Novel Writing - Assignment 6

ASSIGNMENT: Lesson Six

(1) Make up a character (or if you already have a main character), give him/her a goal that must be achieved at all costs. Using your imagination, create a list of obstacles that are genre appropriate. You won't use all these obstacles but list as many as you can think of.

Protagonist - Wilbur Crump:

Goal: To decide which power, dark or white, he wants to join and belong to.

Obstacles:

1) Wife won't join light side, leaving him having to separate from her for life to join it.

2) His own sinful nature; part of him likes vice still so he will go back to it.

3) His fear of the dark side when he gets caught as one who betrayed the dark side.

4) Establishment of evil prince as head of royalty and the violent persecution of undocumented humans by his forces.

5) Report of his saving white teen-age girl that gets back to demons through the spirits he thwarted.

6) His own lack of loyalty - switches sides whenever his own fate is on the line.

7) His desire to return to gambling as a way to make a living - loved gambling -
Gives him a way to stay in cave with wife.

8) Given a warning by white angel through visions that everyone experiences in their sleep
- in these visions (warnings) the world suffers a terrible end - he will have to decide what to choose when it comes.

9) Experiences living with white tribe - gains integrity and experiences virtue which is something he has never had

Will go back on that


10) Experiences what it is like in spirit world - the equivalent of hell on earth where phantoms help the demons to rule the island. Crump experiences how terrible that realm is.



(2) Create and submit a 300-400 word scene where your character(s) encounter an obstacle. The tougher the better. It can be an inner obstacle, and external obstacle such as; a mugger, a parachute that won't open. It can be an inner obstacle such as; a moral delemna, a choice between flight or fight. Or it can be an act of God keeping him from his/her goal.




Fiston and Thera


"Theo, I've let myself become turned by the Powers of the Light," said Fiston.

"You what?" asked Theo. She darted a look at him that made him feel as if he shot a quill through his eyes.

"I joined one of their tribes and a Messenger carried out the service. I can't tell you how good I feel."

She looked incredulous as she slapped a handful of Dough onto a container to form a vessel to hold water in. "You committed treason," said Theo.

"According to whom?" asked Fiston. "The demons? Or maybe you mean Hellhound. We certainly owe them our existence."

"You're mad," said Theo. "You're out of your mind. Being turned has made you crazy."

"I'm not crazy," said Crump. He stamped his foot. "Look at me. It's me, only now I feel like a whole other person. I'm free. And I'm happy."

"Everyone knows being turned brainwashes you into a tool of the Powers of the Light. What will you do next? Try to turn all your friends? Lead everyone away from a life that already satisfies us all, quite thank you?"

"But what about us?" asked Crump. "You are my partner. You have to stay with me."

"If you insist on staying with them there can't be any us," said Theo. "You're no longer the man I hitched. I owe you nothing."

Fiston's eyes began to moisten. He hadn't thought this out. The excitement of his find made him forget the reality of living with vice. It was fun and he himself would've turned down the chance before he discovered the truth.

"How do you feel about it, Father?" Crump asked the chief. "Can't I live among my people anymore?"

"I'm sorry," Fiston. "I have the welfare of the tribe to look out for."

"Fine, then," said Crump. "But mark my words. The choice may not be so easy to decide in the future."

He grabbed the pole he carried his sack full of belongings on and stormed from the cave down the cliff. He wondered how he could've been so naive. It was them that were brainwashed. He had the secret of life but they didn't want to know.


DISCUSSION TOPIC: What recent incident have you witnessed or heard of that created tension within you? For instance, did you see anyone get angry in a public place? Did someone cut you off in traffic? Share with us what conflicts you sensed when you encountered such an incident.




I live in an apartment complex for senior citizens (even though I'm only 49) and it's supposed to be very quiet. There are not supposed to be any young people here out of respect for the fact that retired people don't want to have to deal with kids, and especially teen-agers again.

So our complex have some neighbors who have been staying outside all day, yelling into their cell phone, and being totally inconsiderate of the rest of their neighbors. Last week end a neighbor saw them bring a beer keg out of their apartment. Since there are only about 3 or 4 people their (they didn't have any party that I know of), they are drinking a lot of beer. This kind of behavior does not belong in parks for retired people.