Writing Stories
Name three things a good story ending should include.
A surprising or funny detail, the conflict’s resolution, an idea about life, etc.
Which verb tense used most often when telling a story that already happened?
Past tense.
What kind of characterization is dialogue?
Indirect characterization
True or False: This sentence's dialogue is punctuated correctly.
“It’s time to feed the chickens, Grandma said.”
False.
The quotation marks should only be around what the character specifically said.
True or False: This sentence uses sensory details to help readers imagine a story event
"The balloon swelled to the size of a kickball, then popped loudly."
True.
It helps the reader visualize the size of the balloon and helps them imagine what it sounded like when it popped.
What story elements are usually introduced at the beginning of a short story to help pull readers in and make them want to keep reading?
An interesting main character, a hint about the story’s problem or conflict, or details of the setting that make it seem interesting and important. The story’s point of view or narrator is also made clear in the beginning.
What verb tense uses words like “will” or “going to” to show something that has not happened yet?
Future tense.
Why is it a good idea to use dialogue for characters in a short story?
Dialogue uses the few words in a short story to show what a character is like, such as how the character speaks and interacts with others.
What kinds of words are MOST useful for combining two sentences into one?
Conjunctions
Conjunctions (and, but, so, because, etc.) can be used to combine sentences and ideas.
How do many short simple sentences affect a story’s style?
They give it a choppy, disconnected style.
Many authors use similar ideas when creating stories. How can you make someone else's story idea your own?
By creating new characters, events, and details. our short story should be different in any way you can imagine.
Changing verb tense in the middle of a story without meaning to is called...
What should you do if you really like your classmate's story but can't really imagine the events that happen in the story?
Suggest where the writer could add more details to help you visualize the story better.
True or False: This sentence is a compound sentence
"As they approached, Mark noticed a man standing beside the bikes, shaking his head."
False.
This sentence does not contain any compound words (and, because, so, etc.)
Which sentences are improved by breaking them into several separate sentences?
run-on sentences
What kind of story ending is most satisfying for readers? (What could you include in a story’s conclusion to make it work well?)
The end of a story should show how the story’s conflict was resolved (or how its problem was solved). It can also suggest a theme or big idea and surprise or amuse the reader in some way.
How do you know a sentence is written in one of the perfect tenses?
It describes something that already happened and it uses a form of the helping verb (have, had, has) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
What is the most important rule of giving feedback to a writer.
To be kind, specific, and helpful.
True or False: Words like under, between, and beside are examples of prepositions.
True
Abstractions name general ideas that are hard to imagine clearly. Why are concrete and sensory details more useful for describing events than abstractions?
Describe at least THREE good sources of story ideas.
Your own experiences; stories that other people, such as friends and family, have told you; the activities you enjoy; topics you know about; things that happen in your favorite kinds of stories
True or False: This sentence is an example of perfect tense
"Mercedes had invited all her friends to the party, except one."
True
What are the best reasons to add details to a short story as you revise it?
To make a scene less confusing and to make a scene easier to imagine.
What is an interjection?
An interjection is a word or short phrase that shows strong feeling or emotion, like excitement, surprise, or pain. It is often followed by an exclamation mark or a comma.
This part of speech names a person, place, thing, or idea.
A noun