On their own or in pairs, have your students list some of their favorite stories and books. Then as a class, discuss elements of fantasies—especially that the impossible is accepted as real. Decide whether some of your students' favorite stories are fantasies.
“ ‘The cat sat on the mat’ is not the beginning of a story. ‘The cat sat on the dog’s mat’ is.”
—John Le Carre
Read this fantasy in round-robin style, with each student reading one paragraph. Afterward, return to review the side notes, pointing out the features of the fantasy. Notice how the beginning introduces the setting, characters, and problem. Also, point out how the writers use dialogue, action, and description to move the story along.
You can also have students read additional fantasy models.
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Sample Fantasy (Continued)
Point out to your students how the writers demonstrate the decision-making process of the characters as well as showing what they do. Also, point to the plot twist near the bottom of the page.
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Sample Fantasy (Continued)
Tell your students that the climax is the most exciting part of a story, when the main characters confront their problem head on and either succeed or fail. The ending shows what happens after that decisive moment.
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Use this page to help your students think more deeply about writing a fantasy of their own. As the definition at the top indicates, "A fantasy is a story in which something impossible is accepted as real." That means anything can happen in a fantasy. Students' imaginations are the only limit.
However, help your students realize that fantasies don't have to be completely wild. The best fantasies feel real. If everything is unbelievable, the story won't work very well.
If your students need help coming up with ideas, direct them to these fantasy writing topics.
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Lead your students step by step through the process of writing a fantasy, beginning with the prewriting and writing steps on this page. As students create characters, they will naturally think of problems they might face. The characters and their problem will suggest a plot. Then have your students create a first draft that lets them explore and invent.
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Use this page to help your students make large and small improvements to their fantasies.
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With this page, you can give your students a workshop on writing dialogue. Note how the dialogue improves the storytelling, letting readers "hear" what the characters are saying. Also, review with your students how to punctuate dialogue.
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