Creative Writing Journals

Script Doctor

4/27/2015

Pick a section of the play, Quarreling and Making Up, that you read today and rewrite it in a way that:

a. avoids clichés — in both dialogue and situations

and

b. adds details that raise the stakes for the characters — underline these.

NOTE:
Because of dialogue formatting, this journal should be at least one page in length, front and back.

To Whom It May Concern...

4/2/2015

A man opens his mailbox to find a set of instructions.

What do they say?

Record this moment, alternating between excerpts from the text of the letter and his reaction to it—either spoken aloud or as an inner monologue.

The journal should end with a decision or action on his part after he finishes reading.

Dramatic Situation #21: Self-Sacrifice

3/31/2015

from georges polti's
36 Dramatic Situations:

SELF-SACRIFICE FOR FAMILY OR FRIENDS

Write a dialogue in which one character sacrifices themselves for family or friend(s). The context and relationships of the situation are entirely up to you.

Variations on this theme, according to Polti, include the following (paraphrased)

life sacrificed for relative/loved one
life sacrificed for happiness of relative/loved one
ambition/goals sacrificed for happiness/life of parent or child
self-sacrifice due to unjust laws
self-sacrifice for the honor of a loved one.

These are just extensions of the overall situation to help get you thinking.

This journal should be at least
ONE PAGE, FRONT AND BACK, using script format: character names only, no dialogue tags, etc.

You may include a brief paragraph explaining the circumstances at the beginning.

Dialogue at the Doorstep

3/30/2015

A suburban couple finds a handsome, young man asleep on their doormat.

Write the dialogue between the couple in which they react and discuss how to handle the situation. Do NOT use dialogue tags,narration or description; this is not in a prose fiction format.

Wait until the end of the scene for the stranger to wake up (or to be awakened).

NOTE: Because each line in your journal should be the opposite character speaking (or an extension of the first character’s previous line) the length of this journal entry should be one page front and back.

(click for a closer look)

Character Horoscopes

3/23/2015

Using one of the characters in your short story, look up his/her horoscope for March 23 and write a scene (separate from your story, at least for now) in which he/she:

is affected by reading the prediction (character modifies his/her actions based on the information) or
experiences some aspect of the prediction

Click here to read today’s horoscopes.

Figurative Language Fusion

3/2/2015

Click through the slideshow below to go through the steps for today’s journal. You will need to complete this prior to doing the “I heard it through the grapevine” rewrite
(due tomorrow)

Magazine Mixup

2/27/2015

Neighbors A and B have each received the other's magazine by mistake.

Create a scene in which they meet to correct the mailman’s error. Use the magazines as the basis to make choices about each character, but you should AVOID relying on stereotypes.

Circumstances such familiarity (how well they know each other), location (where they live), time (what day/month it is, what time of the day they are meeting), and so on are entirely up to you.

(click for a closer look)

Your Choice

2/26/2015

Point of View

2/25/2015

The in-class prompt involved instructions specific to that lesson. What follows is an alternate point of view journal prompt to be completed by those absent.

We all know the familiar fairy tale…
Goldilocks finds the three bears’ house, wanders in, tries their chairs, porridge, and beds, they find her asleep with half of their porridge eaten.

Consider how this tale might be told differently if told using one of the following points of view:

1st Person, Major Character (Goldilocks)
1st Person Peripheral (Mama)
1st Person Peripheral (Papa)
1st Person Unreliable (Baby Bear)
3rd Person, Single Vision/Limited Omniscience (Mama or Papa)

Choose one of the above options and write an account of the story’s events from that point of view.

Be sure to write which viewpoint you have selected at the top of the page.

scene

2/23/2015

Write the scene of this photograph that begins with a line of dialogue spoken by one of the people in the photo to someone else in the photo.

(click for a closer look)

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Script Doctor

To Whom It May Concern...

A man opens his mailbox to find a set of instructions.

What do they say?

Dramatic Situation #21: Self-Sacrifice

from georges polti's
36 Dramatic Situations:

Dialogue at the Doorstep

Character Horoscopes

Figurative Language Fusion

Magazine Mixup

Your Choice

Point of View

The in-class prompt involved instructions specific to that lesson. What follows is an alternate point of view journal prompt to be completed by those absent.

scene

Creative Writing Journal Prompts

REMEMBER:

Click here to get some inspiration for a weekend choice journal

Archives

A man opens his mailbox to find a set of instructions.

What do they say?

from georges polti's36 Dramatic Situations:

*The in-class prompt involved instructions specific to that lesson. What follows is an alternate point of view journal prompt to be completed by those absent.*

Creative Writing Journal Prompts

REMEMBER:

Archives

from georges polti's
36 Dramatic Situations:

The in-class prompt involved instructions specific to that lesson. What follows is an alternate point of view journal prompt to be completed by those absent.