Word Wizards
The wizard used a potent potion that instantly healed the knight's wounds. Based on context clues, what does "potent" mean?
What is powerful or strong?
This is a recurring element, object, or idea in a story—such as a magic wand, a chosen hero, or a talking animal helper. What is it called?
What is a motif?
If a fantasy story is told by a main character using pronouns like "I," "me," and "we," what point of view is being used?
What is first-person point of view?
"The dragon's breath was a furnace blasting heat across the field." What type of figurative language is this, and what does it mean?
What is a metaphor? It means the dragon's breath was incredibly hot.
True or False: A theme can be stated in just one word, like "Freedom" or "Friendship."
What is False? (One word is a topic; a theme must be a full statement/lesson about life).
In the dark forest, the traveler had to traverse the muddy, twisted paths to reach the castle. What does "traverse" mean?
What is to cross, travel through, or pass over?
Fantasy stories often feature a conflict where the main characters must stop a dark lord or an evil force from destroying the world. What is this classic conflict type?
What is Good vs. Evil?
How does a first-person narrator change how the reader experiences a magical world compared to a third-person narrator?
What is we only see the world through that one character's eyes/we know their secret thoughts, but we don't know what other characters are thinking?
"The ancient trees groaned and whispered secrets in the wind." Identify the type of figurative language used here.
What is personification?
When you pull words directly from the text to prove your answer, you must put these punctuation marks around the words. What are they?
What are quotation marks?
The dragon’s scales were impenetrable; no sword or arrow could pierce through them. What does "impenetrable" mean?
What is impossible to get through or break into?
Name two specific things about a fantasy setting that make it different from a realistic fiction setting.
(Accept any two reasonable answers).
A narrator who is outside the story but knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters is using this specific point of view.
What is third-person omniscient?
"The giant was as tall as a mountain." Identify the figurative language and explain why the author didn't just say "the giant was 20 feet tall."
What is a simile? The author used it to emphasize just how massive and overwhelming the giant looked to the characters.
If a story shows a small, weak hobbit successfully destroying a dark ring because he never gave up, what is a possible theme of that story?
What is "Even the smallest person can make a big difference," or "Perseverance can overcome great evil"? (Accept any reasonable theme statement).
The elf spoke in a cryptic riddle that left the heroes confused about which path to take. What does "cryptic" mean?
What is mysterious, puzzling, or having a hidden meaning?
n fantasy, this common plot structure involves a hero leaving their ordinary world, facing magical trials, and returning home changed. What is it called?
What is the Hero's Journey?
Why might an author choose to use a narrator who doesn't understand the magic world very well at the beginning of a book?
What is so the reader can learn about the magical world at the same time the narrator does?
"I’ve told you a million times not to touch the magic mirror!" What type of figurative language is this?
What is hyperbole?
What is the difference between quoting text evidence and paraphrasing text evidence?
What is quoting uses the author's exact words, while paraphrasing puts the author's ideas into your own words?
After the kingdom was destroyed, the king's power began to wane, and the rebels grew stronger. What does "wane" mean?
What is to decrease, shrink, or become weaker?
If a character faces a conflict because they are under a magical curse that forces them to sleep for 100 years, what type of conflict is this? (Hint: Character vs. ______)
What is Character vs. Supernatural
If a goblin narrator tells a story about a human knight invading his cave, how might his perspective be different from the human knight's perspective?
What is the goblin might see the human as the evil villain/monster, while the human thinks he is the hero?
Read this sentence: "The silver sword sang as it sliced through the air." Name the two types of figurative language being used here.
What are personification ("sword sang") and alliteration (repetition of the "s" sound)?
After you state a theme and provide a direct quote as evidence, what is the final, crucial step you must do in your writing?
What is explain how the quote connects to or proves the theme?