CREW 120
Assignment #1: Monologue
Write a first-person narrative in which the main character, who is also the narrator, encounters and attempts to deal with a conflict. The conflict may be external (a problem in the physical world) or internal (an emotional or psychological crisis).
Make your narrator's voice interesting, consistent, and believable. Consider, as you write your monologue, the various ways in which our speech patterns and vocabulary reveal your character. Remember, this is a first-person narrative; there will be no third-person narration: keep your p-o-v consistent. If you wish to make this assignment a little more challenging than it might otherwise be, try making your narrator someone who is of a different gender, age, or social background than you.
Include at least one character other than the narrator, and make your characters interact through dialogue and action.
Try to start with an attention-getting lead sentence.
Give your story an attention-getting and relevant title.
Avoid clichés, melodramatic or sensationalist actions or speeches, and awkward or logically-inconsistent sentences. Avoid shifts in verb tense and passive-voice constructions.
Try to create at least one complete scene in which events are dramatized rather than simply being recounted.
Describe the setting and characters.
Try to provide an interesting and convincing resolution.
Workshop Group A: Make 31 copies; hand in 2 copies to the instructor;
distribute the remaining copies to the other workshop members.
Workshop Group B: Hand in 2 copies to the instructor.
All workshop group members: Read the stories from Workshop Group A; make notes on the manuscripts, and be prepared to discuss.