Based on the unit, we learned that when you begin to imagine how your characters will look and how they will act, there are two important approaches to remember. Please name and briefly define these approaches. While writers track their plots in different ways, all writers tend to follow the same plot structure and test their characters’ actions against the same framework. Briefly explain the framework that writers use for plot structure.

There are a variety of different character types that you can include in your story. Please choose four character types from the unit and briefly describe each one.

In Unit 3, we learned that the theme is the vehicle of a story and can be stated in one of two ways. Please define the two ways that the theme can be expressed and give an example of a book that clearly shows its theme through these two ways.

Describe and briefly define the five strategies that can be used to weave theme throughout the story.

Critical Thinking Questions

In the unit, we learned that characterization is a key process when developing layers and depth for your character and for your piece of writing. Appearance is one way in which we define characters, but it is important not to make one-dimensional or generic characters. In three to five sentences, please re-write and expand on the following sentences characterizing a 30-year old woman. Attempt to be less generic and more engaging.

“Sarah, only 30 years old, had worked as a cashier at the grocery store most of her life. Her hair was plain brown and she never smiled. She seemed unhappy.”

Indirect characterization can be a tricky concept to master. As the writer, you must show the reader who your character is through their speech, appearance, and actions rather than implicitly telling the reader. Please compose several sentences that would allow the reader to infer the following: Mike was an extremely funny person.

While the unit depicted eight different character types, it did not explain if it is necessary to include all eight character types in your story for it to be well-rounded. Please explore whether or not you believe that it is necessary, or even possible, to include all eight character types in a story. Give an example (real or made up) of how a story might be different without one (or more) of the main character types. Is it possible for a single character to fill the role of more than one character type?

Part of learning how to be a good writer is in learning to assess your own work and the work of others. So, in an effort to practice this skill, please choose one of your favorite works of fiction and evaluate how successfully the author was able to weave the theme through the story. Did the author utilize any of the following to weave in the theme: character actions, symbolic environment, repeating ideas, highlighting symbols, or contrasting values?

At the end of the unit, it is stated that: “Through writing, your voice, yes, yours, will resonate through into the larger world and possibly change the existing reality, as a result. That, my friend, is a powerful gift and one that deserves the utmost respect and concentration.” Please describe a piece of writing that you have read that has been so powerful it changed your reality, or someone’s reality that you know. What made the writing so powerful? How did it change your/another’s reality?

PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS