It's Time To Study, Buddy! - Diploma Assignment

So a couple of years ago, I came to the conclusion that if I was ever to be taken seriously as a writer, I needed to undertake some training. 

Being a writer is all well and good; you can write words on a page and they make sense but all writing needs tuning. You need to harness your skills and understand that there is always more to be gained from learning. 

I enrolled to do a Creative Writing diploma from an 'Open University' course scheme and I consider it to be one of the best decisions of my career to date. I have picked up information, advice and tips that I would have never have known without the expertise of my tutors and their support staff.

Today, I am finalising my 12th assignment, which is based on conveying emotion and atmosphere in my writing. 

My first piece has an instruction that I can only use 250 words to describe a conflict between two characters. 

My particular story is set around two men, Chris and Will who have accidentally been locked in a room together at work and are waiting for someone to let them out (It sounds basic, right?)

Given that 250 words is relatively short, I don't have enough time to give the reader a lengthy history of the whole story. Instead, I have had to give the impression that Will is distraught that his best friend, Chris is dating the one girl that he is in love with, Lorraine.

Here is a short piece from the work:


               Will began aggressively yanking the door handle. He needed to get out. “Somebody open this sodding door!”  

               "Why are you being this way?”

               “Stop asking me that,” Will exclaimed.

               “When I first started here, we were joking and laughing all the time. What changed? Talk to me, please,” Chris continued.

               "You don’t want the truth.”

               “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

               “Just leave it.”          

               “Will, I want to know. This can’t go on.

               “I love her!” Will yelled out, spinning around to face Chris. His neck veins were pulsating furiously. “I love her, OK?” 


As you can see, the dialogue is the weight behind the piece. I don't have enough words to explain in depth why they are in the situation so I have talked it through as the characters to show how they feel, how intense their conflict is and the root of the problem.

The second part of the assignment, I have found more fun. The scenario is that an elderly woman is having a conversation with her son. Her son wants her to sell her house and go into a nursing home, and is trying to do so tactfully. The woman is being cunningly obtuse, refusing to let her son have his way. 

Again in 250 words, I have to focus on these two characters and show a clear indication of their mannerisms and actions so that the reader knows what sort of people they are.

Here's a small piece from that work:

                 Richard bit his lip. He needed to change his tact slightly. What did she regularly moan about to him on the phone? Rosie watched him get frustrated; just like when he was a boy. This time it was more gratifying.

                “Well the stairs are another hazard for you. You’re always saying you’re tired going up and down them. At Green Leaf, they have ground floor residences you could live in.”

                “Oh well, Jean, you know at number ten, well she said she’s had one of those chair things installed. That could help,” she said.

                “It’s more money that could be better spent elsewhere.”

                “I told you. I have enough. You said you wanted me to be safe. Come on, grab my walking stick. We’ll go and ask Jean.”


The character of Rosie I based on my nan, who regularly makes reference to what her neighbours are doing as she weighs up taking on or trying something new. I love that about her and she was perfect for setting this character's method of thinking.

The son is trying to find excuses why she would be better placed in the home. Note his emphasis on money, and the reference from Rosie. I wanted to portray him as an 'inheritance-grabbing, little sod', who didn't want to have to put the effort in with his mother anymore. (This is not based on anyone in particular, so Mum or Uncle Mole, if you're reading this - I'm not aiming it at you as Nan's kids!) 
 
The third and final part of the assignment allows me more freedom and a chance to be expressive, with a word limit of between 300-500 words. I have been given six scenarios: 

1. Describing the companionship on a maternity ward.
2. The same on a geriatric ward.
3. Detailing a love for skiing and the feeling that comes with it.
4. The opposite; how much a person detests the cold and skiing.
5. Explaining first thoughts on viewing a new house.
6. Giving an account of saying goodbye to a child, who is leaving home, getting married etc.

I have found this the toughest of the three parts to the assignment from the perspective of creating characters that the readership will enjoy and be attached to. It's all about emotion and atmosphere, whilst retaining a fundamental, key element to any piece of writing; it has to have a story that suits the character's circumstances.

Here's the approach I've taken with a couple of the scenarios:

EXAMPLE 1

                If he could have picked the holiday destination himself, he would have selected somewhere along the equator; a heat source that never failed for him. He would happily saunter around without the need for any heavy clothing or long, plastic, foot extensions.

                The locks on the doors of the lodge clicked behind him and he shot around to see the manager opening up for the first time that day. Harrison charged forward.

                “Good afternoon, Sir.”

                Harrison grunted as he crossed him on the threshold. He quickly made his way to the bar and established himself on the bar stool in the corner, furthest away from the door. He couldn’t put up with another day of people opening and closing the door, bringing in the chilliest gusts of wind he had ever felt each time.

                The barman approached him, flicking a coaster onto the oak, bar surface, “What can I get you, Sir?”

 
                “A new wife,” he said.


EXAMPLE 2

                

                   Henri watched as his family disappeared past the ward door. His son, Tyler and his family of a wife and two children, had fulfilled another standard thirty minute visit which put them in credit for another month; the customary questions on these visits had become tedious, and listening to how they lived free of ailments and pain made him feel grumpy.

                He had another hour until dinner so decided to pay his friend, Marilyn a visit. She’d been immobile for the last four months since her hip operation, and her one joy in life was to see him. Her family had left her, well frankly, deserted her to move over to Chicago. Her ‘big shot’ daughter had been promoted and was given a six figure salary, an apartment overlooking downtown Chicago and a five year health care package. It was perfect for a young person, and as her daughter had said to Marilyn, ‘sacrifices had to be made.’ 

             

               So much for looking after the woman who cared for you for twenty four years.

In both of the above cases, I have tried to show the characteristics of the main character in their actions, more than in their words.

So that's my day summed up. Hope you enjoyed my work and thanks for reading!

If you have observations or comments, please feel free to leave me a comment below.

Thank you