Narrative Writing Challenges
November: National Novel Writing Month!
when i tell my family
When I tell my family
I want to be a writer, they smile and say,
We see you in the backyard with your writing.
They say,
We hear you making up all those stories.
And,
We used to write poems.
And,
It’s a good hobby, we see how quiet it keeps you.
They say,
But maybe you should be a teacher,
a lawyer,
do hair . . .
I’ll think about it, I say.
And maybe all of us know
this is just another one of my
Stories.
--Jacqueline Woodson
When I tell my family
I want to be a writer, they smile and say,
We see you in the backyard with your writing.
They say,
We hear you making up all those stories.
And,
We used to write poems.
And,
It’s a good hobby, we see how quiet it keeps you.
They say,
But maybe you should be a teacher,
a lawyer,
do hair . . .
I’ll think about it, I say.
And maybe all of us know
this is just another one of my
Stories.
--Jacqueline Woodson
writing #1
It’s easier to make up stories than it is to write them down. When I speak, the words come pouring out of me. The story wakes up and walks all over the room. Sits in a chair, crosses one leg over the other, says, Let me introduce myself. Then just starts going on and on. But as I bend over my composition notebook, only my name comes quickly. Each letter, neatly printed between the pale blue lines. Then white space and air and me wondering, How do I spell introduce? Trying again and again until there is nothing but pink bits of eraser and a hole now where a story should be. --Jacqueline Woodson |
writing #2
On the radio, Sly and the Family Stone are singing “Family Affair,” the song turned up because it’s my mother’s favorite, the one she plays again and again. You can’t leave ’cause your heart is there, Sly sings. But you can’t stay ’cause you been somewhere else. The song makes me think of Greenville and Brooklyn the two worlds my heart lives in now. I am writing the lyrics down, trying to catch each word before it’s gone then reading them back, out loud to my mother. This is how I’m learning. Words come slow to me on the page until I memorize them, reading the same books over and over, copying lyrics to songs from records and TV commercials, the words settling into my brain, into my memory. Not everyone learns to read this way—memory taking over when the rest of the brain stops working, but I do. Sly is singing the words over and over as though he is trying to convince me that this whole world is just a bunch of families like ours going about their own family affairs. Stop daydreaming, my mother says. So I go back to writing down words that are songs and stories and whole new worlds tucking themselves into my memory. --Jacqueline Woodson |
November: National novel writing month daily pep talk letter or video clip from a published children's or young adult author.
My First Novel: 2,000 word (100 words a day) beginning of a longer work. This is what the month is all about! Go for it!
A Writer's Portfolio: Create up to 4 well-told short short (500 words or more) stories from this list. This is a chance to try out different voices.
The Really Ugly Duckling, or the Real Story of Goldilocks: Retelling a fairy tale or classic story with updated characters
Face the Music: pick a song and write a story that expands on the lyrics
You're Just Jealous of My Jet Pack: Science Fiction from Science Fact. Use your knowledge of science to write a speculative fiction story about the future.
How the Bunny Got His Ears: talking animal fables, some even wearing clothes and sitting on furniture. And the little hats!
Mysteries of Harris Burdick: pick a drawing from the Chris Van Allsburg book and include it in a short story.
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Young Author for Young Readers: An illustrated picture book, fully illustrated with 8-16 sketches that keep pace with the story. It does not require 2,000 words because of the effort expected on
illustrations. Collected Stories: 4 or more short stories (about 500 words each) in same genre with same characters. This is for people who know the type of fiction they like to write.
Get Real: realistic fiction, everyday problems, extraordinary people.
It's Greek to Me: retell a story from Greek mythology or other cultures with updated characters
Photo Finish: pick a photo from NASA, National Geographic, Smithsonian, or Library of Congress and write a story including the photo as a scene.
I'm a Big Fan: write a story set in the Doctor Who, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Harry Potter universe. It must be a new adventure, that includes genre details. Look more closely at what you love to read!
Do the Write Thing: write a story with a strong moral message based on the seven habits or other teaching about behavior and social
responsibility. |
Structure and Details in Storytelling:Serious Farm, by Tim EganThe Plot Possibilities of a Single Line: "Too Bad His Duck is So Crazy."
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The Big List of Plots by S. John Ross
Are you trying to describe a story's plot or create a story of your own? Mr. Ross lists and give brief descriptions of plots commonly found in popular books, movies, and games. https://rsd2-alert-durden.weebly.com/uploads/6/7/1/6/6716949/___the_big_list_of_rpg_plots.pdf
36 Dramatic Situations
Georges Polti was a 19th century French writer who described 36 dramatic situations found in the plots of many stories. They provide interesting examples of real human problems people like to see in books, movies, and games again and again. http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/polti_situations.htm |