Reading and Annotation from What If: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers
Continue reading from What If: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers. Read chapter 2,
“Characterization,” and Chapter 3, “ Point of View,” 31-72.
ALSO read the first six stories in the collection of short stories (287-343).
ANNOTATION DUE Friday, February 3.
 Choose one of the six stories to work with. (Not one you worked with
previously.)
 Identify a character to work with – perhaps the protagonist, or another major
character.
 Make a list of details you learn about that character in the course of the story.
Try to capture everything. You might consider, for example, the character’s name,
appearance, clothing, behavior, dialogue, interior feelings or thoughts, and so
forth.
 Write a short paper – 2-3 pages – in which you discuss some of the details
that you identify as most significant. How did the author get those details
across? Why those specific details and not other ones? What does each one add?
Remember to mention the name of story, author, and chosen character.