Transforming Memory to Fiction

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Transforming Memory to Fiction

• Setting, Movement Theme part B Explore
  Movement

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Exploring Movement

• Many stories take place in a single scene (time
  place) however, others use several scenes. How
  these scenes fit together is through the plot (a
  series of actions or events that tell the story).
• Plotting the story involves choreographing these
  movements in space time the related actions
  to progress toward the resolution.

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• Think of a movie or TV show you recently have
  seen. Write out the plot.

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• In Martones story, he takes his character from
  one place time to another. In each new setting
  he quickly establishes the setting involves the
  character in action.

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• Martone focuses on 3 settings
• Drive in theater where most of the action at the
  start of the story takes place. He is probably
  16 here.
• At the convention where he meets with Charlton
  Heston.
• Then he moves back in time to when he returns to
  the drive-in after just completing his law
  degree.
• Martone does not use white space to indicate the
  change in scenes. Instead he uses contextual
  clues.

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• When he moves the action he does so with minimal
  narrative. The action of the story tells of the
  movement.
• I was telling this to Chuck Heston in the green
  room of the convention. The green room was a
  trailer with no windows parked beneath the
  scaffolding of the podium. The crowd on the
  floor above sounded like the wind, and Chuck
  looked scoured and bronzed. He listened
  intently, his smile frozen on his face.

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• The move in setting time is done two ways.
• The initial sentence includes in the green
  room. which indicates the new setting.
• In the next two sentences, Martone adds more
  specific detail of the place.
• Now the narrator is situated in his new
  surrounding and the reader (and action) can
  continue.

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Experimenting with Movement

• In your draft you have a character in a specific
  place time doing something not allowed. This
  was based on your life.
• Martone probably based his story on his life. He
  was probably a teenager at a drive in watching
  Planet of the Apes.

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• In the next section you will move your character
  forward, but at this point you will fictionalize
  the rest of the details.
• Martone probably did not actually meet Charlton
  Heston at a convention. Perhaps he moved his
  story forward by simply thinking What if?.

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Writers Practice 9.2

• Part A. Imagine two or three new places. Use
  specific sensory details.
• Time passed
• Place
• Sensory Details

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• After you do those three new places, pick on that
  you like the most. Imagine yourself to be
  involved in an action at that place. Freewrite
  about the action. What are you doing? How did
  you get there? Who is with you? What do you
  think of this person and what do they think of
  you?

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• Part B - You will use specific details in action
  or dialogue to shift the time place of your
  scene.
• Dialogue Introduce a second character who is in
  conversation with you.
• Example
• But why did you steal when you had money to
  buy? Rogers shaded his eyes against the sun and
  peered at me. I shrugged. Behind him, 50 yards
  above us, was Nichols, the show-offy guy from
  sales whod brought us here. Just to give us a
  little workout, he said.

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• But why did you steal when you had money to
  buy? Rogers shaded his eyes against the sun and
  peered at me. I shrugged. Behind him, 50 yards
  above us, was Nichols, the show-offy guy from
  sales whod brought us here. Just to give us a
  little workout, he said.
• Now your turn

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• Action transition Move the action to a
  different place time.
• Example I pulled my water bottle from my belt,
  lifted it to my mouth, and took a long drink. We
  were halfway up the mountain. I knew I should
  conserve my water. There wouldnt be any
  convenience stores along the trail. Nichols,
  fifty yards above me, turned and saw me drinking.
  Are you coming? he yelled down.

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• Example I pulled my water bottle from my belt,
  lifted it to my mouth, and took a long drink. We
  were halfway up the mountain. I knew I should
  conserve my water. There wouldnt be any
  convenience stores along the trail. Nichols,
  fifty yards above me, turned and saw me drinking.
  Are you coming? he yelled down.
• Your turn

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• Now, using your practice above, write two or
  three sentences linking the event from WP 9.1 to
  the event on WP 9.2 part A.
• Write In Your Journal Using the work from 9.2,
  move your story into a different setting than the
  one you used in 9.1. Same story different
  setting. Use the first person narrator. This
  will be the second scene of your story.