By: Patrick Carman

All fiction is based on CONFLICT, and this conflict is presented in a

structured format called…
Exposition
The introductory material which gives the setting,
creates tone, presents the characters, and other
facts necessary to understand the story.
SETTING
Time and Location in which a story takes place
1.) Place – geographical location
2.) Time – historical period, time of day
year, etc.
3.) Weather Conditions – rainy, sunny,
stormy, etc.
4.) Social Conditions – Daily life of character
5.) Atmosphere – What feeling is created at
the beginning of the story?
SETTING – Location

 Place
 Small town called Skeleton Creek in Oregon

 Isolated & forgotten - alone at the bottom of the
mountains
 Secrets buried there that are best left alone
 More specific – Ryan’s Bedroom (for now)
Setting - Time
Current day
Begins Monday, September 13, 5:30 a.m.
Setting - Weather
Conditions
 Grey Fog
 hanging thick and sticky
 Hiding something unknown and diabolical
Setting – Social Conditions
Ryan states “Privacy has long been the religion of our
town.”

No one wants to talk about the past.

Setting – Tone (Atmosphere)
 Dark & Frightening
 Something’s not “right” with the town
 Fearful
 Foreboding
 Ominous
 Apprehensive
 Menacing
 Threatening
 Sinister
Characters
Day - 3
 Characters

Major Characters
Have good & bad qualities
Their goals, ambitions & values change
Are 3-dimensional
Grows to a higher level of understanding
Are DYNAMIC – changes as a result of what
happens to them
Types of Characters

 Protagonist – the MAIN CHARACTER in the

story
 Antagonist – The character or force that
OPPOSES the main character
 Foil – A character who provides contrast to
the protagonist
Character Traits, Emotions &
Motivations

 Trait – feature or quality that distinguishes a

particular person or thing
 Can be physical , or dealing with personality
 Emotion –feelings (joy, sorrow, fear, love,
hate etc.)
 Motivation – what causes someone to do
something
Minor Characters

 Flat (2-dimensional)
 Lack depth
 STATIC – stay the same, never change
Question:
Skeleton Creek Characters (so
far)

 Ryan
 We are reading his journal
 Was just released from the hospital (in for 2 weeks)
 Had accident at dredge
 He is scared – thinks something menacing is after him,
hunting him
 Thought he was going to die – thinks he still might
 Has an overactive imagination
 Is Paranoid
 Loves to write
 Is “almost” old enough to drive
 Tall for his age, but needs to gain weight
Characters (so far)
 Sarah
 Is adventuresome & reckless
 Consumed by filmmaking
 Creative
 Persuasive
 Talks to anyone
 Posts her films on the internet
 Asked the question that started it all…
Characters (so far)

 Gladys Morgan
 Prehistoric
 Very unhappy
 Unmarried
 Town librarian
 Not friendly
 Does not want people in her library
 Stares at people like they just kicked her cat
 Skin like crumpled newspaper
 Lower lip hangs heavy over her chin
 Alarming overbite
 Wears wire-rimmed glasses
 Gave Ryan & Sarah their 1st clue…
Characters

 Old Joe Bush

 Worked on the Dredge
 Died at the Dredge
 Pant leg caught in gears – leg crushed –” never
emerged from the black pond…”
 Only one mention of his death (forgotten)
Characters

 Phantom at the dredge

 Recorded by Sarah
 Mysterious
 An UNKNOWN
Point of View
Day 4
Point of View
First Person – The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal
ONLY PERSONAL THOUGHTS & FEELINGS and what he/she see & is told
by other characters. ( Can’t tell us the thoughts of others)

Third-Person Objective – The narrator is an outsider who can

report ONLY WHAT HE/SHE SEES & IS TOLD BY OTHERS. ( Can’t tell us
the thoughts of others)

Third Person Limited – The narrator is an outsider who sees into

the mind of ONLY ONE character.

Omniscient – The narrator is an ALL-KNOWING outsider who can

enter the minds of more than one character.
Skeleton Creek Point of View
First Person
•Ryan is writing about his personal thoughts,
feelings & experiences.
•Sarah is recording her personal thoughts, feelings &
experiences on video.
Standard Vocabulary
Day 6
ELA7R1 – f. analyzes characterization
(dynamic & static) in prose and plays as
delineated through a character’s thoughts,
words, speech patterns, and actions; the
narrator’s description; and the thoughts,
words, and actions of other characters.

 Characterization
 Dynamic
 Static
 Prose
 Delineated
 Speech Pattern
ELA7R1 – In your own words
Sound & Figurative Language
Day 7
Sound Devices

 Alliteration –The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds

in two or more neighboring words or syllables.
 (example - The wild and woolly walrus waits and wonders when we'll walk by)

 Onomatopoeia –Naming a thing or an action by imitating

the sound associated with it
 (example -buzz, hiss, roar, woof )

 Rhyme – repetition of sound at the end of words or lines or poetry

 (example – Blue, You, Too)

 Internal Rhyme – repetition of sound in a line of poetry

 (example – She’s such a silly billy goat.
Figurative Language
 Cliché - A word or phrase that has become overly familiar or
commonplace
 (example – No pain, no gain)

 Hyperbole - Big exaggeration, usually with humor

 (example - mile-high ice-cream cones)

 Idiom - An expression that means something other than the

literal meanings of its individual words.
 (example – it’s raining cats and dogs)

 Metaphor – Comparing two things by using one kind of object

or using in place of another to suggest the likeness between them.
 (example - Her hair was silk)
Figurative Language Cont.

 Personification -Giving something human qualities

 (example -The stuffed bear smiled as the little boy hugged him close)

 Simile - A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is

often introduced by like or as
 (example - The sun is like a yellow ball of fire in the sky)

 Symbolism -A person, place or object which has a meaning in

itself but suggests other meanings as well.
 (example – heart = love)
Assignment:
Plot
Day 8
Question:
All fiction is based on CONFLICT, and this conflict is presented in a
structured format called…
Plot Mountain

 Exposition
 Rising action
 Inciting force
 Conflict
Inciting Force

 The event that triggers the conflict

 Sarah asking “Why Skeleton Creek?” is what causes the 2
kids to start their search.
“Why call a town Skeleton Creek? Nobody wants to visit a place with a
name like that. It’s bad for tourism.”
 CONFLICT – Ryan & Sarah are trying to solve a mystery
that the town’s people want to forget.

Character versus Character (man versus man)

“You’re not the first to ask about the past…let it go…you’ll only stir up
trouble.”
Plot Activity
Question:
Additional Characters
 Paul
 Ryan’s dad
 Has a birdie tattoo
 Is secretive
 Doesn’t talk much
 May be a member of
crossbones
 Has a picture of Old Joe Bush
 Ranger Bonner
 From Mesula
 Acts suspisious
 Grills Sarah about the dredge
 Warns Sarah aganist the dredge
 Asks if Sarah saw anyone at the
dredge
 Grey hair, average build
Additional Characters

 Henry
 Rainbow colored suspenders
 Mutton Chops
 Laughs a lot/card games
 Worked at the dredge
 Visits Skeleton Creek as much as he can
 Lives in New York
 Best Friends with Paul
 Feels guilty about his work at the dredge
 Likes to fish
Characterization Activity
Theme & Topic
Day 9
Question:
Topic

 The subject
Theme

 The main idea or underlying meaning of a

literary work. A theme may be stated or
implied.
Plot
Day
Plot

 Exposition
 Rising Action
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Resolution
Question:
Skeleton Creek = Cliffhanger