Foundation

Lesson 2: The Seed of the Story

Stories can flow from many different sources. Henry James wrote a story entirely based on a glance through a partially open door at a dinner party he hadn't been invited to. Nikolai Gogol wrote "The Overcoat" based on a story told at a dinner party. J.R.R. Tolkien claimed that the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings were conceived primarily through his study of linguistics.

We covered observation last week, but some specific observation is necessary to find the seed of a story. Some obvious sources of fiction are:
  • Watching people
  • Listening to people
  • Observing nature
  • Researching the past
  • Reading newspapers or other media
  • Childhood memories
  • etc etc...

That list could go on forever, of course. What I'd like to present are a few less thought of sources of fiction.

Classics

Greek tragedians handled pretty nearly every human condition imaginable, and handled them as well as any writer today. Dive into playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides. Shakespeare pulled material from these guys on a daily basis, so feel free to do so yourself.

Mythology

The stories of the gods the world over provide a vast and largely untapped resource for writers. Even if you're an atheist, the story of Naka and Nebele (for one example out of thousands) reveals views of human nature, and universal conflicts that never stale.

Geneology

You may know nothing about your grandfather, let alone your 5-generations back great-grandfather. However, many writers have found their voice in researching and then writing about their progenitors. The experiences one can find doing geneology research can be surprising to say the least. One author I know found that her great-grandfather was tried and executed for murder, and her search for answers created some very powerful fiction.

Oral Tradition

We think of oral tradition as something belonging to non-literate cultures. But there are a lot of stories floating around we often take for granted. Rumours often reveal the deeper needs of what society wants to hear stories about. Taking one of these and creating a story is a sure way to get someone's attention.

There are, of course, a million other sources of fiction. In this week's assignment, though, we'll examine one powerful source.

ASSIGNMENT: Due a minute after midnight (00:01) GMT on Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Length: one page

One assignment, two writings...

Think back to your earliest three memories. Search hard, and give yourself a bit of time and quiet to search as far back as you can. Write a quick word or line about each one, and then choose one of these to write on (feel free to write about all of them if you wish, but it's not part of the assignment).

For the first part of the assignment, write a description of the chosen memory in first person ("I..."), staying as true as you can to what's in your head. Describe everything you can remember. Don't worry about any space restrictions. Free yourself from yourself, and write out the memory completely.

Once you're done, rewrite this memory in third-person ("he/she..."). Feel free to add fictional elements or not, as you choose. Keep it to a standard (A4 or 8 1/2" x 11") page in length.

When you're done with both of these, look them over. Ask yourself which is more powerful? Which captures the feeling you have when you think of that memory? Why? Did the space restriction change the story in the third-person version?

Finally, post one of the two in the assignment thread.

That's it, and thanks for the participation all!