Freytag Pyramid

DISCUSSION TOPIC #2

QUESTION 1: I believe that I am more comfortable with following the model. I don’t consciously doe this, but by nature I am a very organized type personality. Step1, step 2, step 3, etc. I believe and hope that comes from being a teacher. I don’t think students learn by the scattergun approach.
However, I learned several things from this assignment:
1. Just like my students, I didn’t want to do it. I decided I was too busy to take a class. I decided I wanted to drop out.
2. Then, I realized I was just like my students and had a good laugh. I decided to give it a try and drop out when I couldn’t or wouldn’t have the time. I still did not intend to do it.
3. Then I found a story that I might be able to use.
4. I wrestled with just the initial steps and where to place them. Where does one begin and the next begin. I believe they evolve from each other, at least in my story. I decided there is no clear cut line and begin to have sympathy for my students when I asked them to identify the parts without doing it with them.
5. Then, I learned that taking a part out and starting with the falling action (at least that is what I think I did) was no walk in the park. I kept getting confused. I had to print off both stories and place them side by side to see what the #$%^&*() I was doing.
6. The assignment made me stretch as a writer, rethink what I am doing in my Short Story (reading) class, and feel please with myself for doing it.
QUESTION 2: Yes we would call it medias res
QUESTION 3: In my reading I like it all because every story is not the same ole same ole. (I think there is a lesson in there for writers like ourselves.) I remember loving and hating at the same time when Mario Puzo used the climax to begin many of his chapters in The Godfather The one that stands out was the one that began with Sonny’s death blatantly being announced with no warning. Then, Puzo went back and gave us the story. I can remember being furious for not warning us first. That’s been FORTY years and I still remember it.