TODAY YOU WILL BE: Learning what a mini saga is Exploring ideas and story starters Writing a mini saga for Stranger Sagas

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Kristian Walters
6 years ago
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1 TODAY YOU WILL BE: Learning what a mini saga is Exploring ideas and story starters Writing a mini saga for Stranger Sagas

2 WHAT IS A MINI SAGA? A mini saga is a story told in just 100 words. There are three golden rules of mini saga writing you need to stick to: Be original! You can be inspired by other stories, but add a twist, make it your own! Keep to the 100-word limit less is always more! Remember that mini sagas must have a beginning, a middle and an end!

3 USING A SENTENCE TO INSPIRE A STORY The story starters we ve provided are there to give you an idea of how a brief sentence can begin a story and how using a narrative hook can be so effective. The story starters have been designed to be exciting yet vague, so you can explore endless possibilities of where a simple sentence can take your imagination and inspire your creative writing

4 HERE IS A STORY STARTER SENTENCE KEEP OUT. DANGER! the signs around the electric fence said Your teacher will split you into groups to complete an activity. Your group needs to write down as many ideas for a story as you can think of at least one idea per person!

5 WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT ACTIVITY! The idea of it was to get you all discussing genres and styles of writing from adventure and sci-fi to dystopian and mystery, there s lots to explore! Share your group s ideas with the rest of the class. Can you identify the different genres? Can you suggest any narrative techniques (e.g. flashback / cliffhanger)? Which plot idea is your favourite and why?

6 Did any of you mention any of these keywords during your discussion? Well done if you did! DYSTOPIAN SUPERNATURAL FLASHFORWARD FLASHBACK MYSTERY ACTION PARODY HISTORICAL PLOT TWIST PARALLEL UNIVERSE CLIFFHANGER SCI-FI THRILLER APOCALYPTIC / POST-APOCALYPTIC FANTASY BACKSTORY GHOST STORY TIME TRAVEL ADVENTURE MYTHS & LEGENDS DISASTER

7 HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A MINI SAGA INSPIRED BY THE SAME STORY STARTER SENTENCE The hums and crackles were hypnotic. I was drawn to it. Hairs on my arms slowly lifted up as the static electricity blanketed the air. The metal fence almost shimmered in the moonlight, shiny and new, yet sturdy. It had been built quickly, but it was there for a purpose. Crack! Someone else was here! My heart beat wildly, my breath shallow, rapid. What was on the other side? Why the secrecy? Maggie, come on now, back to your room. A firm hand led me away from the fence as I wondered, is the fence keeping us out or in?

8 IT S TIME TO START YOUR WRITING ADVENTURE! Around your classroom your teacher has placed 8 story starter sentence postcards you need to find each postcard, read it, (leave it where it is!) and return to your desk once you have read all 8

9 HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MINI SAGA: The scientists thought they finished this. The President gave them billions; everything they needed to remove the threat. The case file had finally been laid to rest. I might only be a sceptical janitor, but an Area 51 janitor needs to be educated. I ve been conducting my own research and experiments. I m looking at the only live, dormant sample of the parasite the labcoats call Hatred. An outbreak would be cataclysmic. Hatred clings to brainstems of human subjects, feeding on negative emotions and influencing behaviour to incite hostility in others. Well... I ve discovered a carrier. The President has gone AWOL. CAN YOU GUESS WHICH STORY STARTER SENTENCE HAS INSPIRED THIS?

10 WHICH STORY STARTER SENTENCE WILL YOU CHOOSE TO INSPIRE YOUR MINI SAGA? At birth everyone s tattooed with their date of death. Mine s dated yesterday The last thing I remember is I unravel the family portrait; if these are my parents, who s that downstairs? I need to tell someone the truth before it s too late The sun was blazing; I took out the map, I must be close There was a noise coming from the basement We watched from the space station as Earth exploded I got off the plane, the terminal was empty

11 COMPOSING A MINI SAGA Now it s time for you to write your own mini saga. Your work can be inspired by the story starter sentence or you can include it in your mini saga. You are welcome to use your own ideas or be inspired by any of the ideas we ve provided. Did we mention that we love originality?!

12 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK YOUR TEACHER. NOW IT S TIME TO GET WRITING!

13 IT S PEER ASSESSMENT TIME! Work with a partner Read your mini saga to them. They will provide you with feedback; something they like and something that can be improved You need to then do the same for them Edit your work as necessary Include your name and age on your entry form before handing it to your teacher

14 WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED WRITING YOUR MINI SAGA TODAY WE CAN T WAIT TO READ IT! FB: YoungWritersUK

Author. I m an Author! Are you? Maybe you enjoy writing down your feelings, or describing things you notice about your world.

Author. I m an Author! Are you? Maybe you enjoy writing down your feelings, or describing things you notice about your world. DANIEL KIRK TEN EASY WAYS TO USE THIS BOOK IN THE CLASSROOM 1. Print out color PDF #1 on 8.5 X 11 paper. Place the individual pages in plastic sleeves in a three-ring binder, to keep handy as a classroom