Flamingo Boy “So the shock of seeing a German scout car come driving into the town square that afternoon, officers in grey uniforms and peaked caps in the back, and German soldiers coming in behind them – trucks full of them, with their shining black helmets, and their rifles – silenced the town instantly. The carousel stopped turning. The music stopped playing. The town looked on in disbelief. No one moved. No one spoke. The leaves on the plane trees in the square rustled in the wind, but that was the only sound you could hear. Even the pigeons on the church roof seemed to have stopped their cooing.”
Storytelling challenge: Can you describe another exciting moment from a story, using a mixture of longer and shorter sentences?
You should: • Think of an exciting moment in a story. Describe the moment to a partner, considering what happens in the scene, how you tell the story and making it as exciting as possible.
You might: • Try to use a mixture of longer descriptive sentences and short punchy sentences in your storyteller’s voice. • Use carefully chosen adjectives to describe the scene. • Show the atmosphere of the scene through sharing small details (a small sound like leaves rustling; the mention of something dangerous like rifles).
Stuck for ideas? You could make up an entirely new story with new characters, or you could: •
Retell a story you know well already
• Make up a new adventure for a character you know well
If you get stuck, perhaps you could describe the moment where: • The main character gets some bad news • The villain walks into the room • The hero is hiding and danger is coming closer and closer • The character discovers they have a new power • The hero walks into a new place for the first time
Flamingo Boy