Story Prompt
You found the key in a box you dug up with your new metal detector. It was a small golden key and the only question left was; what did the key unlock?
Reading the stories from previous classes I have found that when given a writing prompt many students tel a story in list form. This happened, then this, then this and so on. They tend not to add any history or depth but simply go from where the prompt leaves off. For instance on this prompt they might start with finding a treasure chest and open it to find treasure. They may write like they are answering a question.
My goal was to write a story that had history so you would a starting point. Tell a little about me and how I got interested in treasure. I didn't find the box with the key first, but found other things building up to the key and what it opened. Then I added a twist at the end so the story didn't reach the expected conclusion.
Here is a link to story. Let me know you if you think I succeeded.
https://goo.gl/ZXaYuj
November 1st Story Comments
ReplyDeleteWhat did you like about the story?
Strong beginning You set the scene nicely and your story was descriptive and engaging. I liked the first-person telling where we are able to hear the thinking going on.
We liked how the key didn’t just open things up -- it had a bit of a mystery. We liked the storyline and it seemed to be like an adventure. We liked the cliffhanger. We liked the double meaning of key. We liked the childhood reference.
We liked that it was mysterious. We felt like it was a bit of a cliffhanger -- we could finish the story our own way. We liked how you used your imagination/personal history.
What didn’t you like?
For me, the story ended too quickly, and with more ambiguity than I prefer. Lots and lots of questions remaining, though maybe that was your intention. Why the reference to the vacant lot being put up for sale? I didn’t see how that connected with what had just happened, unless the owner (living or ghost?) no longer needed the property? One comment on form: I find it easier to read dialog when the quotations are paragraphed separately.
We wanted to find the old woman and see where she was -- does she have the key? There needs to be more dialogue. Some people wanted a proper ending. “Said” was said too much. No quotation marks. Use more transitions.
We never got to figure out where the key and old lady went. The climax was really short for the amount of rising action. We wanted more dialogue. We didn’t know what the wife was like -- we wanted to see the characters developed more. We didn’t like how grumpy the old lady was.
Did the story go in the direction you were expecting?
No, there was definitely a twist. (You are great at those!) Clever use of the double meaning of “key.”
We were expecting a treasure chest that the key would open. Maybe the key would open the door to a mysterious room. We liked the “twist.”
We felt like the story did not go in the direction we were expecting. We didn’t feel like the characters would willingly give the key right back to the old lady.
Did the story follow the prompts lead?
Yes.
Other Comments: Amazing to me that you could create something like this in one day!
We agree that the story followed the prompt’s lead.
Yes.