Pip's Literary & Creative Writing Blog @pipwritesablog - Tumblr Blog

Plot

This story has yet to have a plot set in stone, but I can see it in my head. It is hard to write down as I don’t know the exact structure I will be using. I like using flashbacks as that is one of my favourite use of storytelling, but I am unsure how it will be used.

I want to start the story about two/three years into Elizabeth and James’ marriage. Write them as a happy loving couple, and slowly the cracks and struggles start to show.

Flashbacks could be scattered through out- to them meeting, to them getting married and to the life together in the early days, this would contrast how their life is currently.

I also think it could start of with Elizabeth finding James dead, and then a police investigation trying to piece together their life, slowly unfolding on the truth. this would get into the drama quickly and a majority of the story would be seen through flashbacks. And the audience nor the characters would know who killed him, or even if it was murder until the end.

#MyArtefact

Other Characters Bios

So I need supporting characters to along with the two main characters I already have, and I know of at least three that are needed.

-Elizabeth’s Mother: She was a young mother, having a child when she was a late teenager. She married the father as that was expected of her. She tried to give Elizabeth the best life possible but knew it wouldnt be enough. She worked multiple jobs after she seperated from the dad to give Elizabeth the life she deserved. When Elizabeth met James, she was over the moon and instructed her daughter to marry him because there was no possible way she could do better in life. She is a supportive and loving mother, who tried to do her best with the hand she was dealt, and wanted to be a strong role model for her child but never wanted her to follow in her footsteps. -Elizabeth’s Best Friend: He has known Elizabeth since elementary school, and they’s been best friends since high school and dated for a few years. He always thought that he would always be with Elizabeth but when he was arrested and sent to jail he knew he was not good enough for her and told her to find someone new. Elizabeth met James while he was in prison, and he only finds out about it when he gets out on bail. He’s happy for her, but sad for himself. He is the person that Elizabeth confides in and goes to for help. -James’ Ex Wife: James does not paint her in a good light, and Elizabeth does not want to get to know her, but after she does she realises that everything James has said about her is a lie.

#MyArtefact

Character Bio

James grew up with a charmed life. Everything came easy to him. And why wouldn’t it when you are the single heir to a multi-million dollar fortune. Though that isn’t to say he didn’t work for what he has. He went to any Ivy league university and then went to work for his father’s business. He married his college girlfriend two years out of college, as it was expected of him to have a bride.

But growing up having everything he ever wanted he quickly grew bored of her, and the two divorced leaving her with barely a cent because of a ironclad pre-nup.

What he wanted he got. That was how he wed Elizabeth. He liked having a wife almost half his age. And he knew by giving her everything he could ever need, she would forever be in his debt and do what ever he wanted of her. To him she was the picture perfect bride.

#MyArtefact

Character Bio

Elizabeth married young, a lot younger than she ever expected. This wasn’t the life she expected to have when she was growing up, well not realistically anyway. She always imagined getting whisked away from her life living in the trailer park, but she knew that that seldom happened. So imagine her surprise when she met a man who could make her wildest dreams a reality. Of course she fell for him. She fell hard. But she found it difficult to differentiate between the love of the man and the love of the life he could provide. So when he asked for her hand, she said yes, with of course a little pushing from her mother.

Elizabeth was beautiful, she’d known that pretty much all her life. The only compliment people could ever give her was about her striking good looks. Her mother even entered her in pageants when she was a child, which she of course always won first prize. Well that was until her father left leaving the family with little to no money. Elizabeth learnt to use her looks early, she’d seen how the world worked. The pretty people always came out on top.

She didn’t have many skills but she did have that. That’s was how she met James. How was she supposed to know that the life he would give her was the one thing she didn’t want.

#MyArtefact

Week 9

So the first week back from the mid-semester break and I’m sick yet again. But I again talked to some friends and they informed me of what we did in class.

This week I’ve really been focusing on my blog as its due on Sunday.

#classthoughts

Week 8

So this week was a quiet class, mostly cause its the last week before the mid-semester break. We saw some blog examples from other students, and it was interesting to see the different platforms people were using and their take on their own blog.

We also did 6 word short stories which I did not find easy.

I have really been focusing on my artefact. I like going for walks and just thinking about my writing, though it hasn’t really been walking weather recently. but I feel I have a little bit more of an idea of what I want and the sort of characters I want to write.

#classthoughts

Week 7

So finally being free of that damn essay I can actually start to focus on my artefact and that is a nice change for this class.We talked about portraying characters. So we watched a short video about rabbits. There was no dialogue used which really contrast what we learnt last week, but without dialogue the story was still easy to follow along.

We did some image writing where we chose a well known person and then wrote something from their point of view, this was an interesting task as many people picked the same person as was fun to see how different people see the person the were writing for. Also writing for someone who already exist was an interesting exercise as its quite different from writing for characters you yourself have created.

I’ve actually started to work more on my artefact, and have been able to put the things that have been circling around my head on paper.

#classthoughts

Week 6

So I had to get an extension for my essay as I really hadn’t wrapped my head around it yet and I had four other assignments due for my classes at the same time. And I really want to have my soul focus on the theory and essay as I think it will benefit me when writing my artefact.

In class we talked about the use of dialogue and how it is just as important as setting and character etc when it comes to writing. We also watched some of the movie Young Frankenstein, coincidentally, its also the same day as Gene Wilder, so that was sad.

#classthoughts

Week 5

We again had another class on theory as the essay is due on Friday. So again I’m not really thinking about the artefact, because I really have to focus on the things that are right in front of me when due date is concerned.

