1 STRUCTURE: parts of a story.
Stories normally have 5 different parts.
I. The INTRODUCTION
-Presentation of main characters (The WHO). The main characters appear. The narrator will describe them, or we will see what they are like by their actions, by what they say or how they talk... One way or the other the reader is introduced to who will be the most important characters in the story.
-The settings (The WHERE and the WHEN). The narrator tells us about where this story takes place: is it here in Madrid, is it in USA...? Is it a rich family in a wonderful house, is it a poor family in the slumbs of India...?
The narrator also tells us about the times of where the story takes place: Is it now, the future or the present. is it a specific context (situation) like the Second World War, the 1920s ...?
II The BUILD-UP
The problem appears for the first time: is it that the boy enters a new school and he meets a strange teacher, is it that something magical happens to him on a normal Monday morning...?
Next to the problem we have the enemy, the baddie of the story.
Here we see the first reactions and effects on the life of the main characters.
III
The DILEMMA
The problem, the conflict, that started in II gets more and more intense. The main characters are immersed in the adventure. The reader is tense, worried. All the action happens here: the fights, the escaping, the dangers... The main character are doomed! It´s the end!
IV
The RESOLUTION
The main characters confront their destiny. The best of their personality comes into action: the have an intelligent, brave response to the problem. They reader feels lots of emotions here. "Yes", the reader says, "you can do it, come on!".
The resolution finishes with THE END of the story, that can be:
-Happy ending (reader cheers)
-Sad ending (reader cries)
-Surprise ending (reader shouts "What!")
-Looped ending (The end takes us back to the beginning)
-Open Ending (The end remains mysterious, so each reader will have a different opinion of what this end is)
V
CONCLUSION
A final paragraph for the reader. The story has finished but the writer still wants to add something else, for example:
An this is the end of our story. Maria married Justin Beaver, and they had 24 children and lived happily ever after. Ana became a famous vintriloquist, and travelled the world. Carlota won the Boxing World Championship. Juanjo decided to sell his collection of Ferraris and give the money to end the hunger in Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020....
2. THEME and MESSAGE
Theme. All stories develope a main topic (or several) that normally are one of the next:-Friendship
-Love and Romance
-Bravery or Intelligence
-Honour or Duty
-Comedy (making the reader laugh)
-Violence and Fatality
...
This is the element that moves the story in one direction or the other.
Think of the relationship between Lila and Chulak, or Lila and his father, or Hamlet and Frangipani, or Lotus Blossom and Chan. (The Fire-Work Maker´s Daughter). Sometimes we can heve several in the same story.
Next to the theme we might have the message. This happens when the writer wants to "teach" the reader.
In Little Red Riding Hood the we learn not to dis-obey and follow the path.
In Mathilda, and in Peter and the Wolf we learn not to lie.
3. TYPES of STORIES
Stories can be classified in different families:-Adventure and Action. The reader is transported to worlds full of dangers. There is alot of action, of fights.
-Mystery and Horror. The reader is transported to a world where things happen in a sort of magical (non-logical) world.
The writer will create a feeling of wonder in the reader if it is a Mystery Story.
The writer will try to scare the reader if it´s a Horror Story.
-Sci-Fi. Science-Fiction stories are normally set in a future of super technology. Robots, space-ships, cyborgs, etc are key elements.
-Detective stories. A crime has been comitted, and an intelligent detective must use his super reasoning skills to solve it.
-Comedy. Any excuse is valid to make the reader laugh. If the reader laughs you win.
-Tragedy- Any excuse is valid to make the reader cry. If the reader cries you win.
4. HOMEWORK
For Monday you need to have a clear mental plan of:A- Who are your characters (main and secondary). Names, physical and mental description.
B-Where and when the story takes place. Find an interesting place and an interesting time that you can investigate.
C- What is the problem that your main characters will confront. Who or what is the enemy they will confront.
D- How the problem will be solved in an interesting and imaginative way.
E- The Conclusion will be left, for the moment. We will work on it at the end.
F-What the Theme or Themes will be.
G-The type of story that you have chosen.
The homework is not a written peace of paper, but you can take notes so you don´t forget.
Good Luck
Have a great weekend. Peace & Love. :)
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