Learn story structure Helpful tips and advice for young storytellers
WHAT
SHALL WE
POW!
WRITE? Written by
Cath Senker Illustrated by
Learn how to create your own characters!
Isobel Lundie
?!!?!
Helpful tips and advice for young storytellers
Learn how to create your own characters!
WHAT
SHALL WE
W R I T E? Written by
Cath Senker Illustrated by
Isobel Lundie
WOW!
Learn story structure
Author: Cath Senker is a writer of non-
fiction for children on diverse subjects such as history, world religions, and the environment. In 2018, she won the Educational Writers’ Award.
Author acknowledgements:
A team of children have helped with this writing adventure. The author would like to thank them for their contribution: Nour Alsaleh (age 14) pages 31, 70; Matthew Dunkerley (age 10) pages 6, 38, 70; Alexander Hawkins (age 11) pages 48, 77, 95, 97; Shira Rosenberg (age 11) pages 20, 31, 32 (tip), 59, 65, 70. The author would like to acknowledge these sources: Pages 31–2: Movie-maker from Helen Stockton, Teaching creative writing: ideas,
exercises, resources and lesson plans for teachers of creative-writing classes, Constable
and Robinson Ltd, 2013, p. 64 Page 65: Quotation from J K Rowling: Behind the Magic by Cath Senker, Random House, 2021 Page 74: Journey stick from RSPB Wild writing https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/ for-teachers/schools-wild-challenge/activities/ wild-writing/ Page 76: How to write a detective story: 7 keys to a killer whodunnit https://www.nownovel. com/blog/write-detective-story-7-keys/ Page 96: Writing competitions https://www.christopherfielden.com/shortstory-tips-and-writing-advice/ Photo credits: pg. 31
sondem, Kostya Zatulin, NikoNomad, Teo Tarras / Shutterstock.com
This edition published in Great Britain in MMXXII by Scribblers, an imprint of The Salariya Book Company Ltd 25 Marlborough Place, Brighton BN1 1UB www.salariya.com Text © Cath Senker MMXXII Illustrations © Isobel Lundie MMXXII English language © The Salariya Book Company Ltd MMXXII All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
ISBN: 978-1-913971-37-3 135798642 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Printed and bound in Malta. Printed on paper from sustainable sources. This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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www.salariya.com for our online catalogue and free fun stuff.
Illustrator: Isobel Lundie is an illustrator
and designer who works in Brighton. Since graduating from Kingston University with a First-Class Honours in illustration and animation, she has specialised in children’s publishing. Isobel has been lucky enough to make books for Salariya, Usborne, Random House, DK and the Good Book Company. She uses a wide variety of materials such as collage papers, pencil, ink and digital media. She likes creating detailed work with wacky characters that makes children laugh.
WHAT
SHALL WE
WRITE? Written by
Cath Senker Illustrated by
Isobel Lundie
This book belongs to:
CONTENTS PAGE Chapter 1: Inspiration 10 Read, read, read 12 Feed your imagination 16 Gather your thoughts
Chapter 2: Planning
HELP!
20 22 24 26 28 31 35
Time and space Creating characters Life stories Heroes and villains Whose story? Story settings Plot
Chapter 3: Writing 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Once upon a time… Description Showing and telling Spice it up Dialogue Pace Happily ever after? 4
This book is packed with useful tips!
Chapter 4: Genres 56 58 62 65 68 70 72 74 80 82 84
Fairy-tale mash-up Comic strip Animation Real-life stories Science fiction Fantasy Wildlife adventure Whodunnit Creepy story Flash fiction Poetry
Lots of spaces for you to write into
Chapter 5: Presenting your work 88 92 94 96 100
Try and try again Mind your language Feedback Sharing your work Writing to a publisher
Glossary Index
5
INTRODUCTION A sudden hush envelops the hall as the announcer walks briskly to the microphone. She clears her throat and raises her eyes to a sea of faces gathered for the first Young Writers Award Ceremony. Heart racing, sweaty palms, rapid breathing – you can’t wait to find out. Will your treasured story win a prize? This could be you. Or perhaps you’re proudly reading your latest story to your auntie, your dog… or silently to yourself. Whatever your creative writing ambitions, this book is for you. It will let you run free with your ideas and help you organise them to create a story.
HELP!
Whatever you want to write, you’ll need some basic skills to help you on the way: •
Finding inspiration
•
Planning
•
Developing a plot
•
Creating a setting
•
Crafting characters
•
Writing a good opening and ending
•
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Improving your writing
How to use this book The first part is all about finding inspiration. Once you’ve decided on your idea, go to the planning section. Refer also to the genre section for the kind of story you want to create. Now it’s time to start writing, following the tips from the writing chapter. When you’ve drafted your story, work through the editing chapter to improve and check it. Then it’s ready for your audience – whether it’s a national competition, your auntie or your dog.
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Use this checklist to make the most out of this book and write your best story ever! Finding inspiration Planning my story Deciding on the genre Drafting Editing Sharing my story
CHAPTER 1
INSPIRATION
READ, READ, READ! To write well, it is vital to be a keen reader. As you read, you meet new words, see how sentences are made and work out how stories are put together. You learn without even thinking about it.
What kind of story do you enjoy? Maybe you enjoy escaping to other worlds in fantasy or sciencefiction books, such as Artemis Fowl or the Scho ol for Good and Evil series. Or perhaps you prefer tales based on real life, such as Onjali Q. Raúf’s The Boy at the Back of the Class. Do you like being shocked and scared reading creepy stories, whodunnits or tales of adventures? Or do you love to laugh with a funny story? Perhaps poetry is your thin g – poems can say a lot in just a few words. If you’re into drawing, you might prefer com ic books or animations.
Activity: Identify the features of a story See if you can find all of these features in one of your favourite books. Note what you like about them. • • • • •
Plot – what happens in the story Setting – where the story happens Characters – people (or animals or objects) Dialogue – characters talking to each other Descriptions – parts that explain the scene or action 10
Name:
Name:
Plot:
Plot:
Setting:
Setting:
Characters:
Characters:
Dialogue:
Dialogue:
Descriptions:
Descriptions
:
Name: Plot:
Name: Plot:
Setting: Character
Setting:
s:
Character
Dialogue:
Dialogue:
Descriptio
s:
ns:
ns:
Descriptio
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