Lindsey Jones Capstone
The idea for my capstone derived from my pure and honest passion for storytelling. Having no prior experience in the writing world, I wanted to get my feet wet and gain some experience in a field not many trek. Along with wanting to storytell, I wanted to tell a different type of story. In a market where black characters aren’t common, or non-white characters are practically non-existent, I wanted to plant a seed in it. I wanted to show people that black characters can flourish in genres besides urban fiction. In the very beginning, the process of brainstorming and finding a solid narrative was initially the most pressing quest. The first thing I knew I needed to do was just write it. Everything after that was definitely a learning experience. I learned that a complete, solid, and physical book cannot be completely in a mere 6 months. I also learned that I wanted to take my writing in a different direction, since one of my main goals of this project was to attract an audience, something I had no idea how to in the beginning. In a nick of time, I created a wattpad profile where millions of people could possibly take a peek at my work. Aside from the things I learned in the process, overall, I walked away from this project with a solid understanding of the type of material I want the world to see. I want to influence and inspire people with my words, and this is just the beginning of it all.
Bibliography
Bureman, Liz. "The 7 Basic Plots: Tragedy - The Write Practice." The Write Practice RSS. The Write Practice, 04 June 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://thewritepractice.com/basic-tragedy/>. I was looking for something to help me with the tragedy part of my novella and this was exactly what I was looking for. It is a website that has basically deconstructed what exactly makes a tragedy a tragedy. It tells about how a tragic story will have a main character that has a serious and intense thirst for something (be it money, power, beauty, youth, anything) and once they achieve that object, life seemingly gets to get better until the walls cave in all around them. There are many classic tragic stories such as Hamlet and Macbeth, and of course, Romeo and Juliet. The website also introduces an option of writing a prompt for the one of the "Dream stages" it describes. I also realized that not all tragic protagonists are anti-heroes. They can be a good person throughout the story and suffer a terrible fate just like bad.
"Character Virtues and Vices." W R I T E W O R L D. Tumblr.com, 2014. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <http://writeworld.org/charactervandv>. In the process of character creating, I knew I wanted to create well-rounded, three dimensional people that would be seen as real. I focused on the vice and virtues this time. Since no one is completely good or bad, I learned how to evenly give life to my characters through these. Overall, one of the main characters in my book are mostly quiet and to themselves. However, this character wouldn't be completely the same throughout the story. I'd want other traits to come out so readers can decide if they want to root for them or not. So in this website, I found those vices and virtues that I could use freely. I picked five of each and then added detail to each; how they made my character act, how they affected their life, and how these vices and virtues would possibly change them by the end of the book.
"How to Create a Character Profile." Writers Write. The Lazy Scholar, 1998. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun98/how-to-create-a-character-profile-6986>. I used this website in order to organize and flesh out my characters individually. It's very long, very text heavy, and it really made me think about how I have free will to make the characters any way I want. I actually spent several days filling this out for each character, as it really makes me think about what I am writing and if the character I've thought of really needs to be in the story or not. But after using this this so much, I was able to mold it into something that I would actually use. I didn't want to take up a ton of time trying to fill out each line so I erased some of the questions and only kept the ones I felt needed to be answered. It saved time, helped me vision my characters better and ultimately made it way easier to mold them to the my story.
Grace. "Examples of Themes. Choosing a Creative Writing Theme."Practicecreativewriting. N.p., 2014. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://www.practicalcreativewriting.com/what-is-a-theme/examples-of-themes/>. This website is focused on explaining the theme within a story (narrative/ novel). At first, I thought that stories only had one theme, but after reading through this website and thinking of the other pieces of literature I've read, I've realized that stories can have more than one theme. The function of the website how choosing a theme should be personal to you. That I should care about it so that when I write, I won't get bored or feel like I'm forcing something. The site also gives a list of different themes and some short descriptions of it. I think this is very useful to me since I find that in my writing, theme might not be so prevalent or easy to find. This site will really come in handing when forming my story. I think I should start with this first. It is simple and easy to use.
"Macbeth Summary." Absolute Shakespeare. AbsoluteShakespeare, 2005. Web. 2016. <http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/summaries/macbeth/macbeth_summary.htm>. I wanted to look more in different tragedies. Therefore, I revisited Macbeth, another tragedy by Shakespeare. As I read the summary, I saw that Macbeth died at the result of his own selfish actions. He killed many, feigned for power, and ultimately died a death some would say was "just his medicine". I also read further into the site and learned about the different themes and symbols throughout. Even though I already knew most of the things mentioned, I payed attention to how each theme was transpired throughout the story. I think this website is useful in trying to see how different stories with essentially the same themes parallel one another. Even though Macbeth was a majority violent and bloody play, the way each part of the plot connects is what motivates me. I want to do the same as well. After looking through Macbeth, I went on a search for Hamlet.
