55 Word Fiction

Make your own comic strip
On a linux computer, write and illustrate your very own comic strip using the 55 fiction writing style.
You will learn how to use Openoffice writer to type and edit your creative writing story. Then you will use Inkscape to illustrate the story putting the 55 words into the finished comic strip.
This assignment you must:

-Successfully fill out the character design worksheet.

-Design artwork for your comic strip in Inkscape.

-Arrange the 55 words of your story into your comic strip in Inkscape.

-Export the Inkscape file as a bitmap and copy it to the shared folder.

The Grade

Timeline 3-4 days:

Day 1: Intro to project, character design worksheet.

Day 2: Story writing / Illustrating.

Day 3-4: Continue with previous directions, finalize by exporting as bitmap and copying into shared folder. Fill out grades form.

What is 55 fiction?

A short story using only 55 words.

To be a story it must have, a beginning a middle and an end.

A setting: All stories have to be happening someplace, even if it's on the moon, or under the see or inside of godzillas belly, there needs to be a location for things to happen..

A character, or characters: Characters can have infinite variations. People, animals, leaves, pencils, anything, just turn it into a persona.

A conflict: Meaning the course of the story, something has to happen. The friends text message to each other, the dog chases the cat, The students wait in lunch line. Even in this last example, something is happening, even though no one is moving or talking. There is something which is called "conflict", which leads us to a resolution.

A resolution: The outcome of the story, when the story ends, the character has to have learned, overcome or accomplished something. The students were bored and hungry when they got their lunch, the cat successfully eluded the dog when it hid under the bed; the friends learned the concert is next Saturday. It's even possible to have none of the characters learn anything. But if that's the case, then we, the reader, must learn, go through, feel something.<


The Character (DAY 1)To start, brainstorm your fictional or semi-fictional character and fill out this character design worksheet.
Character design worksheet
Click file save not open. then fill it out.
This will be a comic strip so pose your characters to fit that design.



The Story (DAY 2)Then brainstorm what you want your character to do, what conflict and resolution will take place in your 55 fiction creative writing.
Click start, open the program Openoffice Writer and begin typing.
Keep in mind, you ONLY have 55 WORDS, you can have less but absolutly no more. Be very selective in the exact word choice so that you can clearly and successfully tell your short story.
To see word count click File > Properties > Statistics.
Keep in mind, this is not poetry, essay, or errant thought, this is a fictional story so have fun with it creativily.



Add a title to your story (DAY 2)The title cannot be longer than 7 words.
Title should represent the important concepts of the story, should be interesting, should attract the readers's attention.
Titles should be easy to remember, yet original.


What is a comic strip? (DAY 3-4)
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story.

Using thought bubbles, word balloons for speech, narrator speech usually is on the top or bottom.
Bound to panels to show the timeline, panels can be various shapes and sizes, it just must hold your artwork for that exerpt of your story.
There is no maximum or minimum quantity of panels required just so your entire 55 word story gets told effectivly.
Sequencial art (DAY 3-4)Launch the application Inkscape.
You will be creating all your illustrations from scratch, it's okay if they look stick figure-like, you are not graded on how well the illustration looks but just if there is an illustration that makes sense and helps tell the story.
Read your character discription and do your best to draw your character acting out your story.
Each new drawing or panel should be on a different layer, so that you can go back and edit with ease.
Incorperate your 55 word story into the illustrations using thought bubbles, speech balloons and positioning it accordingly, also use text size, color and font to also help tell your story.
Inkscape document dimensions - (file > document properties) Page size "US Letter"



REMEMBER SAVE OFTEN, you don't want to lose all your work because you forgot to save every 5 minutes, quick save is shortcut key (ctrl+s) WHEN YOU NEEDHELP ASK(raise your hand) but FIRST re-read the assignment guidelines.