Author Archives: sdgibson
2250 Final exam Spr 2019
The final exam is worth fifteen points. The late paper policy as described by the syllabus applies to the final exam. Turn the exam in by emailing it to me before it is due. It is due by the end … Continue reading
2250 Fiction criteria 2.0
Give a general reaction to what you’ve read. Which scenes are interesting? Why? Is there a character that wants something? How do you know? What action does the character take to get what they want? Describe one of the characters … Continue reading
I am too sick to teach.
Classes will not meet today, but none of our due dates will change.
Characterization and the 36 questions
Answer these questions as a way to help create a character or characters. When the questions mention “you” think of the character. If they mention “we” or a partner, either think of another character or yourself. The questions are the … Continue reading
Using summary effectively
Kij Johnson’s excellent The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe starts with the main character’s efforts to help one person, a former student, then the program where the main character works, then the university (Ulthar, in the quotation below), and the valley of … Continue reading
Revising toward style
Here is a found paragraph. The garage door had been up all day. The neighborhood was quiet. I came out to run to the store and saw a rattlesnake crawl behind a paper bag. Trash in the cooler garage. I’ve a … Continue reading
Modulating suspense
Consider these example stories. In a small group, rate the suspense of each section of Boyle’s story on a scale from one to ten. Discuss you’ve noticed about the modulation of suspense. As an individual, chart the suspense in William’s … Continue reading
