this week's Story Prompt

 

Write a short conversation between two people who are unlikely to ever meet. What if Harry Potter were to have a conversation with your mom? Or if Oprah Winfrey were to have a discussion with Beethoven? How about a debate between Lady Gaga and your next door neighbour? What would they talk about?

Tell me more!

Sometimes, all you really need are some details to make a story more interesting. You may know certain things as the author of a story but the reader doesn't. Pepper your story with details to spice things up for the reader.

Here's a simple exercise to get you started. Answer the questions below and you'll be on your way to some spicy storytelling!

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after

But who were Jack and Jill? How did they go up the hill? Did they walk? Ride a horse? Drive a car? Why did they need the pail of water? Why didn't they just turn on the tap? What made Jack fall down? Was he pushed? How far did he fall? How serious was his injury? What made Jill tumble? Was she hurt?

Rewrite the story and fill in the details to tell the reader what really happened.

this week's Story Prompt

It was during the school holidays that the prank calls started. Mom thought it was some kids having a laugh but I knew better. I never told anyone, but one day when the phone rang, there was a pause and a voice asked, 'Did anyone ever find where you buried the body?'

Alive!

Have you ever wondered if writing could be made easy? Truth is, it can be easy. In five simple steps!

1. See
2. Hear
3. Touch
4. Smell
5. Taste

Sounds familiar? These are your five senses. Use these to make your story come alive it is absolutely possible!

Read these two sentences. Which one uses the senses and seems more interesting?

1. Max was hungry. He wanted to eat. He wanted dinner right now.

2. Max smelled ham cooking. His belly growled. He heard his mom say, "Dinner time!"

Try 5 senses description when writing about the following
1. your favorite toy
2. your pet
3. a place you always wanted to visit
4. the perfect teacher
5. your bedroom
6. a new animal

Writing CAN be easy!

do the twist!

Have you ever been so engrossed in reading a book because it's just so good? A good story will make you believe as though you're part of it right from the start! And just when you're about to get to the end, and you think you know exactly what's going to happen, there's a TWIST!

I really like surprise endings because it's so totally unexpected! When the story seems to be going in one direction, and then suddenly it veers off course and goes in a very different direction, it makes the story so much more interesting because I never thought of it!

Surprise endings aren't just for books though; your next story could have a twist at the end! Here's a really easy way to try your hand at surprise endings.

Change the Genre
A genre is a type or category of writing. It could be a mystery or an action packed tale; humorous (funny) fiction and teen stories are also different genres of stories.

A bad dude in a cowboy hat is walking into the saloon in a bad Western movie. He's looking dangerous and mad. Tell what happens, creating a happy ending.

A cowboy in a ten-gallon hat comes blasting through the saloon doors with a look on his face that says he would like to flatten someone. The bartender bravely says, 'Howdy. What can I get you?'

Begin your story with the above, and don't forget to change the genre so your reader will be surprised with the happy ending!

this week's Story Prompt

Have a look at the picture and write the story behind it. Write your ideas down on a separate piece of paper first and then write your story!

*Don't forget to add the 5 Ws (who, when, what, where + why)

Creating a Character

Every story has characters: it could be a dinosaur called Dexter or a mean girl called Jessica. Some characters are scary and you wouldn't want to be in the same room as them (ever!) and some are so cool, you'll wish you were friends!

A great way to make your story MORE interesting is to have exciting and believable characters in it! But how do you create a character that's sooooo REAL, it jumps right off the page?

1. Grab a piece of plain paper. (make sure it's big enough for ALL of your creative ideas)
and in the centre of the paper, draw a square (this is where you'll be drawing a picture of your character so make sure it's not too small).

2. Draw a line from the square outwards. On the end of the line, write something about the character: the way they look or something they do or something they like to say (what do they do? what kind of person are they? what's their hobby?). It should start to look like there is a square sun on your paper.

3. Under the word(s) you just wrote, write a description of this thing that your character does. Try to write three sentences. One of the sentences should try to explain your character's actions (why does he do something? Why doesn't he do something?) Another sentence could be what your character thinks of this action.
Here's an example.
Member of the School Library Club - never shows up for meetings because he thinks they are BORING. Wishes he was in the Photography Club instead but can't join because there are too many members.

Once you've filled your page, read through all the things you've put down about your character. Give your character a name and draw a picture of him / her.
Stuck for ideas? Do the same exercise with YOU as the character! Or use your favourite character (from a book or a cartoon or a movie or a TV show) to practise. Once you get the hang of it, get a fresh piece of paper and try your hand at a totally made up character!

this week's Story Prompt

I blinked away a bead of sweat and continued to pedal furiously. I couldn't get away fast enough! Suddenly, a shadow fell over me...

a pangram to start school with

A pangram is a sentence that contains all letters of the alphabet. The most common pangram that just about everyone knows is the quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

Interesting pangrams are usually short ones. Here's another pangram to sink your teeth into!
The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
Have a go at creating your own pangram! Remember to use all the letters of the alphabet in it.

Writing a Mystery Story

Do you ever wonder 'How can I make my story more interesting'? Sometimes all it takes is to find the right writing style for you! There are all kinds of genres to explore! Let's start with a very exciting style, A Mystery Story!

What is a mystery?
A mystery is something that is not easily explained or described. Mystery stories often contain a puzzle or problem that needs to be solved.

Start at the Beginning
Before you write a mystery story, you need to have an idea. Is there a puzzle to solve at school? Did your mum lose something? Does it seem like there is a secret going around the gardening club? Was there a strange happening at your neighborhood? If so, you could use that as the idea of your story.

The Characters
You need to figure out your Detective and Suspect.

