November 19, 2012

"I would have never ended it like that!"
How many times have you finished reading a novel and thought those words to yourself...or said them out loud? I know I have! And now that you are good and warmed up having written, poems, plays, short stories and other various writing genres, it is time to try your hands at the novel! Now don't panic; I'm not talking about writing the next great American novel...but just a chapter! For this next assignment, I want you to take today and brainstorm. Use any of the various summary websites of your choice (sparknotes, bookrags, schmoop, cummings, etc.) to refresh your memory of any the novels you may have read in school. Or, you may decide to use a novel that you have read on your own.Try to recall or research as much as you can about the ending of the novel. Did you like it? How would you have ended it? What would you change? Of course, you do have to stay consistent with the major elements of the plot (characters, setting, characterization, etc.) but you should change the ending as much as you can so that the reader will have a different reaction to the work. This is a great assignment, and it works best if you choose a work that you have read in school (you may go back as far as the eight grade) so that most of your classmates will be familiar with the elements of your chosen work. Please limit your papers to one chapter. Anywhere between 4-6 pages should do it.
Good luck and have fun!!