Workshop: An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“What difference does your choice of
structure make?” Jack Hodgins
When and where can structure shapes add to
the curiosity questions that continue to develop an ongoing tension to read
more?
By now you have made your decisions regarding
what style, what pattern, what outline, and what key points you want to share.
Shape now overlaps with fictional techniques that can add another layer of
atmosphere where appropriate. Shape choices are extremely helpful when
including stories in your research and examples.
A horizontal shape leans well into any
chronological story line—either autobiographical, or an historical event, or an
accomplishment. Flashbacks can be a part of the examples as well.
A converging sequence follows several
separate threads that at some point all converge at one place and time. The
threads can be people or events or processes.
A vertical shape sinks a series of shafts into memory in some order other
than chronological in order to come to an understanding of a total experience
via several memories or opinions or experiments.
An excellent example of all these threads can be seen in the movie Hidden
Figures.
When approaching scientific material author
Jane Yolen points out that metaphors and aphorisms help to bridge concepts we
cannot see. Try writing a list of metaphors for your topic and see if they
might add shape to your patterns or outlines that customize your field into
fresh viewpoints.
The basic purpose
is still your underlying foundation. Curiosity—Communication—Connection.
What shape will best fit your purpose?
Action Steps: Read through Jack Hodgins’
comments below in italics and then answer the question that follows for your
own project(s). The underlined words are my insert.
1.
The structure of a story—or a
novel—controls the order in which the reader receives information, thus affecting
how the reader reacts to events and people, depending upon what is told,
what is withheld, and even how events are juxtaposed to create a relationship
in the reader’s mind.
Does your topic lean towards a need for emotional involvement, or
discovery, or revealing an injustice? How might the structure change if going
from gentle to harsh or vice-versa?
2.
The structure suggests
something of how you, the writer, see the world.
If, for example, you are writing a persuasive or argumentative essay
what common ground can you start from in order to build a conversation of why
this is important to you?
3.
The structure contributes
indirectly to the story’s theme or total meaning.
Do you chose to circle around the important purpose and come to it
slowly allowing the reader to make the connections or by a compare and contrast
mode set the meaning in step-by-step stages?
4.
The structure controls the
extent of reader involvement. ..Go along for the ride or…require the reader to
remember and make connections.
Which shape best fits into your experience and discovery of what you
want to share? Did you find it helpful so you will repeat the process for
yourself or do you feel that the opposite shape is more authentic? Why
Share: Which choice was the most
difficult for you to shape? Why?
Read deep, marcy
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