11/14/2022 0 Comments Signpost literature![]() Memories are tricky! Maybe we should ask ourselves the same thing-“Why might this memory be important?” If it’s not essential to character development or plot, it probably needs to be axed. You should ask yourself, “Why might this memory be important?” Tells you more about the theme or conflict or may foreshadow what will happen next. Memory moment: The author interrupts the action to tell you about a memory. Although I suppose no schoolchildren would think much of my overdependence on “just.” If we’re accidentally repeating ourselves, that needs to be taken care of during revisions. Or it could be similar to Chekhov’s gun…it better mean something if it’s in there. Ask yourself, “Why does this keep showing up again and again?” It may tell you about the theme and conflict, symbolism, or might foreshadow what will happen next. If the protagonist takes a back seat during this process, this can be a problem.Īgain and again: When you notice a word, phrase, object, or situation mentioned over and over. You should stop and ask yourself: “What’s the life lesson and how might it affect the character?” It may indicate the theme or internal conflict. Words of the wiser: A character pulls over the main character and gives serious advice. Potential problem area for writers…when is the “aha moment” occurring? Is it too early in the book? If it’s a mystery, the aha moment really needs to be either a red herring or a revelation about a smaller puzzle in the story. If they figured out a problem, you probably learned about the conflict, if a life lesson, then the theme. Or it could mean a distracted/hurried writer who isn’t maintaining character consistency.Īha moment: A character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out. Or-it could be a plot manipulation, if done poorly. Asking why the character is doing that action may help you understand character development, internal conflict, and theme. Here’s what I read in her notes, and my thoughts in italics.Ĭontrast and contradictions: When you’re reading and a character says or does something that’s opposite of what they normally do. For one thing, they pointed out areas that could be problematic for us as we write our books. The notes were interesting to me, as a writer. I did some poking around online and found that this material comes from Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Readingby Kylene Beers and Robert E. She had a page of notes regarding “signposts” she should be looking for as she reads through various books for school this year. Craig, find my daughter’s middle school English homework a lot more interesting than she does. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |