character’s eyes, and the reader only knows as much as the character knows.

First Person Peripheral: The narrator is not the main character. The reader only knows what this supporting character knows and sees.

Third Person Limited: Told in “he/she/it”. The narrator tells the story from the angle of only one character. The view might be inside the character’s head, expressing the character’s thoughts. It may also be from further away, expressing no thoughts but instead limited to actions.

Third Person Multiple: Also told in “he/she/it.” The narrator tells the story from the angle of more than one character. Again, the view can be close (where we hear their thoughts) or further away (where we only learn of their actions).

Third Person Omniscient: Also told with “he/she/it.” The narrator tells the story from the angle of one or more of the characters and knows everything, including what the characters do not know. The characters’ thoughts and feelings are also known to the narrator.

Word Count Stats of Famous Books and Authors
(these figures are estimates and rounded to the Nearest Useful Number)

Popular Books and Their Word Counts:
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary: 22,000
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl : 31,000
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson : 36,000
Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis : 37,000
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame : 58,000
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell : 60,000
Lord of the Flies by William Golding : 60,000
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley : 64,000
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury : 65,000
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain : 69,000
Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling : 77,000
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett : 80,000
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank : 83,000
Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling : 85,000
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien : 95,000
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery : 97,000
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card : 100,000
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman : 113,000
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien : 135,000
Watership Down by Richard Adams : 156,000
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien : 177,000
Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling : 198,000
Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling : 257,000
The Lord of the Rings (all three) by J. R. R. Tolkien : 455,000

Popular Authors and Their Daily Word Counts:
Ernest Hemingway: 500
George R. R. Martin: 500
Kate DiCamillo: 750
Holly Black: 1,000
Mark Twain: 1,400
Jack London: 1,500
Stephen King: 2,000
Anne Rice: 3,000
J.K. Rowling: “Anything from 10 minutes… to 10 hours.” (We have no actual daily word count for her.)

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Painting: Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, c. 1818