Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Favorite Author Chapter Template

One of the things I like to do at the beginning of the Exploratory Writing Workshop (EWW) (This is a class given quarterly by New Horizons Academy at Wdc. I'm the moderator.)

Well, that noteworthy "thing" is showing the students how to template a chapter. Some of you might remember diagraming a sentence. It was one of those language arts exercises they used to teach in grammar school. Tempting a chapter is sort of like that, but on a much grander scale.

Before getting into the "How To" let me take a minute to speak to the "Why." Much of what I read here at WDC is what I would call "One Dimensional." It is a whole lot of one thing. Commonly it is all exposition or dialog and as much as I like telling and showing, there are other important components that a good writer includes. These are Scene Painting, Character Introduction and Development, A life Changing Event, exposition that moves the story (All telling isn't bad,) Dialog that moves the story, Words that appeal to the senses, Foreshadowing, Symbolism and a whole host of others I'm sure you could point out.

So when I read a piece that is mostly just one of these to the exclusion of the others I consider that writing "One Dimensional." A writer should include all of these to make a short story or novel chapter "Multidimensional." In my Summary Statistics each morning I look and see what members have been looking at in my Blog. One of the favorites is "Templating a Chapter. " I like to see that one flash because its important to use a broad palate of colors in your work.

Once the sign-up for the Workshop is over and there is that interlude before the official starting date, I contact each student and tell them to look at my template of the first chapter of Game of Thrones. This serial drama is popular on TV and has taken on a life of its own at WDC.

If I have six students I'll be lucky to get two of them to do their own Favorite Author Template taking a chapter from their favorite novel. I don't know why the rest are not willing to take it on. While it isn't mandatory it is every bit as important as any of the rest of the lessons. For example, if you go to my Example Template.... (In my portfolio, you can find it by clicking on the EWW files, you'll see the template quietly waiting for someone to notice.) _ Print it off and paste it to your workstation. Now when you write your next vignette, short story or novel chapter compare the percentage of components with the same percentage of those in your manuscript.

You are in for a huge shock. Chances are high that the stuff you are writing is one dimensional. If you look closely at the percentages you'll see that some take up a lot of words and others require only a lick and a kiss. That is important to your writing just like your favorite cooking recipe has a blend of favorite ingredients and spices. Writing a chapter sized work is like cooking up something delectable for your readers. Thus keeping that Chapter Template pasted to your workstation is as important as those who write a work, as a recipe is to those who cook.