EN 111 Assignment #4
1000 words, 150 pts.
First draft due Thursday, 12/5 (bring 2 typed copies)
Final draft due Monday, 12/9, 10:00 a.m. (final exam time)

The purpose of this assignment is simple: tell me a story. Your narrative may be based on real events, or it may be entirely fictional. You will, however, need to include the following elements:

• Character: This could be an “I” who tells the story, or one or more person who performs the action.

• Setting/context: The “place” of the story must be made clear, as well as the world in which the story takes place.

• Conflict: The best stories showcase the dissonance between your main character and her/his context. Without conflict of some sort (could be internal indecision, could be an actual problem), your narrative runs the risk of becoming mere description.

Other elements I’ll be looking for: vivid language, a distinctive voice, clear language. I want you to capture my attention, and keep it.

If you’re having trouble thinking of what to write about, consider the prompts below, but please don’t feel obliged to use the suggested topics. I want you to write the story you are compelled to write.

• Write about an event that changed the direction of your life. It can be a momentous experience or an experience that did not loom so large at the time but still changed the way you thought about yourself, your family, your culture, etc.

• Think of an event in your life that didn't turn out as you expected. What were your expectations of this event? What was the reality? Show the significance of this event by contrasting how you planned for the event with how it actually turned out.

• An incident that made you believe in fate

• A moment that brought out the worst in you

• Your first date, first day of school, first something

• Or… imagine any of these things from the point of view of some other character: the person who lives across the hall from you, your mortal enemy, your mother…