#classthoughts

Week 4

This week was again about the essay as we are running out of class time before it is actually due. We did look at some examples from previous students and that really did help me get a good understanding of what I still needed to do with my essay.

I have really put my artefact on the back-burner while I think about the essay, but I do still have to think about it in terms of the exegesis, but that’s about it at this point.

#classthoughts

Week 3

I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to class this week as I was sick. But I did ask friends what we did and they said I didn’t miss all that much. I heard the class talked about the essay and told to do a few things before the next class.

#classthoughts

Week 2

So this week in class we talked more about our essay and our artefact. There was a brief mention on a theory we could cover if we so chose. We were given an in class exercise that was to help us with expanding on an original story with the help of exaggerating.

In terms of thinking about my artefact, I think I have decided which of my ideas I will actually end up writing. This will actually help with my essay as its really coming close to needing to know what my theory I will be covering in my essay will be.

#classthoughts

Feminist Theory

Another issue in feminist criticism is the use of language. Many feminist critics question if there is a form of language that is inherently feminine (Barry, 2009). In most feminist critics view the language that presents a male-oriented experience as the norm is clearly sexist and can be avoided by using ‘gender-free language’ (Mills, 1995) and that because language has been dominated it is hard for female authors to write in their own voice (Barry, 2009). Because of this, female writers are seen as suffering a handicap compared to their male counterparts, and that use of this language is seen a patriarchal oppression (Barry, 2009). In saying this it has been proposed that what is needed is women’s writing that works within ‘male’ discourse but works ‘ceaselessly’ to deconstruct it: to write what cannot be written (Jacobus 1979). Therefore, ‘the challenges facing woman today is nothing less than to ‘reinvent’ language, to speak not only against, but outside of the specular phallogocentric structure, to establish a discourse the status of which would no longer be defined by the phallacy of masculine meaning’ (Showalter, 1981). In knowing this my artefact will try to avoid language that is inherently male dominated, but I feel this will be difficult as it is hard to stray from something you weren’t even aware you were doing and is programed into you. I think in some parts of my artefact it will be nearly impossible to write in a feminist way as what I would be writing will be focusing on a world where males are king and society is fine with that. Misogynistic language will mostly be used by the antagonist in my artefact as they will be there to corrupt the protagonist into conforming into the patriarchal society. Though as the story progresses I think more feminine language will show as feminist theory comes in as the protagonist changes her life and accepts that this isn’t the life she wants and needs to make a change.

References

- Barry, Peter. 2009, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, Manchester University Press, Manchester.

-Mills, Sara 1995. Interface: Feminist Stylistics, Routledge Taylor and Francis, New York, USA

- Jacobus, Mary 1979, Women Writing and Writing about Women, Routledge, New York, USA

- Showalter, Elaine, 1981. "Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness." Critical Inquiry 8.2. pp 179-205

#theory

Character Profile

Basic Statistics Name: James Oscar Haines Age: 37 Nationality: American Socioeconomic Level as a child: the 1% Socioeconomic Level as an adult: the 1% Hometown: Somewhere in Georgia or Mississippi Current Residence: Plantation/Mansion with wife Occupation: Business man Salary: $1,000,000+ Siblings: Only Child Spouse: Elizabeth Haines Children: None Significant Others: Was previously married, doesn’t speak kindly of his ex-wife Physical Characteristics: Race: Caucasian Eye Colour: Green Hair Colour: Brunette Glasses or contact lenses? While reading Skin colour: White Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes Educational Background: Ivy League College Intelligence Level: Smart, or likes to think he is How does Character see himself/herself? As the good guy, never in the wrong, thinks he deserves everything. How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? A good man.

#MyArtefact

The Lazy Scholar teaches you how to create a character profile. The article includes a character profile worksheet.

I used this to create my character profiles

#theory

Character Profile

Basic Statistics Name: Elizabeth Grace Haines née Reece Age: 24 Nationality: American Socioeconomic Level as a child: Lower Class Socioeconomic Level as an adult: the 1% Hometown: Small town no one’s ever heard of, Georgia/Mississippi Current Residence: Plantation/Mansion with Husband Occupation: Essentially a trophy wife who does charitable work. Income: None, it’s her husband’s money Siblings: Only Child Spouse (describe relationship): Was good at the start, while he basically lied to her about who he really was. After they were married his true nature came out. They act as the perfect couple around other people, but while alone they both know that’s a lie. Children: None, yet possible becomes pregnant throughout the story Parents: Mother- Good relationship, takes advice from her on most occasions though not all. Knows her mother tried to give her the best life she could growing up and never took anything she was given for granted. Father: Has not been around since she was an early teenager. Physical Characteristics: Race: Caucasian Eye Colour: Blue Hair Colour: Blonde Glasses or contact lenses? No Skin colour: White to tan Distinguishing features: Pretty face, striking eyes Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes Educational Background: Went to high school, might not have graduated Intelligence Level: Street smarts not book smarts How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? Dumb Blonde who married for money

#MyArtefact

Character Name

Naming the antagonist is something that is as important as Elizabeth. I again did a search for southern names, but this time for boys. As expected it was a long list. But this was a little easier to narrow down as it had to be a professional sounding name, as he would have inherited his money and his parents would want to show that.

Boy Names:

Arthur Owen Brock William Charles Robert Clayton Colton Dalton David Wayne Jackson James Russel John Andrew John Robert John William Oscar Neil Robert Thomas Turner Walter Craig William William David

http://babynameboutique.com/southern_names.htm

#MyArtefact

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Pip's Literary & Creative Writing Blog