TINKERING WITH YOUR LEAD Did you know that the WNY Young Writers’ Studio is a MAKERSPACE for writers? Makers are people who enjoy building things. These are the kids who play with LEGOS, build models, and craft doll houses out of empty shoe boxes. Makers are inventors, and Studio kids have taught me much about the connection between making and writing. Over the years, I’ve learned how to help young writers use maker moves like tinkering to produce amazing pieces of writing. The challenges that follow will help you tinker with the lead of your story or comic strip.. As you explore each of these approaches, read the examples provided, and then tinker around with each of them yourself. Write and rewrite your beginning a bunch of different ways, using the ideas sparked by these bits of mentor text. You may use the space provided on these pages and a small stack of sticky notes if you wish. Or, you may use the table tops at Studio, the walls, chart paper, foam boards, or any other flat surface that works for you. Once you’re finished, you’ll share the leads that you’re most proud of and invite others to name
their favorites. This will help you choose the best lead for your story. Have fun, and make something wonderful tonight! Love, Mrs. Stockman
Challenge One: Begin Your Story by Introducing a Mysterious Stranger Example 1: The puppy seemed well fed, clean, and eager to cuddle. Someone was probably missing him, and Sarah wondered how he wandered so far from home. Example 2: Jenny Sanders arrived on the hottest day of the summer. She had a backpack full of books slung over her shoulders and a dozen secrets in her eyes. Marcy wondered if they would be friends or enemies. Your Turn:
Challenge Two: Begin Your Story by Disrupting a Routine Example 1: Juan met Marco at the corner of Bristol Avenue and Connor Street every morning at 7:50 am. Whenever Marco wasn’t planning on going to school, he was careful to text Juan to let him know. He didn’t want him to worry or wait. So when Marco failed to arrive on time on the very last day of school, Marco knew that something was up. He also had a feeling that it wasn’t good.
Example 2: Mr. Moffett drove to Wegmans every Sunday. He liked to grocery shop while the rest of the world was watching the football game. The store was quieter then, and the shelves were full. Few invitations were interesting enough to inspire a shift in his plans, but this one was different. This invitation could very well change his life. Your Turn:
Challenge Three: Begin Your Story with a Shattering Statement Example 1: She traveled by foot for many days, over rocky terrain and then, through wide, barren desert
spaces that left her longing for water and rest. Hope was certain that her grandmother would be waiting for her at the end of her exhausting journey. Her escape had been well planned but very dangerous. Days later, she found herself approaching the safe camp that her grandmother had established for those who had come before her. She recognized several faces from what had once been her home, including the mother of her childhood friend, Asa. The woman approached and then embraced her warmly. There was sadness in her eyes. “Hope, I have heartbreaking news,” she spoke softly. “Your grandmother has passed.” Example 2: “David,” his mother spoke quickly, grasping his hands in her own and staring intently into his eyes. “You aren’t who you think you are. I’m not who you think I am. This life we live, it’s not what you think it is. I have to tell you the truth now.” Your Turn: