The following PowerPoint presentation is a compilation of two Master Class Webinars.

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Writing The Story Generating Ideas and Getting
them on Paper Instructor Elisa black
The following PowerPoint presentation is a
compilation of two Master Class Webinars.
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Part I Writing About Others
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Life
Life is what happens to you while youre busy
making other plans. --John Lennon
Sooner or later we all discover that the
important moments in life are not the advertised
ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the
weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real
milestones are less prepossessing. They come to
the door of memory. --Susan B. Anthony
Life is made up of snobs, sniffles, and smiles,
with sniffles predominating. --O. Henry
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Photos without stories are memories lost. Dr.
Sharon Murdoch
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• Exercise 1 Brainstorm
• 1. Write down the name of a person.
• Write down any words that remind you of that
  person.
• character traits
• things that person likes to do
• things that person likes or hates
• items of clothing that person frequently wears
• places that person likes to go
• films, book titles or T.V. shows that person
  likes
• activities that person likes to do
• nicknames that person has
• things that person says

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Exercise 1 Brainstorm
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The text on this page is simply a result of
writing down the brainstorming results.
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Another brainstorm page
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Another brainstorm page
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Converting Your Brainstorm Into Story
The memories recorded on this page were sparked
by an item on the brainstorming list. What does
David love? Answer Bears
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Exercise 2 Email Surveys
Have you ever gotten one of these surveys in your
email? 1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER? 2.
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? 3. FAVORITE BOARD
GAME? 4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE? 5. FAVORITE
SMELLS? 6. COMFORT FOODS? 7. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
8. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? 9.FIRST THING YOU
THINK WHEN YOU WAKE UP? 10. FAVORITE FAST FOOD
PLACE? 11. FUTURE CHILDS NAME? 12. IF I HAD A
LOT OF MONEY, I WOULD 13. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
14. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? 15.
STORMSCOOL OR SCARY?
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Exercise 2 Email Surveys
1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER? Enchanted
it was hilarious! Loved the Happy Little Working
Song2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Just
finished reading Death of a Peer by Ngiao
Marsh. I love British mysteries. 3. FAVORITE
BOARD GAME? Dont really have one. Although I
kick butt on Star Wars Trivial Pursuit 4.
FAVORITE MAGAZINE? In Style (Yes, Im shallow, I
like pretty pictures of pretty people)5.
FAVORITE SMELLS? leaky swamp coolers. Im not
kidding. Reminds me of when I was a kid.6.
COMFORT FOODS? cookies and/or pizza7. FAVORITE
SOUNDS? The sound of the ocean, and the cello 8.
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? having someone mad
at you 9. FIRST THING YOU THINK WHEN YOU WAKE UP?
There is no coherent thought, only the pain of
not being asleep.10. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Scholtzkys11. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Noah and
Elizabeth12. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY, I
WOULD... Travel! 13. DO YOU DRIVE FAST? Yes14.
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? No15.
STORMS-COOL OR SCARY? Very, very cool. Why wont
someone watch Psycho with me when its raining?
Cowards!16. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? I bought
Amy Chamberlains baby blue 1990 Geo Prizm. Still
my favorite car. 17. FAVORITE DRINK? Diet
Coke18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? Good
heavens no!19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY
COLOR, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Blonde or red, Ive
done both.20. HOW MANY DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS
HAVE YOU LIVED IN? Eleven21. GLASS HALF EMPTY OR
FULL? Its either overflowing or lip-crackingly
dry. Im a gal of extremes.22. WHAT IS UNDER
YOUR BED? Clothes I cant fit into anymore. (Its
really crowded under there).23. TOILET
PAPER/PAPER TOWEL-OVER OR UNDER? Does it matter?
24. EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL? Night owl25.
FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX? On the couch in front of
the TV
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This page in a Friends book was created with
the answers from an email survey.
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Interviewing Others for a Life Story
Tell me your lifes story! How do people
answer that question? What happened? If it
happened a long time ago, chances are, the answer
to this question is going to be a dry, boring
recitation of facts. We have to get over our
obsession with plot. Start by describing the
place and the people in the story. Instead of
asking, what did you do last summer? ask, what
did you smell last summer? or Who did you meet
last summer?
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• Exercise 3 Story ElementsPlace
• 1. Start with an important place.
• a house
• a school
• a favorite store
• a friends house
• the library
• the swimming pool
• a car
• the dentist or doctor
• the barber
• 2. Next, think of a person in connection with
  that place.

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• Exercise 4 Story ElementsTime
• 1. Start with a time
• the 80s
• my fifth grade year
• when I was seven
• 2. Now, think of a place associated with that
  time.
• 3. Now, think of a person associated with that
  time.
• 4. Let the memories flow about that person, that
  place and that time.
• 5. Jot down notesjust words or phrasesabout
  those memories.

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Exercise 4 Example 1980shigh
school1984-88Timpview High School Carol,
Jennyhigh school orchestra Jakefirst chair,
second violinZZ Top costume at school dancered
hairbeing picked to compete at
Regionalshonored, afraidplayed first solo and
then went in restroom and criedstill got good
scorenot good at soloing in public High school
hallwaybright orange lockersslamming of metal
doors, lots of chatter, running feet, someone
interrupted Geometry class to say the space
shuttle had exploded, went to Ms. McKays history
class, someone brought in a TV, we all watched
news coverage of the Challenger explosion, a
teacher was on board, didnt know how to feel,
sad, shocked
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Story writing Tips Help your readers experience
the action by showing them what happened rather
than telling them. Let the action play out for
your readers by using direct quotes from your
characters when you can. Let the characters
reveal themselves through their own words. You
can also show a persons feelings by describing
what they did. Example She was devastated by
the news. After she hung up the phone, she
stalked back and forth across the room, making
jerky movements with her hands. She would pick up
random objects, clutch them tightly, and then
drop them again, as if shed forgotten she was
holding them. Suddenly she stopped in the middle
of the room, covered her face with her hands and
burst into tears.
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Story Structure

• Place talk about several normal things that
  happened there.
• Example the 2nd grade
• What happened on a standard day?
• What were some common occurrences in a regular
  day?
• 2. Contrast/Action The Day Things Turned
  Upside Down. Once youve established your
  setting, youre ready for the contrast.
• 3. Ending what did you learn as a result of the
  occurrences?

• Tips
• Remember your five senses sight, smell, sound,
  touch, taste
• Go for the quote when you can.

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Remember, when you tell a story, youre painting
a picture for your audience. You want them to see
the story unfold in their mind.
PROBLEM
The Four Ps combine to create a picture in your
readers mind.
Picture (Story)
PLACE
PEOPLE
PROGRESS
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Part II Writing About Yourself
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How do you capture the random, humorous, and
bizarre (or common place) moments that really
make up your life?
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Blogs
Online blogs are a great example of people
recording the daily doings that make up their
lives. Remember, we reveal ourselves when we
write, not just through our words, but through
the details we choose to include and through
language and personal style.
Two great ones www.thepioneerwoman.com http//musk
adillo-dreaming.blogspot.com
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• Exercise 1 Generate a list of common place
  incidents that happen in your life or household.
• Getting ready and going to work/school?
• Household tasks?
• Favorite ways to relax
• Places you like to go
• Classes or lessons you take
• Care of children or other person
• What you do for a livinga typical day at work
• Now think of a time that something went wrong, or
  something altered the course of your usual
  practice.

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Example 1 A day in the life of a mother includes
getting children to do things they dont want to
do, like take their medicine. (This was
originally a blog post.)
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Example 2 a chore as simple as cleaning the
house becomes a battle with the forces of evil.
(Originally posted on a blog.)
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What characteristics do your friends attribute to
you? What personal quirks do they tease you
about? Take a moment and make a list. (About
yourself or someone else)
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How do you defy convention?
Did your mother ever say well, if all your
friends jumped off a cliff would you?  Um,
me?  Yes, I would, actually.  Id want to know
what they knew that I didnt.  Ive always been
the kind of person that will go with the general
consensus, always. Ive recently had an
opportunity to apply for an open position in HR 
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Exercise 2 pick a common saying, and use it as a
starting point to explain how you defy
convention. A rolling stone gathers no
moss Let sleeping dogs lie... Throws like a
girl Elvis has left the building The best
thing since sliced bread. Dont make a mountain
out of a mole hill. I hope someday you have
kids just like you. The squeaky wheel gets the
grease.
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Exercise 3 Compare and contrast Compare yourself
as child and an adult. What personality traits
have you kept throughout your life? What is
something that you disliked as a child, but now
really enjoy as an adult? What physical
characteristics have you retained? How do you
appear differently? How are you like your
parents? (I know, this can be a hard one.) What
advice would your 10 year-old self have given
your adult self? What advice do you wish you
could give your 10 year-old self?
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A story provides a structure for our
perceptions only through stories do facts assume
any meaning whatsoever. This is why children
everywhere ask, as soon as they have the command
of language to do so, Where did I come from?
and What will happen when I die? They require a
story to give meaning to their existence. Without
air, our cells die. Without a story, our selves
die. Neil Postman