"Romeo and Juliet Summary." Absolute Shakespeare. Absoluteshakespeare, 2005. Web. 2016. <http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/romeo_and_juliet/summary/romeo_and_juliet_summary.htm>. I stopped by this website in order to get a look at the most classic tragical romance, Romeo and Juliet. I was specifically looking to explore the different themes within the story. I wanted to find out what made it so popular, despite the ridiculousness of both of the main characters. What drove them to ignore their family members despite constant pleas? I was also able to look at the different symbols that are consistent throughout the story, such as poison. What I realized from this explanation was that even the smallest details can change a rather simple story. I also was able to see what exactly the story of Romeo and Juliet was. A narrative of ridiculousness and misinterpretations. Even though the movies dramatize the story, the reality of the situation is that the Montagues and Capulets are fighting over a silly feud that could have been resolved ages ago.
"Stephen J Cannell Lecture Part IV: What Is Three Act Structure? -- *Writers Write*." Stephen J Cannell Lecture Part IV: What Is Three Act Structure? -- *Writers Write*. Writers Write Inc, 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/lecture4.htm>. This website became especially useful when looking to create structure within my story. It is called the Three Act Structure. Every story and movie is made up of the "Three Act Structure", as there is a beginning, middle and end. Each aspect of the structure tells a different part the story so that everything will make sense. You'd never introduce the main characters in the middle, but in the beginning, which is what the first act is about. In the first act, main characters and conflict are introduced. The middle is where everything gets crazy and the characters are put to the test to see the conflict until the end. The third act is the solution to the conflict and where everything wraps up. This site was especially useful to me because my story definitely needed more structure. I also liked that the article gave actual examples on what to do.
Victor, William. "What Is Plot - How to Build a Story from Beginning to End." Creative Writing Now. William Victor, S.L, 2009. Web. 2015. <http://www.creative-writing-now.com/what-is-plot.html>. This website is pretty similar to the others I've read about plot. However, it is written differently and isn't as simple. It's sort of messy but after reading through, it becomes easier to decipher. The website also gives information the different types of conflicts with a plot. Such as man vs man, man vs nature, man vs self, man vs other. I also learned that all stories would be boring if there was no conflict. People like to read about drama, its interesting. If everyone had a happily ever after, then books wouldn't be popular and literature itself would be lame. That is also a reason that Shakespeares stories are so referenced and beloved. They aren't typical romance stories where everyone lives greatly in the end, it usually ends in blood, leaving the reader in confusion and despair because events occurred that they did not prepare for nor expected in the end.
"The Writer's Toolbox - Ask The Writer - Gotham Writers Workshop." The Writer's Toolbox -Ask The Writer. Gotham Writer's Workshop, 2016. Web. 04 Feb. 2016. <https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/ask-writer/what-is-a-novella-how-is-it-different-than-a-short-story>. Here, I learned the difference between a novella and a novel. A novella is not as expanded in conflict as a novel, and is therefore, shorter. But not as condensed as a short story. It is around 15,000 words but no more than 100,000, which would be crossing over in novel territory. I decided from this that I wanted to write a novella. It's going to be short, to the point, but rich with content that will have the reader asking for me, hopefully. I also want my story to be a novella because it gives room to possibly have a series and keep it moving. I'll be able to have cliff hangers and torture the reader, which motivates me to keep going. But one thing that the article reminds me is to just keep writing and try my best. Hopefully everything will come together in the end peace fully.
"Writing A Novel." The Writing Bureau. WL Yorkshire, 2009. Web. 2016. <http://www.writersbureau.com/writing/planning-a-novel.htm>. This website gives a very simple step by step intro into planning a novel. Even though there aren't a ton of details, it was very useful to me. I think starting from one simple and then adding details later is what will really help when writing my novella. It helped me really ask myself questions about what my story was missing and what it had. I like how it isn't as complicated as most of the websites I've went to when looking for information or plot planning. I've already started writing, but this website will definitely come in handy when editing and making revisions. I figure that if I can answer any of these questions in a complete sentence, then my book will be good and easy to read. Even though this website/ article was designed for novel planning, I can still use it to write my novella. Just I will have to take some stuff out.
