30 Writing Stories

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Writing Stories

Start-Up Activity:

Ask your students if they know any great campfire stories or ghost stories. Have volunteers tell their tales to the class. After a few such stories, lead a discussion:

  • What makes those stories fun to listen to?

  • Why do we like to hear and tell stories?

  • What emotion do you like to feel when you listen to a story: surprise, excitement, fear, sadness, elation? Why?

Tell your students that stories are one of the oldest ways that humans have entertained and taught each other, and that the love of stories runs deep in us. Then let them know they will be writing creative stories of their own to share.

Think About It

“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”

—Muriel Rukeyser

 

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

Page 264 from Write on Course 20-20

How Stories Develop

On the board, draw a large graph, with the X axis showing "Beginning," "Middle," and "Ending" and the Y axis running from "Ho Hum" at the bottom to "Hooray!" at the top. Ask students to think about a great experience they have had, and then bring volunteers up one at a time to tell the story of the experience while graphing their level of excitement. After a few students do this, you will see the familiar plot chart taking shape. The reason the classic plot line follows this shape is that authors want to give readers a great experience.

Now ask students to think of a miserable experience and to graph it. You will see a much different set of shapes. Point out to students that if the plot of a story took that shape, the reader would want to quit reading.

Afterward, direct students' attention to the plot line on page 264. Name the parts, and point out how they create a great experience for readers. Then have volunteers read the explanation and example on pages 264-265 for each part of the plot line.

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Page 266 from Write on Course 20-20

Short Story

Have volunteers read aloud sections of the short story while the rest of the class follows along. Reach the end of the story before returning to read the side notes. Point out the classic plot line that students have learned about and ask them to cite textual examples of each part of the plot.

Then lead a discussion of the story:

  • What is the dialogue doing for the story? (It is letting characters express thoughts and feelings in their own words.)
  • How does the writer change the dialogue to make adults and students sound different? (Adults use more formal language. Students sound less formal.)
  • How does the writer use action in the story? (Actions move the story forward, raising the stakes.)
  • What is the general mood of this story, and how does the author create it? (The mood is humorous, with playful problems and solutions.)
  • What the theme of this story? (One theme is the importance of connecting with those around you.)

 You can also have students read other story models: "Linden's Library" and "How the Stars Came to Be."

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Page 268 from Write on Course 20-20

Writing Guidelines: Short Story

Tell your students that strong stories begin with interesting characters. Lead them through the material on page 268, showing how Andrea used a character creator chart to come up with her main character. Then provide the character creator chart for students to fill out to come up with their own story ideas.

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Page 269 from Write on Course 20-20

Forming a Conflict and Creating a Plot

Once students have created interesting characters, they are ready to think about a problem the character faces (conflict). Often the problem relates to what the character wants, fears, or plans to do. (See the bottom of the character creator chart on page 268.)

Lead your class through the five classic forms of conflict at the top of page 269. Then have your students think of possible conflicts that their characters could face. Provide the conflict chart and have students fill it in. Then they should pick one conflict that they would like to develop into a story.

After students have chosen their conflicts, lead them through the material under "Creating a Plot." Give students a plot chart and have them use it to plan the plot lines of their stories.

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Page 270 from Write on Course 20-20

Writing the First Draft

When students have finished their prewriting, present the material on page 270. Lead them through the tips for creating the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Also, provide the tips for writing dialogue. Then give your students time to develop their drafts.

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Page 271 from Write on Course 20-20

Revising and Editing—Improving Your Writing

After students have completed the first drafts of their stories, point them to the bulleted list of questions, which they can use to help revise and edit their writing. You can also provide a checklist version of these questions.

Remind students that they need to provide a catchy title, which is their first chance to catch the reader's interest.

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Page 272 from Write on Course 20-20

A Short-Story Sampler

Use this page to inspire students to create different types of stories. Also, encourage them to seek out some of the stories mentioned on the page, or share their own favorite stories of different types.

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