Exercises Week 2 -- Focus on Fiction

Excersises Week 2

1. Take some of your favorite novels off the shelf, or select a movie, or two if you have the time, that you're particularly fond of. Read the novel, or view a movie or two, recognizing the writer's use of the LOCK system. Use these questions to help you:


What is it about the LEAD character that captures you?


What is the LEAD trying to get, or get away from?


When does the story kick into "high-gear"?


What is the main opposition to the LEAD's objective?


How did the ending make you feel? Why did it work?



You don't need to write the question and the anwser if you write in complete sentences, Make sure I know what movie you are referring to, and either its year or movie stars so I can trace a good movie to it's reviews and trailers.. Maybe you could leave me a link to it, if you hunt at http://www.imdb.com (Internet Movie Data Base site)




2. Write a quick plot for your current idea. This could be one of the two items you created last week, or another new story entirely. Use four lines, one for each LOCK.

My lead is a ......................................................................................................................................


His/Her objective is to ..................................................................................................................



He/She is confronted by .............................................................................................................


The ending is a knockout when .....................................................................................................



When you have filled in the blanks, you have a skeleton for a solid novel. The rest of the workshop will help you flesh it out. You may want to keep your skeleton in a separate folder or list in your portfolio to refer to later on.




3. If you feel comfortable with one of the stories you began last week, look at it using the LOCK system. Are there ways you would want to improve your writing from the last week? If you can edit in some improvements, please do so, and then send an e-mail to [e-mail] with that "bitem" and the "bitem" from the above exercises for this week. I enjoy reading your responses. This group shows great potential.



Send me an e-mail if you have any problems or questions at [e-mail]



If you're happy with the story you began last week, use it to trace your LOCK through your plot.''What is your LEAD?


What is the OBJECTIVE of your lead character?


What CONFRONTATION foils his plans?


What is the KNOCKOUT ending that will hold your reads to the last page?




If you don't feel strongly about last week's plot, start another using your LOCK skeleton. If you're working on a plot to create a novel, write in managable sections--don't try to write it all in a week...just one sitting after anoother sitting of writing will get you where you want to be.