HOW TO PLAN A NARRATIVE DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

1. presents a lesson in Creative Writing Mini-Lessons © Afiya Clyne 2017

2. Today’s Lesson HOW TO PLAN A STORY

3. WHAT IS A STORY PLAN? A STORY PLAN helps you organize your ideas and think of all the things your story should include.

4. The Characters The Setting These may include: • The characters – people, animals and other beings in the story. • The setting (when or where the story happens) • Plot – How the story goes from beginning to end • The problems (conflict) your characters must face in reaching their goal, and the solutions. • Resolution/Theme- How the story ends and the lesson it may tell. The Plot The Conflict The Theme

5. A PLAN HELPS YOU REMEMBER A plan helps you to remember your ideas for each paragraph so that you finish quickly, and you don’t get struck- (writer’s block)

6. A plan can also be called story structure or plot mountain.

7. WHY PLAN? PLAN TO AVOID THE FOLLOWING: • Taking a long time to write your story so time runs out. • Changing your ideas which makes your story weird and confusing. • Writing a pointless introduction (describing the weather , alarm clocks, waking up, get ready or school bells ringing…) when it is not needed.

8. WHY PLAN? PLAN TO AVOID THE FOLLOWING: • Confusing Point of View. You start writing from a third person point of view (Roger, he, him ) and then switch to a first-person (I, me ) midway through the story. (Or vice versa.) • Being unable to resolve the problem or conclude the story.

9. BECOME A PLANNING MASTER • LEARN to plan a story with any given prompt. • Plan a story with at least the five parts/paragraphs. (PLOT) • You only have 50 minutes to write an essay for your exam. • Write in less than 50 minutes to have time to fix your essay (Revising and Editing) • Try to plan your story in less than five minutes. Always time yourself.

10. THINGS TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE PLANNING OBSERVE YOUR GIVEN PROMPT: • How you are going to start the story. (Beautiful Beginnings/Grabbers/Hooks) • Who are main characters? • Where and When the story will take place or begin (Setting) • What the problem in the story will be ( Conflict)

11. THINGS TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE PLANNING OBSERVE YOUR GIVEN PROMPT: • Think of the event/s that led to the big moment- that is the rising action that came before the big issue • (Climax): What will be the big moment in the story? What is the big problem to be faced? • This is where the character: Faces the bully/dragon/monster, get caught lying, stealing, cheating, facings fears, etc… • How did the big issue work out? How you are going to end the story ( Excellent Endings)

12. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? CREATING CONFLICT • Stories must have problem or conflict that characters are trying to resolve. • This is the most important part of the story.  Spend most of your time here. Describe in detail in this section. Slow it down and make it very descriptive (juicy). Oh Bacchanal …. Drama Bomb • You can create other issues to make the situation worse before it gets better. • The problem or conflict segment is usually 1 -2 paragraphs long! Usually found in the RISING ACTION AND THE CLIMAX.

13. RESOLUTION : - LET’S RESOLVE OR SOLVE THE PROBLEM • MAKE IT MAKE SENSE – Resolve/End the problem or conflict in a sensible/believable way.   • MAKE IT DIFFERENT, INTERESTING - Allow the main character to solve the problem or think about other ways to solve it instead of just reporting to the police or complaining to the teacher. • HOW ABOUT: • The problem being solved by a stroke of luck or a stroke of lightning? • Could the community/friends get involved to solve the problem together? • Could opposing characters work things out ?

14. Example: • The key here is to be creative yet sensible at the same time. • Also think about ending it in a way that is not expected? Predictable  : The knight defeats the dragon and saves the princess. • Unpredictable  : The princess speeches off the prince and rides her dragon into the sunset.

15. THE PLOT STRUCTURE THE SHORT STORY This PLOT DIAGRAM shows how the main events is a short story are organized. CLIMAX Let’s hike FALLING ACTION RISING ACTION RESOLUTION EXPOSITION

16. The most exciting part of the story. Greatest suspense The characters face the problem head on. We learn the outcome of the event here. CLIMAX The build up to the major problem or conflict. What happens before the main problem. The character can encounter several problems here. What happens after the climax. Things are beginning to wrap up here. FALLING ACTION RISING ACTION Plot Diagram RESOLUTION EXPOSITION The structure of the events in a story The end of the story. Conflict or Problems are solved. Beginning of the story where Characters and Setting,Conflict are introduced.

