The EOC and the Literary Narrative

1. The EOC and the Literary Narrative The EOC asks you to write a completely made up story. ·a made up story with characters, conflict, setting, theme ·a made up story best told by a 3rd person narrator ·a made up story that takes place in about five minutes of time (or less)

2. The EOC Story Writing ·The prompt always has the word "story" in the task. ·If the word "story" is in the prompt, you have to write a story. --This story has to be completely made up. --And it has to address the prompt. --Finally, no drugs, no drunks, no death.

3. What the Prompt Looks Like It has a picture. You don't write anything about the picture. Just ignore it! Write a story about a turning point. Be sure that your story is focused and complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters. Then it has the task. If it says "story", you write a story with a plot, some characters, a conflict, a setting - a completely made up story.

4. Prompt Word Practice A "prompt word" is the word in the prompt that indicates the controlling idea of the story. It becomes the focus around which you craft your story. Here are some EOC story prompts. Find the "prompt word" in each. Most people mess this one up by writing a personal narrative. It is better to write a made up story than a narrative. Write a story about making a decision. Be sure that your story is focused and complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters. Most people didn't know what a "turning point" was. Write a story about a turning point. Be sure that your story is focused and complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters. Write a story about a challenge. Be sure that your story is focused and complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters. Most people wrote too long a story on this one. Remember: It must be about 5 minutes of time - no longer. Write a story about the power of imagination. Be sure that your story is focused and complete and that it has an interesting plot and engaging characters. This one really messed people up last year. People made the mistake of telling how powerful imagination is rather than writing a completely made up story. WRITE A STORY MEANS WRITE A STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. What would the prompt be for the following? http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0316067954/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

6. How to beat the Machine Every EOC story has certain "markers" that make it earn extra points. 1) This story must take place in about 5 minutes of time (like you've come in in the middle of a scene from a TV show). 2) You must use the "prompt word" in the first and last paragraphs. 3) You must use active verbs (stick with one tense). 4) Every noun must have a describer (write to create a picture in the reader's head. 5) Must use 4 different kinds of sentence structures (think "bicycle sentence"). 6) Must have dialogue, at least 2 lines, punctuated correctly 7) An interesting ending is highly recommended. 8) The first sentence must mention the character, the setting, and must hint at the conflict. It must have an unusual sentence structure.

7. Here's how to build this completely made up story (each square is a paragraph): You need to memorize what goes in each square! a moment when the characters try (unsuccess- fully to deal with the problem how the characters solve it or deal with it a moment involving a character a moment when a problem is faced

8. How to beat the Machine Every EOC story has certain "markers" that make it earn extra points. 1) This story must take place in about 5 minutes of time (like you've come in in the middle of a scene from a TV show). 2) You must use the "prompt word" in the first and last paragraphs. 3) You must use active verbs (stick with one tense). 4) Every noun must have a describer (write to create a picture in the reader's head. 5) Must use 4 different kinds of sentence structures (think "bicycle sentence"). 6) Must have dialogue, at least 2 lines, punctuated correctly 7) Must have 3-5 big boy words. 8) The first sentence must mention the character, the setting, and must hint at the conflict. It must have an unusual sentence structure.

9. a moment involving This paragraph must a character mention the prompt word This story has a one-sentence exposition - Include the setting, a character, and hint at the problem in this first sentence. Shocked and dismayed, Caleb sat astride the high castle wall staring at the remains of the burnt village. "I can't believe this happened again," he thought glumly as he turned to climb down the rope ladder. Everything he had created to stop the dragons, to keep this from happening, had failed. He needed his luck to change. Caleb knew he would always remember what happened next as a turning point in his life. Notice that the protagonist is "airdropped" into the story. This story focuses on a slice of time.

10. How to beat the Machine Every EOC story has certain "markers" that earn the student extra points. 1) This story must take place in about 5 minutes of time (like you've come in in the middle of a scene from a TV show). 2) You must use the "prompt word" in the first and last paragraphs. 3) You must use active verbs (stick with one tense). 4) Every noun must have a describer (write to create a picture in the reader's head. 5) Must use 4 different kinds of sentence structures (think "bicycle sentence"). 6) Must have dialogue, at least 2 lines, punctuated correctly 7) Must have 3-5 "big boy" words. (Use the thesaurus!) 8) The first sentence must mention the character, the setting, and must hint at the conflict. It must have an unusual sentence structure.

11. a moment when a problem is faced He quit trying to climb and slid rapidly down the rest of the scratchy rope ladder, burning the skin from his palms. Paralyzed with fright, his best friend, Ian, stood at the bottom of the ladder, pressed flat against the castle wall. "The dragon!" Ian whimpered. "Yes, the dragon!" Caleb responded through gritted teeth. Caleb grabbed Ian's arm and sprinted across the flaming courtyard to the giant crossbow he had built for just this purpose.

12. a moment when the characters try (unsuccess- fully) to deal with the problem Make sure this has varied sentence structure and action verbs.(How would you change some of these sentences to add variety to the sentence structure?) Every noun must have a describer. "Help me load!" Ian helped him lift the heavy pine tree, stripped of branches and sharpened at one end; they put it in place on the huge bow. While Ian cranked the crosspiece into place, Caleb took aim, fired - and missed. Caleb turned and stared helplessly at Ian. Defeated and weary, Ian shrugged. Caleb cast about desperately for something, anything. Flames exploded around him as the dragon wheeled and turned for another pass.

13. how the characters solve it or deal with it The prompt word must be mentioned in the end! Then Caleb remembered He was chewing Dentyne Ice. Quickly, he pulled his slingshot from his back pocket, fitted the piece of gum into the pouch and let fly into the dragon's open maw. The dragon choked, sputtered, and went down in a puff of smoke. Caleb looked back, and Ian stared at him in disbelief. The villagers came out from hiding and hoisted Caleb onto their shoulders. No longer was he the town failure; he was the town hero. Smiling and laughing, he basked in the knowledge that his life had reached a turning point.