Fiction Portfolio

Before we leave fiction, please complete this long-range project as a major portion of your mid term grade.

We have written the following this semester:
--Chapter 8: A Reliable or Unreliable 1st person POV fiction story.
--Chapter 9: A 1st person POV story that focused on setting and character; it may have used flashback.
--Chapter 10: A 3rd person POV story that added suspense & tone (while still focusing on setting and character), advancing the plot through a series of events or scenes
--The Hemingway story (see December for details)
--Some people wrote a short story for their baseline piece. This can also be included.
--Any other story you wrote in the past four months

Put Together a Fiction Portfolio:

1. Gather all your draft files.

2. Revise your most current draft. Proofread, correct grammar, add details, description, etc. Make sure your story is complete and you are satisfied with the outcome before you print.

3. Make sure you have a title for your stories. Don't leave your babies unnamed!

4. It doesn't matter what project or assignment created the fiction; likely your fiction will expand and change from the initial assignment or project. Consider going back to earlier projects and revising now that you have a more complete understanding of fictional elements. It's okay to change POV, plot arrangement, add/cut words, etc.

5. When you are satisfied with your work, print these files. Make sure your drafts are numbered. Unnumbered drafts will not be given credit.

6. Most recent drafts (the higher number) should be on top. Paperclip or staple drafts together. A good way to check whether or not you really crafted your work is to look through your drafts. Each draft should add pages or cut them. Crafting is a series of additions and subtractions -- or sifting to reveal the polished creative story beneath.

7. Keep your drafts in your portfolio.

When you have collected all your drafts together and placed them in the portfolio, please write a 2-3 page (double-spaced) explanation of what you learned in writing these stories. What have you learned about fiction? Do you feel your work has improved? Describe how you work best. How did writing a second or third or subsequent draft help you? Which story do you think is your best (and why)?

Use fiction vocabulary and refer to your own stories in your self analysis essay. It should be clear to me that you have learned what I've covered in the class.