ME 2-3 : Due Thursday, November 8th - Character Description -

Character Development

In order to develop a living, breathing, multi-faceted character, it is important to know way more about the character than you will ever use in the story. Here is a partial list of character details to help you get started.  Fill out the following details about your character, then write a 100-200 word paragraph about your character.  Write the paragraph in story form and be sure to SHOW NOT TELL the reader about your character.

        * Name

        * Age

        * Job

        * Ethnicity

        * Appearance

        * Residence

        * Pets

        * Religion

        * Hobbies

        * Single or married? If married, describe spouse.

        * Children? If yes, describe children.

        * Temperament

        * Favorite color

        * Friends

        * Favorite foods, drinks, desserts, snacks, etc.

        * Phobias

        * Faults

        * Something hated

        * Secrets

        * Strong memories

        * Any illnesses

        * Nervous gestures

        * Sleep patterns

SAMPLE:

Jenna jerked open the dented door on her Honda and tossed her knitting on top of her scuffed attaché case in the front seat.  As she settled in behind the steering wheel, she realized she had forgotten her keys – the ones with the Clapper on them.  She started back to her apartment building, shuddering inwardly as she noticed a tomcat peering at her from behind the wheel of her neighbor’s scooter.  Back inside she twisted a sandy curl in her fingers, trying to remember what she had come back for.  Her Power Rangers lunch box stared at her from the counter; she sighed heavily, grabbed it and ran back out the door.  On the second to the last step out to the parking lot, she remembered her keys again.  She rubbed her temples hoping to combat the effects of the measly two hours of sleep the night before and thought absently about maybe taking the bus.

ME 2-2: Menu Entree - due Thursday, November 1st

Conflict Mapping

Name:_______________________________________          Period:____________ Score:______________

Story	Somebody	Wanted	But	So
Emperor’s New Groove	Emperor Kuzco	A new water park	There was a village in the place he wanted to build it	He decided he would kick them out and they didn’t like that
Homer	Telemachus	The wooers to leave his house and stop wasting their food
Little Red Hen
Picture #1
Picture #2
Your Idea
Your Idea
Your Idea

Conflict Menu Entrée Assignment – Due Thursday, November 1st:

In 100  – 200 words, describe a character (possibly use one from your “Somebody” list) who wants something but cannot get it.  Think of the examples on the conflict map.  Never say what they want, SHOW IT with concrete details.  Also show them meeting up with the problem(s) you have listed.  Points will be subtracted if your writing lacks concrete details.  Be sure to use the standard format. 

Sample:

Story	Somebody	Wanted	But	So
My own idea	Sam, a college freshman	To quit her hated job in the local pizza joint.  To have more time to do homework and sleep.	She needed the money to pay for school and books and rent.	She kept working even though she hated it and she was behind in her homework and sleep.

Sam sat on her lumpy mattress, painfully aware of the melted mozzarella and pizza sauce smell that floated off of her red work polo.  She shook off the daze she had slipped into and talked herself into taking a shower to wash off the dough crusted on her worn-out elbows and under her fingernails.  Math 1010 homework would have to wait.  Ten minutes later, she toweled off, grabbed her wrinkled pajamas and sank onto her pillow, refusing to let the tears of exhaustion come.  Right now she needed sleep almost as much as she needed air and money.  As she focused on slowing her weary breathing, she began to dream she was spreading Canadian bacon on the Hawaiian Night Special.  Even her subconscious would not allow her to escape her necessary minimum wage job.

ME 2-1: Menu Entree Assignment for October 25th

Menu Entrée Assignment: First Paragraph of a Story

First rewrite the following sentences, making general words more specific.  Then using one of these sentences below, write one paragraph (5-7 good sentences) of a story that includes the ideas in that sentence.  Be sure to use concrete details instead of vague, abstract words.  Points will be subtracted for abstract words and ideas.  Remember to print this in the standard format and turn it in on Thursday, October 25^th.

 1.      A man was looking through a store window.

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2.      I did a lot of things during my vacation.

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3.      Many things about the room made it ugly.

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4.      The injury that our best player had suffered was serious enough to keep him out of the game.

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5.      After eating, we had some really good entertainment.

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6.      One member of the group was lazy and didn’t get her work done.

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7.      During the last part of the trip, we had several problems.

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8.      Many items around the place needed to be repaired before the people could move in.

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9.      It's an interesting book.

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10.  The food was really yummy.

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Menu Entrée Assignment: First Paragraph of a Story

Using one of these sentences below, write one paragraph (5-7 good sentences) of a story that includes the ideas in that sentence.  Be sure to use concrete details instead of vague, abstract words.  Points will be subtracted for abstract words and ideas.  Remember to print this in the standard format and turn it in on Thursday, October 25^th.