2/11/14 Planning a StoryTP: We can use our knowledge of story elements to write

our own short stories Bell work: Using the picture below for ideas, come up with as many different problem and solution situations as you

can in 5 minutes.

Some Notes on Planning A well planned story has a plot that develops from

setting the scene at the beginning, through the action in the middle, and to the end where you tell your reader what happens to the characters, clear up any mysteries and tie up any loose ends.

Remember, it's fine to make rough, scribbled notes when planning (as long as you can read them!) but always use neat, clear writing when it comes to writing the story itself.

Planning: An ExampleOPENING How are you going to open your story?

Type of opening: actionCharacter: alien called ZylorgSetting: New York CitySituation: getting lost

•Crash lands in the city – spaceship broken down•Blinding explosion•People feel scared – think alien will hurt them•Alien description: tall, thin, luminous skin

Planning: An ExampleCHARACTERS AND DIALOGUE Who are your main characters? What should their dialogue reveal about their personalities?Zylorg: alien from the planet Trinova. Thinks friendship is unnecessary and outdated. Confused by human emotions: on his planet they see emotions as inefficient.David: fifteen-year-old boy. Works in a car garage part-time. Loves fixing old engines. Dialogue: shows Zylorg doesn’t understand the way things are on Earth: “You mean you actually fix things, yourselves?” “These so called ‘cookies’ are truly exceptional!” “Love? Is that the same as weakness?”

Planning: An ExamplePROBLEM and SOLUTION What difficulty/challenge is your main character facing? How will they solve this?

Problem: Zylorg’s spacecraft has broken down. Doesn’t know how to fix it as machines do everything on his planet. Needs spacecraft fixed to go home. Can’t stay on Earth too long as FBI agents are looking to capture him to study alien life forms and perform tests on him.

Solution: David helps Zylorg hide from FBI agents. Become friends. David agrees to help Zylorg fix his craft.

Planning: An ExampleENDING What kind of ending am I going to write?

Type: problem solved & ending happy/writer returns to same character used at the start of the story.

Events: David finishes fixing craft. Say goodbye to each other. Zylorg gets into craft and disappears.

Thoughts and feelings: will miss Earth, even though their customs are strange to him. Affection towards David. Understands now what friendship is.

4/11/14 Writing a StoryTP: Continue writing our stories.

Bell work: Copy the passage below, adding correct punctuation.

whats this then

the two men were in the roof of the cottage working on the attic that was to be made into a bedroom the floor was white with the plaster they had chipped away from the walls cobwebs trickled from the rafters one of the men prising a chunk of rotten wood from the window frame had let fall a small bottle wedged behind

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively

Corrected version:

‘What’s this, then?’

The two men were in the roof of the cottage, working on the attic that was to be made into a bedroom. The floor was white with the plaster they had chipped away from the walls. Cobwebs trickled from the rafters. One of the men, prising a chunk of rotten wood from the window frame, had let fall a small bottle wedged behind.

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively

5/11/14 Writing a StoryTP: Continue writing our stories.Bell work: Using the picture below for ideas, come up with as many different problem and solution situations as you

can in 5 minutes.

6/11/14 Writing a StoryTP: Continue writing our stories.Bell work: Using the picture below for ideas, come up with as many different problem and solution situations as you

can in 5 minutes.

Individual Work• Plan your own story using the

planning sheet provided. You can expand on ideas that you came up with in previous lessons.

• Make sure to give your characters names to make them more relatable.

• Plan what dialogue you will include. Must add something to the story.

• Once you have finished your planning, begin writing your story on lined paper.

9/11/14 Writing a StoryTP: Continue writing our stories.Bell work: Using the picture below for ideas, come up with as many different problem and solution situations as you

can in 5 minutes.

10/11/14 Writing a StoryTP: Continue writing our stories.Bell work: Using the picture below for ideas, come up with as many different problem and solution situations as you

can in 5 minutes.

If you have finished your first draft:o Circle or underline all your sentence openings in one

colour. If you see a lot of repetition, try to change the sentence structure.

o Use another colour to mark missed punctuation.o In another colour, underline words or phrases that are

not very exciting and change these. For example, ‘went’ could become ‘raced’. You can use a thesaurus to help.

o Identify the five stages of story mountain in your story and mark these. If you cannot clearly identify each stage, you need to expand on what you have written.

o Complete the checklist on your handout. Tick and provide evidence for each item on the list.

o Create a final draft of your story, with improvements.o ONLY once you have done this, you can read quietly.