16458 Proseminar / Hauptseminar der Samuel Fischer-Gastprofessur

Etgar Keret

From Idea to Plot

Every story starts from something: an image, a metaphor, a location, a character or even a scent. From that point of birth until the final editing stages the story’s plot is being formed. Some see in the plot the story’s backbone, others its engine. Both metaphors make us aware of its importance. How can we construct plot, and more importantly, how can we improve one when we already have our first draft?

In this workshop we will try by reading, by watching films and mostly by writing. To understand more about the plot animal, its birth and its taming. During the workshop its participants will need to write short fiction pieces in English. The texts written by the participants, however, don’t need to be in a perfect language. We will mostly be interested in their ideas and their plotlines. But still, the participants should be students that have interest and confidence in writing fiction - either as stories, plays or screenplays.

Siehe auch die thematisch verwandte Übung von Galili Shahar Die unheilige Sprache: Überblick über neue israelische Literatur im Februar 2004.