Creative Writing
Dr. McGoldrick
Story 3 Alternate History/Characterization
Your next story will be an alternative history story. This genre of fiction explores the "what if" in history. The stories traditionally reference real and invented characters, as well as a point where history has veered off into the alternative realm. For example, in one of the most famous Civil War alternate histories, a group of men travels back in time to give the Confederacy machine guns, which they use to win the war. After that, everything in America changes...
You will begin your story with a two sentence description of what happened to make your story setting historically different (e.g. the world IS flat, Shakespeare went to the Virginia colony and was captured by the Native Americans, Charles Lindbergh was elected president instead of FDR, JFK was not assassinated, a horrible plague decimated all human life North America in 2006, etc.). Let your imagination go wild.
Your story can be anything. In the current movie, The Watchmen, a nuclear accident involving a scientist led to an American victory in Vietnam, to Richard Nixon serving as president for five terms, and to the world ending up on the brink of nuclear holocaust in 1985, when the story takes place. You can make your story historical or contemporary or futuristic.
The length, however, will again be limited to 750 words…only about three pages, 12 pt font, double-spaced. Keep this in mind as you plan your tale.
The focus on the story will be on characterization and event. Let's talk individually about your premise...before you really begin writing.
Dr. McGoldrick
Story 3 Alternate History/Characterization
Your next story will be an alternative history story. This genre of fiction explores the "what if" in history. The stories traditionally reference real and invented characters, as well as a point where history has veered off into the alternative realm. For example, in one of the most famous Civil War alternate histories, a group of men travels back in time to give the Confederacy machine guns, which they use to win the war. After that, everything in America changes...
You will begin your story with a two sentence description of what happened to make your story setting historically different (e.g. the world IS flat, Shakespeare went to the Virginia colony and was captured by the Native Americans, Charles Lindbergh was elected president instead of FDR, JFK was not assassinated, a horrible plague decimated all human life North America in 2006, etc.). Let your imagination go wild.
Your story can be anything. In the current movie, The Watchmen, a nuclear accident involving a scientist led to an American victory in Vietnam, to Richard Nixon serving as president for five terms, and to the world ending up on the brink of nuclear holocaust in 1985, when the story takes place. You can make your story historical or contemporary or futuristic.
The length, however, will again be limited to 750 words…only about three pages, 12 pt font, double-spaced. Keep this in mind as you plan your tale.
The focus on the story will be on characterization and event. Let's talk individually about your premise...before you really begin writing.
Take a look at the list of alternate histories in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Published_alternate_histories
When you do, check out the descriptions of the individual works...a few are listed below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_is_for_Killing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Confederacy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_On!_Sail_On!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborator_(novel)
Also, check out interesting excerpts of titles on Amazon (the first is a short story; the second a novel):
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Wasnt-Science-Fiction-Alternate/dp/0806517697/ref=pd_bbs_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237750905&sr=8-11#readerhttp://www.amazon.com/Without-Warning-John-Birmingham/dp/0345502892/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237750905&sr=8-6#
Best of luck and have fun!