1. Short Stories and Creative Writing
Some Amazing Short Stories
Elements of a Story
Descriptive Creative Storytelling
Novel Creation

2. Typical Block(s) Silent Reading OR Silent Writing.
Study a short story element and fill in the glossary handout.
Read a short story.
Do a project that ties into the story and the element.

3. Fancy Words Board
Anytime you are reading and come across a word that is descriptive or a word that is new to you put it in the Fancy Words Box and we will discuss it at the start of class.

4. Written by the students for the students!
Ms. White’s Class Novel
Written by the students for the students!

5. Step One Create a DropBox account.
Go to and follow the steps.
Give me your so I can add you into the class group.
Save EVERYTHING into dropbox.

6. Overview
In the next couple of weeks our class is going to produce a full novel!
Together we will brainstorm all the necessary elements of a story.
After the planning is complete you will be assigned a chapter to write and edit. Collaboration time will be given for you to meet with the people writing the chapter before and after yours.

7. Planning
Let the planning begin…

8. Characters
Protagonist – the main character. Usually a good person with admirable qualities who acts as a hero. If they do not have admirable qualities they are an anti-hero.
Antagonist – the main force against the protagonist. The villain.
Character Foil – someone who has contradictory characteristics to the protagonist. The reader learns more about the protagonist by seeing them contrasted next to the character foil.

9. Characters
Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who changes over time, usually central characters are dynamic.
Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a complex personality; he or she is often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person.

10. Characters
Static - A static character is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality does not transform or evolve.
Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character. This literary personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic.
Stock - characters are those types of characters who have become conventional or stereotypical. Stock characters are instantly recognizable to readers or audience members
What characters is our story going to have?

11. Our Characters Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Small group brainstorm for each type of character.
Class vote.
Then, each group is assigned a character and they need to create a full character profile on them.

12. Point of View
1st Person = the narrator is a character and refers to themselves as “I”.
3rd Person Limited Omniscient = the narrator is not a character but their knowledge is limit to that of one character.
3rd Person Omniscient = the narrator knows everything about all the characters.
Omniscient = one having total knowledge

13. Our Point of View
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4
Class vote

14. Writing Dialogue
Each time a new speaker talks give them their own line.
Put their words in quotation marks. Then carry on with the paragrah.
The Do and Do Not of Good Dialogue
Dialogue Activity = you will be given three pieces of paper. Two of the papers have characters on them, the third has a topic. Write out a conversation.
Activity

15. Setting Where and when does the story take place?
Describe the area as a whole but be specific about all the little details.
It needs to create a concrete image in the reader’s mind.
Picture Activity – next slide

16. Setting Picture Activity
Using your picture, create a vivid setting that creates a clear image in the reader’s mind. Be specific!
A small town
Seba Beach is a quaint town in central Alberta with a year round population of only It’s the type of town where everyone knows your name and a trip to the store is as much a social event as it is a chore.
1930s
The year is 1931, the prosperous times of the 1920s are over and although there is very little of anything to go around the people of Seba Beach don’t let it get them down.

17. Our Setting
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4

18. Conflict Internal External
Person vs. Self – the character is dealing with an inner struggle; for example, addiction, body image issues, self-doubt, etc..
External
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Society
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Supernatural

19. Our Conflict Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Class vote for initial type of conflict.
Post-it and vote for specific.

20. Theme What is the deeper message the author is trying to give?
Theme is universal it exists in a variety of settings with a variety of characters.
Novels can have more than one theme.
Fairytales and Fables have specific lessons as their theme.
Examples:
Cherish your family.
Think for yourself.
Perseverance pays off.

21. Our Theme(s)
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4
Class post-its then vote

22. Plot

23. Our Plot In groups of four brainstorm ideas.
Share ideas and vote as a class.
Get your section assignment.
In your groups figure out the specific details.
Put your details on the class plot diagram.
Do they match up with the next groups?
Figure out chapter breaks and assign chapters.

24. Some Literary Techniques
Flashback
Returning to a prior event mid story.
Foreshadowing
Clues that help the reader predict what will happen next.
Irony
Verbal – saying one thing but meaning the opposite.
Situational – a reversal of expectations.
Dramatic – when the audience knows what is going to happen before the character clues in.
Mood and Tone
How the story makes the reader feel.
Red Herring
Events designed to through the reader or the character down the wrong path.

25. Mood and Tone Activity
Read the point form story on the board. Pretty boring right? It just TELLS you what happens.
Examine the “A to Z of Emotions” list the class has made. Pick an emotion.
Now re-write the story according to your emotion. This time SHOW what is going on.
Happy Example
The boy was happy the school day was over.
The second the sound of the bell rang through the halls the boy jumped out of his seat, flung his backpack on, and raced out the doors and towards his home with a massive smile on his face. “Free at last,” he thought to himself.