LITR 3731: Creative Writing 2006

Monday, 13 November:

1^st Fiction Author: Heidi Gerke

1^st fiction Author’s Discussion Leader: Karen Heidrich

Questions regarding "Family Obligation"

Discussion questions for Heidi:
• Is this chapter one of a full length novel?
• Would you describe the project as mainstream fiction or something else?
• Are you being intentionally vague about their relationship between Lucian and protagonist?
• Are you modeling your style after a particular author?
• Have you borrowed the style of not using first names in the text from that author?
• Are you planning to write the rest of the story from her point-of-view?
• What is the setting? Minot suggests using a setting we're familiar with so how did you choose your setting?

Discussion questions for the class:
• Could it be distracting to the reader not to know the relationship between Lucian and the protagonist? (For instance, in the opening paragraphs his hair is silver and he seems confused about the photo so I thought, based on the title, he could be her father with Alzheimer's. That's why I think you should hint to nature of their relationship - doesn't have to be much.)
• Is it inconsistent to bring in characteristics that haven't been foreshadowed earlier in the text? (For instance, in the following excerpt, I found none of her memories seem "cruel and childish":
Even though she’d been jealous… even though her intentions at first had been cruel and childish, somewhere along the way she had learned to love him. • Minot mentions making transformations before starting to write to keep from wasting time. Do you [class] have a direction for the fiction pieces you've started?
• Do you [class] feel comfortable with the pacing of the plot in this chapter, based on Minot's chapter on structure?
• Minot suggests not relying too heavily on a protagonist's thoughts but do you [class] feel this chapter would benefit from more internal conflict?