Hit Man Story in Chapters

Bell work: on your index card, define the following literary terms:

• Character
• Plot
• Characterization
• Setting
• White space

After sharing your definitions, let's read a story or two to set up our next writing assignment for the lab.

This afternoon, please read the short story: "The Hit Man" by T.C. Boyle and "A Questionnaire for Rudolph Gordon" by Jack Matthews.

In the lab, choose either option A or B (or both) and write a short story draft for your portfolio.

A. Write a short story in at least 5-10 mini-chapters. Give each chapter a heading or title. Separate your chapters, as T.C. Boyle does in his story with a line break (white space) between chapter headings. Each scene should include enough information to develop your story and provide your reader with a plot (your story should have a climax), character definition (characterization), and appropriate, clearly understood setting.
B. Write a story using only questions, or a survey format as Matthews does in his short story. Try to write a story with at least 10 or more questions. Your questions should also attempt to develop your character, the situation or plot, and indicate a clearly understood setting.

Option: You may also try option A, as a script (play or film) or try option B as a poem.

Terms Defined:

• White Space (and why to use it!)
• Plot
• Character
• Characterization
• Setting

If you finish one draft, you may select another format for a second or third story--or combine forms and see what happens. Write, write, write!

HOMEWORK: Please read the next couple of short stories in the book: (pg. 88-105). For each short story in the collection, please identify the setting, summarize the plot in one-two sentences, and identify the major/important character(s) in the story. Put this information in your journal. We will discuss these stories next class.