the cautionary tale

WRITE YOUR OWN CAUTIONARY TALE
Most everyone is familiar with fairy tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and urban legends such as “The Hook”. Your assignment is create one of your own and write a modern-day fairy tale or urban legend in a 3-page essay. Be clear and creative, but your ability to be concise is just as important. Have fun, but be sure to make the details of your story sound so realist and authentic that people will believe that it actually happened.
Before you complete your story; however, you must organize it. You need to put together an outline.
THE ESSENTIALS
1. Your story must have a title that grabs our attention. Be clear, concise, and creative.
2. Your story must also have an identifiable morale/message/theme. This is your cautionary tale equation: If X does Y, then Z.
3. Your story must revolve around an interesting character (or characters) who wants something badly (goal) and is facing obstacles (conflict). This is your story equation: S = (C + W) x O.
4. Your story must have memorable, interesting characters. They should have first and last names, ages, appearance, as well as strengths and weaknesses. Your main characters will need flaws in order for them to decide to make the wrong actions.
5. Your story must take place in a new unique world. The story should be a simple one, but that doesn’t mean it is forgettable. Romeo and Juliet has been told a million different ways. It’s the same simple story: boy meets girl, girl’s parents don’t approve, boy and girl make it work… or not. But each writer creates a different set of characters, locations, times and places, situations, and conflicts to make it his or her own.
6. Your story must have a plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end (but it doesn’t have to be a happy ending). This is the order of events. be sure to start your story late and get out early. The most common mistake is to start before the action takes place. You will only have three pages to write this, so do not waste words by starting too early. Likewise, do not linger too long. Lastly, make sure that you have all the essential components of the story in the body portion. Missing a major plot point will hurt the narrative.
7. Your story should employ symbolism to magnify your message. Consider using colors, times of day, seasons, objects, and nature to enhance the narrative.
OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT
1. Title – Be clear, concise, and creative
2. Morale/Message/Theme – Why is this a cautionary tale? What are you warning? This is your XYZ equation.
3. Story Equation – This is the foundation of plot. The want propels the story forward. This is your (C + W) x O equation.

4. Short Character Bios – This is for you, so that you understand your main characters (protagonists and antagonists) a little bit better. The best characters have depth; do not fall victim to character stereotypes.
5. World of the Story – Illustrate how the world of your story is unique, different, new, or memorable. It’s okay to write Little Red Riding Hood again, but it must be masked with a new character in a new world. Imagine Little Red is a troubled teen running away, which happens to be a mining colony on a moon in a far off galaxy and she steals her father space scooter to see her ailing grandmother. It is the same story, but the details are incredibly different.
6. Plot – Short description of what happens in the beginning, middle, and end (A, B, C, D, etc. sequence). Note: incorporating flashbacks as a narrative technique is optional.
7. Symbolism – Illustrate in detail how you will incorporate symbolism into the story?

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