Today marked the conclusion of my weekend workshop. It was my first experience at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and it left me better informed and inspired to write the story that has occupied my thoughts for many years. In class today we deconstructed the novella Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson. As a homework assignment we were asked to look at several aspects of the story and track/note them throughout the book. Then, we worked in groups on one specific category and charted them on the classroom wall with sticky notes: Each color sticky note stood for a different category. I don't recall which color was which, but these were the categories were were tracking: Character introductions and deaths Symbolism (dogs in Train Dreams) Instigating action - the event that sets the story in motion (also referred to as the inciting incident) Protagonist's desires/goals/wants Setbacks/reversals the protagonist faced Mirror moments - times when the protagonist self-reflects
The second half of my workshop today focused on character. Oftentimes we associate plot as the backbone of a story but it is really the characters that are in the driving seat. My instructor had us read and excerpt by Stephen Koch titled "Shaping the Story". In this, Koch described plot as a damaging fear that plagues most new novelists (this one included!). The dreaded monosyllable plot worked on them like Kryptonite; Flash it before them, and they would slump down helpless... They kept circling around some situation, or character, or image, or obsession. It suggested a story to them, but try as they might, they could not get at it... They were suffering from the tantalizing, maddening presence of a story that they could not reach or get within their grasp. They were being tortured by the nearness of narrative they couldn't yet get into words or even define except in the vaguest kind of way. - Koch This excerpt resonated with me. It echoed the worries that have bee