Small Moments Show the action vs telling what happened Telling - Ms. Conrad is mean to her students. Some Showing - Ms. Conrad came into class the other day and was really mean to her students. She yelled at them.

Small Moment Not a sound was heard as the class of students sat trembling, waiting to see what their teacher Ms. Conrad would do next. Her face was red and she was snarling as she looked at each student’s face. “What is WRONG with you people,” she screeched. “How many times do I have to tell you to come in and TAKE YOUR SEATS??!!” A student behind her squeaked out of fear. This caused even more anger in Ms. Conrad and soon anything she could get her hands on was flying through the room. Students took cover under the desks praying this rampage would end soon.

Basics of a story Someone has a problem (conflict) He must struggle to overcome it (action) He either wins or loses (resolution) Conflict + Action +Resolution = Story

Needed for Conflict Protagonist Wants something There must be an Obstacle that is stopping her from getting it

Your Turn What is your conflict? What is it you want? Who is involved? What is the obstacle preventing you from getting what you want? How will you resolve it? Is this a conflict that will interest others?

Writing Characters Do you have multiple characters? How is each character involved with the conflict? If a character isn’t involved, what is their purpose in the story? Do your characters use dialogue? If not, add some. The main character needs a personality. Does yours? Is your main character changing throughout the story? How?

Writing Introduction Catches Reader’s attention Establishes narrator’s voice, tone, point of view Introduces or hints at the conflict Provides very little background information Is short in length

Types of Introductions Quotes - Christopher McCandless once said, “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” It was in this spirit that I packed a small bag and left home at the age of 18. Question (make it count) - They assured me that my choice would change nothing. But, how could it not? Could you sit down at sixteen years old and choose between your father and your mother, knowing the other will be devastated?

Types of Introductions Shocking Statement - Nothing you learn in the first seventeen years of your life means a thing. This was crystal clear the day I turned eighteen. Interesting Fact - Write now, as you read this, you are flying through space at a speed of 67,000 mph. There have been times in my life when I swear I could feel it. Setting - As he pounded on the door, the room shook. I knew it would open eventually, and nothing would be the same, but I wasn’t watching the door. I couldn’t take my eyes off the Little League trophy that was slowly moving closer and closer to the edge of my shelf.

My introduction It was an easy task, really. Anyone with two legs and half a brain could do it. All she had to do was put one foot in front of the other. She had done it before and she would do it many times again, so what was it about today that made this task so overwhelmingly difficult? Was it due to a broken leg or maybe an illness that caused her to struggle to move? Unfortunately, neither of those were the reasons why she couldn’t get across the classroom. Today what stopped Ms. Conant from completing her mission was the mob of disobedient students standing in her way.

Your Turn Does your first paragraph catch the reader’s attention? Do the narrator’s tone, voice, and point of view come through? Do you hint at the conflict? How much background information is there? Can it be cut back? Is it short in length?

Writing a conclusion What do you want your readers to take away from your story? How can you best show it? Tie up loose ends

No, No, No And then I woke up. It was all just a dream. The end Ending with a cliffhanger

Writing a conclusion End with an image – The wind sings through the window like a siren, and the steam floats from my skin like milk. End with action – But since, short of diving in after him, there was nothing I could do; I walked away. End with dialogue – “I don’t know where you got it from, but in the end, it’s going to kill you.” End with reflection – I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

My conclusion Stretching her arm out as far as it would go, Ms. Conant reached for the door. Touching it, she felt a sense of accomplishment knowing she succeeded in her mission to get across the room. With very little strength remaining, she slowly stood up and surveyed the room. Kids were writhing around on the floor, some passed out, some in pain, some cowering in fear. She took this all in for a moment, turned to walk out the door, and internally congratulated herself on a job well done.

Your turn Are you tying up loose ends? How do you want the reader to feel at the end?