ATEQ - The Association of Teachers of English of Quebec
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E-NotesArticlesClaire Holden Rothman -Author
Writer, know thyself! This short story workshop complements the English Language Arts program of Secondary 4 and 5 students, as the Short Story forms an integral part of their studies. Students are exposed to portions of short stories whose protagonists are close in age to audience, with ensuing discussion of substance and craft. The stories, set in Quebec, add a dimension of familiarity and connection for the students. As Ms Rothman states - potential story material is everywhere. Students are given safe exercises for starting the process. Various relevant themes, such as coming of age in a pluralistic society, issues of identity, acceptance of others, and personal development are explored. Related topics include as focus on the genesis of a story, on significant details, senses, and imagery. The aim of this exercise is to get writers writing from their five senses. In literature classes, we speak about imagery or images. As a writer, I use the term "significant detail," but whatever term one uses, it amounts to the same thing. An image, just like a concrete, significant detail, is something that appeals one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch). Humans are visual creatures primarily, so a lot of the imagery in stories is visual. Stories and novels are composed almost entirely of imagery or detail. The only elements that are not details are abstract things, like ideas and themes. Today, I will read an excerpt of "August," one of my stories. It will be short, so we can save time for student writing. I will discuss my definition of significant detail, and the five senses. Then we'll do a writing exercise that can, with a bit of future class work, turn into a full-blown story assignment. Student Exercise: You are going to write now for 10 minutes straight on a topic I will provide. You're not going to care all that much for the time being about spelling or grammar. The point is to get the story out, or as much of it out as you can in 10 minutes. Try not to let your hand stop on the page. Just write and write until I tell you the time's up. TOPIC: Choose a significant incident from a child's life (your own, borrowed or invented) and in first person, write about that incident as if you're looking back on it from the age you are now. (Students write for 10 min.) STEP 2: Take two minutes now and really imagine the place where the incident occurred. Was it indoors or outside? In a city or the country? In a schoolyard or at your or someone else's house? What was the weather like, the season, the time of day, the temperature? What was the décor? List 5-10 details of that setting. STEP 3: Add these details in to your little story. STEP 4: Now imagine a child the age of the child when the incident in your story happened. Change three things about the physical description of the child you originally wrote about. You may wish to change the child's sex or hair colour or race, if he's short make him tall, or stout make him skinny. You might give him glasses or freckles or something the original child did not have. The one thing you probably shouldn't change is the child's age. Make a list of these character details. STEP 5: Now think up a name for your main character. A first name and a last name. The name might hint at something about his personality or situation, (eg. the protagonist-child Victor Innocente in Toronto writer Nino Ricci's novel Lives of the Saints), or not. STEP 6: Now change the story from first person narrative point of view (I) to third person (he, she), putting in this character and his or her name. EDITING 1) Check for any abstract adjectives, particularly regarding emotions (eg. happy, sad, excited). Replace them with details you can see, hear, feel, etc. The more sensual (5 senses) detail you use, the more alive your writing becomes. The more generalizations or abstract words, the more lifeless it turns. 2) Check for any clichés (eg, tears streamed down her cheeks; she was good as gold) and substitute either simple, literal sentences (eg. she started to cry) or fresher detail that appeals to one or more of senses - (eg. Every morning she brushed and braided her hair and dressed herself carefully just as her mother had told her to.) 3) Last, but not least, do a spell and grammar check, both computer and human. Perhaps your class could hold a reading of finished stories. About the author: Claire Rothman is a Montreal writer. Ms Rothman studied creative writing at Concordia University and has worked as a lawyer, columnist for the Gazette, translator and teacher. Her publications include two short story collections: Salad Days (1990), Black Tulips (1999), and The Heart Specialist, an historical novel. Mary Eva- Heritage Regional High School 
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