Realistic Fiction Writing

Realistic Fiction Writing

Over the past few weeks the children have been using what they learned during our PERSONAL NARRATIVE writing unit to help them develop a more complex style of writing - Realistic Fiction.  

Modeling engaging fiction stories are crucial.  We read a short chapter book called Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks.  The story had good character development and story problems.  We analyzed this book closely while enjoying the story together.  

The next task was to use what we learned from listening to the book and using specific writing crafts in our own stories.  Children were taught a variety of ways to plan their story.  The most useful, I believe, is planning by story mountain.  Please ask your child about this method.

Some students working together using the story mountain strategy to plot a story we read together.

By analyzing short stories and how the problem in the story increasingly became more intense guides children when they plan their individual story ideas.

Below are the teaching points I wanted to teach the children about writing realistic fiction:

Ways to find ideas for realistic fiction.

Ways to plan a story with a problem and solution.

Ways to craft an effective lead and effective ending.

Ways to add detail including:

Specific character actions
Showing not telling
Information about setting
Interesting words and strong verbs
Using bit-by-bit storytelling to stretch scenes across a page
Exploding a moment

Balancing character thoughts, talking, actions, feelings, and description.

Showing that the character changed or learned something.

We will record our stories on the blog next week.  I will let you know when they are ready to read.  

Personal Narratives

Personal Narratives

 

 

Your children have been working hard on writing stories about memories they have had.  We call these stories PERSONAL NARRATIVES. 

 

Often children scratch their head and struggle to find something to write about.  Writing about something you have done becomes a little easier as you just have to rewind your memory bank and choose something you might think someone else will enjoy reading.

 

Generating a list of IDEAS:

 

PERSON - I asked the children to think of someone that is special in their life and then list fun, sad, scary, exciting times they had had with that person. 

 

 

PLACE - I asked the children to think of a place that is special to them like their home, bedroom, park, beach, playground, etc.  They then list things they have done in these places.  These memories can SPARK a story.

 

 

THING - I also asked the children to think of a thing that has special meaning to them.  They then list special times they have had with that thing.  Again this could spark a great story. 

 

The children use these IDEAS to write their personal narrative.  The BIG teaching point was to focus on writing about a small moment compared to writing about too many things.

 

We used the analogy of a WATERMELON - (a writing topic that covers too many things) and a SEED (focusing on a small moment).

 

Watermelon Topic = My family

Seed Topic = The time my sister and I had a pillow fight

 

Once the children choose a small moment story they then PLAN their beginning, middle and ending.  I reminded the children that the middle part is where most of the ACTION should take place.  This is where the writer SLOWS down their writing and includes more detailed description. 

 

After practicing many personal narrative stories I had the children choose their favorite and publish it, by writing it out neatly and adding illustrations. 

 

On Wednesday we all finished our stories so we had a publishing party in class.  Simple IDEA - We drank hot chocolate, ate marshmellows and read each others stories.  Each student wrote a thoughtful comment about their peer's writing. 

 

Below please enjoy some pictures of the 'party'.  I have also taken some pictures of our process.

 

  We plan on recording each student's story where you can listen and enjoy them.  These recordings will take place next week.  I will email and inform you when they have all been uploaded.

 

In deep thought.

 



A dratf story that is begin revised.



Sometimes when you hear your story outloud you notice parts that need to change.



The girls discussing each other's writing.



Writers reviewing.



Analysing



Rereading is the key to a clear story.



Hard at work.



What comes next?



Writing a nice comment for a classmate's story.



Just checking everything sounds clear.



Mmmmm, back to the story.



Reading a classmate's personal narrative.