Short Story Activity #2 Placing Your Character in Two Different Scenes (Part 2 of 2) When writers (even the most experienced or successful ones), want to write a story, sitting down at a desk and writing one from beginning to end can be intimidating, difficult, and overwhelming. Writers are not expected, or encouraged, to write a perfect piece from beginning to end in one sitting. Therefore, if a writer writes and focuses on one scene at a time, it will make a rough draft much easier to complete! It will also give the writer an opportunity to place their characters in scenes, build a world, and create conflict and resolution. Supplies: - A computer for typing (Word, Google Docs, etc.) or a sheet of notebook paper and a pencil. - Your unique character sketch Steps: 1. Place your character in an active scene. This means you can write your character in a scene where something significant is happening to them or around them. 2. When writing this scene, be consistent with your character and their actions. For example, what would your character do based on who they are? What would they say? Would they do something funny? Would they help a stranger?
This scene can be a part of the beginning, middle, or end. You get to decide! 3. Once you have a scene you’re happy with set aside Scene #1.
4. Next, create Scene #2:
Scene # 2 can continue what your character experienced in Scene # 1, or it can be a scene that led your character to the actions in Scene #1.
Scene # 2 can also be an action scene. What is your character doing? Where is your character located? Who are they with? Make sure your character and their actions make sense to your story. For example, if your character lives in upstate New York, where it snows in the winter, they might not be able to have a pool party in December (unless that is the story you want to tell). Also, if you want to write a story about a cat who is a news anchor, you can use your writing skill and creativity to create a world, or a reality, where a news anchor cat is natural.