Clues
These help detectives or readers solve the mystery. They can be objects or things that people say.

Distractions
This happens when your clues don't make sense and confuses your detectives. So they will take longer to solve the mystery.

Here's a great mystery to pick up from the library - The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon.

* Read an interesting Mystery recently? Send an email to missdee@iheartboardgames.com and tell me all about it! Your report might just be published on this site!

a picture prompt

Sometimes when you're stuck for ideas, looking at a picture helps! Stories that are inspired by pictures are called Picture Prompt stories. A picture prompt could be a photograph, drawing or a painting. Here's a photograph to get you started on a picture prompt story.

Have a look at the picture and imagine the story behind the picture. Take as long as you need; if you want a challenge, give yourself 10 minutes and then start writing!

*Don't forget the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why)!

Descriptive Writing 101

Descriptive Writing is a form of writing that is so descriptive that it makes you feel you're in the story you're reading.

Imagine reading about a place you've never been to. Maybe it's a country you haven't visited before, or maybe it's a made-up place. Having vivid descriptions help create a picture in your mind so you're able to imagine what it's like to be there.

Descriptive Writing can be used when you are talking about a character. Adding in little details like the colour of their eyes or the funny sound they make when laugh can really make your character come alive!

Here's a fun exercise for you to do with a friend
Write a description of a monster and email it to your friend. Ask your friend to draw the monster based on your descriptions.
Does the monster your friend drew look like what you pictured in your mind? Was it easy for your friend to draw the monster based on your descriptions?

Send in your description and picture to missdee@iheartboardgames.com and see your masterpiece up on this site!

this week's Story Prompt

I knew it was going to be an unusual day when my mom came into my bedroom and said ...

Drizzle Dazzle!

Every story has Character, Setting and Plot. How we build upon these elements is entirely up to our imagination. Here is an idea to get you started.
Picture the scenario given below and think of how you would write it in two extremely different ways. For instance, you can start with writing the story in a funny or tragic way.

Scenario:

"A woman walks into a wedding dinner party, she looks around her and looks perplexed. She walks over to a table and sits down..."

While you think about the story try thinking of it with this approach:

Who are you writing this for?

Why are you writing it and why would the reader want to read your story?

Where do you want to take this story to?

When do you think the story took place?

What are the possibilities of the characters, setting and plot?

How does your characters, setting and plot make the story funny or tragic?

Details are important!
So drizzle your stories with details to make the story funny or tragic and dazzle your readers!

Poem By Dr Seuss

“We looked!
Then we saw him
step in on the mat!
We looked!
And we saw him!
The Cat in the Hat!”

“I know it is wet
And the sun is not sunny.
But we can have
Lots of good fun
that is funny!”

“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have
to know how.”

“’Have no fear, little fish,’
Said the Cat in the Hat.
‘These Things are
good Things.’
And he gave them a pat”

“I know some good games we could play,”
Said the cat.
“I know some new tricks,”
Said the Cat in the Hat.
“A lot of good tricks.
I will show them to you.
Your mother
Will not mind at all if I do”

“Then our mother came in
And she said to us two,
‘Did you have any fun?
Tell me. What did
you do?”
And Sally and I did not
know what to say.
Should we tell her
The things that went on
there that day?”

“Well…what would YOU do
If your mother asked you?”

What do you think the poem is about? Think about the last line what do you think about ending the poem with a question? Try a poem of your own!

a quote from John Godfrey Saxe

Alas! poor human nature, pity,if hard pressed, degenerates into contempt

this week's Story Prompt

She hesitated at the post box, not knowing if she should send the letter.

let's look at POETRY

The Blind Men and The Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe is an example of Narrative Poetry. Narrative Poetry is one of many types of poetry but is especially easy to identify because it's a poem that is telling a story. Just like a story, Narrative Poems have a beginning, a middle, and an end. What makes the Narrative Poem different from a short story is that it is written in stanzas instead of paragraphs.
Some Narrative poems are very long (and can fill an entire book) and some are long enough to fit a page.
Ballads (poems about Love Stories) Lays (poems that were sung) and Epics (poems that tell the LONG story of a hero and his adventure) are examples of Narrative Poetry.
Narrative Poetry is full of rhyming words which make them easy to remember and fun to say aloud!

Try this!
Try saying John Godfrey Saxe's poem aloud.
Imagine what the blind men would have sounded like - Were they surprised? Did they sound confident of their observations and conclusions? Did they speak with an accent?

The Blind Men and The Elephant

The Blind Men and The Elephant
by John Godfrey Saxe

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he,
"the Elephant Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he,
"the Elephant Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

John Godfrey Saxe

John Godfrey Saxe was an American Poet born in Highgate, Vermont on 02 June 1816. Saxe studied and practised law before settling down in New York where he devoted himself to literature.

Bored by his legal work, Saxe began publishing poems for The Knickerbocker. His earlier work The Rhyme of the Rail is one of the more famous pieces he wrote at the time.

In the 1870s, Saxe faced a series of tragedies which left him with most of his family deceased. He met with an accident and never fully recovered from the injuries. He later moved to Albany, New York to live with his last surviving son.

He is most famous for his re-telling of the parable, The Blind Men and The Elephant which introduced the story to a western audience. This poem was not considered his most famous in his day and few of the satirical works which had made him famous are read today.

John Godfrey Saxe died in Albany, New York on 31 March 1887. After his death, the New York Assembly ordered his likeness to be chiseled into the Poet's Corner of the Great Western Staircase in the New York State Capitol.

This week's Story Prompt

Imagine you had a hundred dollars, but you couldn't keep it. You had to give it away to a person or charity. Who would you give it to? What would you want them to do with it?