17. THE PLOT The PLOT can be used to help plan our story. The PLOT includes story Elements: Elements of a Story: Setting: – Place, Time, Date, Weather, Description of Surroundings and Mood Characters: – The people, animals, things which are given life- (E.g. Penny, the pencil) and other beings in your story ( aliens, monsters etc.) Conflict: – The problem the character faces in the story. Plot: – The beginning, middle and end of the story Solution: – How the problem is solved Theme:- what the author wants you to learn

18. Setting THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY ARE • 2.Characters • 3. Conflict • 4. Plot • 5. Theme

19. Story Planning : THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 2) RISING ACTION- • What happened next? • Build up the story – step by step towards the problem. • Tell us what the character does next or what happens next brings them face to face with the problem.(Climax) • Show characters thoughts and feelings during these events 1) EXPOSITION/BEGINNING- Give Background info • Tell how it all started • Describe time and place-setting using adjectives/literary devices/five senses • Introduce your characters • Show what characters are feeling and thinking, description. • Give hints of the conflict or problem to come. 4) FALLING ACTION (RESOLUTION) – • What happened after the BIG MOMENT or CLIMAX? • Was the problem solved or not? • Include details about how the character during this time. Thoughts and feelings. 3) CLIMAX( Big Problem or Event)- • What happened next that can cause a climax or a point of conflict. • What is the problem to be solved, who does your character have to face or what major choices does he/she have to make. • Include character speech/dialogue, thoughts and feelings, appearance. • Stretch this part out and make it juicy with lots and details and description. Drama bomb • How does this experience change your character? 5) CONCLUSION – As you bring your story to a conclusion, try to tie together something from your introduction. Think of a suitable ending: Reflection, lesson learnt, promises made etc…

20. LEARN TO SUMMARIZE • Summarize means to shorten by writing the main ideas. • When we plan, we are basically just shortening our ideas to help us remember what we want to write. For example: Writing 1 or 2 sentences to for each paragraph we are going to write in our story.

21. ACTIVITY Summarize story, using a sentence for each of the five key parts. I will demonstrate with an old classic “Rumpelstiltskin".

22. STEP 1: USE A SENTENCE/PHRASES FOR EACH PART OF THE PROMPT. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE USING RUMPLESTILTSKIN • Exposition: A miller boasts to a king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. He locks her in a room to do so. • Rising action: She is scared. She will die if she can't do it. A small magical man appears to help. She makes a promise to him. • Climax:- The small man returns for his promise of a child after many years. She refuses and he gives her a chance to find out his name. • Falling Action:- She sends men to find his name. One is successful. • Resolution/Conclusion: The small man gets angry and stamps and falls through the earth.

24. HERE IS OUR PROMPT EXAMPLE There is a creature from the nearby woods that has been raiding and eating the vegetables in your garden. You have only ever spotted the creature’s shadow as it disappears into nearby woods. You set up a trap to catch the creature. Write an interesting story based on these ideas.

25. STEP 1: THINK OF IDEAS FOR YOUR PLOT OR PLAN Read the prompt carefully and (FOLLOW IT) to produce ideas for your plan. There is a creature from the nearby woods that has been raiding and eating the vegetables in your garden. You have only ever spotted the creature’s shadow as it disappears into nearby woods. You set up a trap to catch the creature. Write an interesting story based on this idea.

26. STEP 1 : LET YOUR BRAIN HAVE A STORM . THINK ABOUT THE PROMPT AND LET THE JUICES FLOW. Jot down all the brilliant ideas, words, descriptions that comes to mind. WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW Large colourful wings unknown creature I free it and we become friends Some sort of fairy Describe it It can talk Apologize and asks for forgiveness Steals because it is hunger Also gives hungry animals food

27. STEP 2:- THINK/RECALL ALL THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE PLOT OR STORY- WHAT YOU SHOULD REMEMBER TO HAVE IN YOUR STORY. • Grabber – start with a question • Characters – parents, me, fairy creatures • Setting- at home, garden, woods • Conflict- garden being destroyed by creature • Climax – traps the creature and see creature • Resolution – release and help creature

28. Asks yourself- Does your story makes sense or is it too farfetched.

29. STEP 3:- MY PLAN • Exposition: hook, characters, describe garden, tended garden, conflict • Rising Action: saw damage, set up trap • Climax – trapped the creature and saw creature • Falling Action: creature begged for mercy, make a deal • Resolution – released and helped creature, friends

30. RISING ACTION EXPOSITION CLIMAX TITLE FOR PROMPT RESOLUTION FALLING ACTION

32. WRITE AN AMAZING ESSAY • Red – Vivid verbs • Orange – Amazing Adjective • Pink – Awesome Adverbs • Blue – Exact Noun • Purple - Figurative Language : Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Idiom, Popular phrases • Dark green - Imagery : Using 5 senses : - Describing: What you see, smell , taste , touch and feel. • Light Green - Transitional Words/Phrase: A few minutes later, Afterwards, Suddenly BE SURE TO INCLUDE: • Description of Characters: • Description of Setting:

33. NOW WRITE A STORY Exposition: characters, describe garden, conflict, tended garden÷ Do you believe in magical creatures? Creatures such as fairies and other mythicalbeings. I sure didn’t until my faithfulencounter on that cool Monday in June of 2020. It was an experience that would change my life forever. I shoved open my back door and stepped outside. The early morning was dark, cool and crisp. The night’s chill was still in the atmosphere and newly-formeddewglistened of the variety of trees and plants in my lovely garden. I took a deep breath and inhaled the freshness of the day and the aroma of vegetables and fruits that emanated from the expanse of land before me. “Let’s get to it. My garden awaits.” I suggested to myself and opened the squeaky wooden gate and stepped into the largeplot of land.

