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Family Treasure Hunting: Doing Story Research

Family Treasure Hunting: Doing Story Research. Dr. Gian S. Pagnucci Professor of English Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Why Stories Matter. We can use stories to research our own life Stories help us learn from and make sense of experience Stories Last

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Family Treasure Hunting: Doing Story Research

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  1. Family Treasure Hunting:Doing Story Research Dr. Gian S. Pagnucci Professor of English Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  2. Why Stories Matter • We can use stories to research our own life • Stories help us learn from and make sense of experience • Stories Last • The best way to remember things is in story form • Humans are instinctive storytellers • Bad situations can be “salvaged” through stories • Stories are a kind of treasure

  3. Treasuring Our Stories • Childhood Stories • Family Legends • Friendship Stories • Tales of troubles • Moments that shape a life • Turning stories into heirlooms

  4. Story Heirloom Inventory • List 6 Stories Worth Saving • List 1 story about a family member • List 1 story about an event • List 1 story related to an object • List 1 funny story • List 1 story worth passing on • List 1 story worth researching later

  5. Dig Your Heirloom out of the Attic(Brainstorm Details& Plan Your Story) • Select 1 family story to save • List 3 Details about Setting • List 3 Images of Major Character • List 3 Pieces of Dialog • Divide the story into 3 Main Parts and list them here

  6. Take Your Heirloom out of the Box(Start the Story) • Now Write Your Story • Pick a starting point for the story • Introduce your main character • Work in 1 setting detail • Tell part 1 of the story • Include 1 piece of dialogue • discuss why this story might be worth telling (pause the story briefly)

  7. Put the Heirloom Together(Give the Story Depth) • Keep going with the story • Tell us something else interesting about your main character • Describe one more element of the setting • Discuss what it is like to write this story (pause the story again) • Weave in another piece of dialogue

  8. Add Any Missing Heirloom Parts(Finish the Story) • Finish up the last part of the story • Give us a last image of the main character (describe the person) • Give us an interesting last line of dialogue to ponder • Fill in any gaps/missing parts • Tell us what you perhaps learned by telling this story • Give us a last look at the place/setting • Leave us with something simple to remember the story (a last image of something)

  9. Polish Your Heirloom • Introduction: Pull the Reader in, but don’t give too much away • Cut 2 Sentences • Shorten 2 Sentences • Conclusion: Did you pass it by? • Title: Find it in your story

  10. Get Your Heirloom Appraised • Trade stories with someone • Read their Story • Reader: What does the story make you think about? • Reader: What part of the story do you like best? • Reader: Where is one spot in the story you might apply a little polish?

  11. Pass on Your Story Heirloom • Writer: Think of one person with whom you might share the story • Writer: At home, revise your story one more time • Writer: Go back to your “Story Heirloom Inventory” and make a note of the story will you write next

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