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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Suddenly, things change
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by: Carter Jefferson
Posted on: Sunday, 3 Dec 2006
Reposted on: Sunday, 16 August 2009
Reposted on: Sunday, 2 September 2012
Reposted on: Sunday, 16 February 2014
Reposted on: Sunday, 24 May 2015
Reposted on: Sunday, 8 July 2018
Reposted on: Sunday, 16 May 2021
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Exercise: In 400 words or less, show us a character at the moment this person's life
is suddenly changed by an event outside his or her control. Some
examples: a
death, a lottery win, a physical accident, an award, a failure. Let us
learn from the
character's immediate actions what sort of person he or she is.
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Different people react differently in similar situations. While one man
might cry and
call his wife when he hears that his father has died, another might
breathe a sigh of
relief, head for a bar, or make plans on how to spend his inheritance.
What he does
depends on circumstances both past and present, what he has learned
about life,
whether he is rich or poor, and any number of other things.
What you are to do is show the event that causes the change, and then
use whatever
happens next to show us something of what the character is like. This
doesn't have to
be the start of a story, but it could be.
If you need an example, read Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the
Slaughter." In that case,
the sudden change comes in the middle of the story, and
the ending is classic Dahl.
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In your critiques, let the writer know that you see the event and
understand the
character's reaction. What does that reaction tell you about the
character? As
always, critique the writing--comment on the setting and the way the
events are
presented.
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.
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