34. I shuffled through the beds of vegetables caressing their leaves and speaking to the plants. Tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, eggplants and rows of other vegetables awaited my attention. I would first weed then water them. They were my precious children who brought me healthy and delicious gems. The sun climbed to the peak of the sky and unfolded its hotrays. Within moments, the darkness was chased away, and everything was bathed in a soft warm glow. That was when I noticed it; bite marks, on the tomatoes of the plant . At the sight, angerbubbled inside me and I exploded, “ Not again!” I shouted. I rummaged throughout the garden examining the plants. More bite marks and stems hanging without fruits or vegetables. The vandals had come again. I raced over to the edge of the garden near the woods and scrutinized the fencing. There were no holes and no cracks. Not even a squirrel could get through. Yet, my garden had been tampered with once more. I shotnarrowed eyes towards the woods. There was a slightmovement of the hedges, then a softrustle of leaves being crunched then a smallshadow disappearing into the darkwoods.

35. I took a deep break and huffed aggressively. “This is the last time,” I spat, “the last time those animals would get away with it!” I strolled to the house shaking from anger and determination with an evilplanbrewing in my mind. I had never seen the animals, but I was going catch them. This would be the last time that they interfered with my garden. “Dad, I need you help!” I cried. He looked up from his plate of sausages and eggs. “What is the matter? Did they get in again?” he responded. “Yes, and I have an idea to get rid of them once and for all.” I added diabolically. Dad and I thendiscussed my plan of wanting to construct a trap and after he finished breakfast, we got started. After seven hours of labour,our traps were completed. Five wooden boxeslay before us. Dad showed me how to set up the woodencrates and how to place the baits under them. We then ensured the tripwires with the bells were secured then headed inside for the rest of the day. All we needed to do now was wait. I chuckled with excitement. Bells jiggling in the wee hours of the morning, the following day told me that my plan was successful. I dove off my bed, slipped my feet in my warm,furrybedroomslippers and scampered down the stairs and out the back door. I grabbed the shovel and a bag from the nearby shed and ventured to check the traps.

36. The first three boxes were empty, the fourth contained a wild hare which I promptlygrabbed and placed in the bag, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw in the last crate. The creature sitting in there was one I had never seen in real life. In fictional books, yes, but never real. These creatures were myths and yet one was right before my eyes. Its body was small , olive-green and quite humanlike. It looked like it could fit in the combinedpalms of my hands. Behind it, clear wings with golden edges flittered back and forth. The eyes were unnaturally huge and quite black. There was two holes for nose and a thin slit for a mouth. My legs were frozen to the spot and only when it spoke, they were brought back to life. “Oh, hmmm, so I guess my luck has run out?” The strange fairy uttered in croaky voice. It then tried to lift the crate, but its strengthfailed. As it looked at me again, I saw the fear brimming behind its darkorbs. “Dad!” the sound came out hoarse at first. “Please don’t!” it cried, “I’ll die! I’ll stop! I’ll never come back! We’re just hungry!” It then began to cry in fear; which was a shrillshriek that felt like it would explode my ear drums. My heart thumped like a jackhammer in my chest. What to do, what to do, I thought. It tried to life the crate again and fail. Had daylight zapped its strength?

37. “Dad! Out here!” still no answer. “Listen human, let’s make a deal. How about you lift this crate off me, allow to take some vegetables from your garden weekly and I get your dad to buy your heart’s desire.” the creature bargained. A PlayStation Station Five, I thought. “Yes!” the creature whispered shaking its head. Was it tricking me? I thought it was worth the risk. I slowly lifted the trap and it flitted from under it and into the air. It grabbed the bag with the bunny, filled it with vegetables and fruit and gayfully zigzagged into the forest with the heavy sack. I didn’t what to do and just stood there watching it go. After the creature was gone, I returned inside to see my dad sound asleep. When he woke up and inquired if I had trapped anything. I told him about the creature but left out the deal we made. Needless to say, he didn’t believe me. Guess what? You wouldn’t believe what happened. Two weeks later, I came home to meet my father installing a brand new Playstation Station Five on the television for me. I was flabbergasted. As for the creature, it shows up ever so often to get his bag of vegetables and fruit for him and his animal friends. When he comes, he always leaves a smiley face drawing on a tomato for me to know he was there.

38. HOW TO PLAN VIDEOS • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr1xLtSMMLo • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy025f_pAiw • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcD6ijirN2g • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAVW3b7E0TI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3RE6js9Agc