As I travel around visiting schools to teach poetry and story writing, I often meet teachers who want to write for kids. I like to read the stories or poems these teachers are working on and give whatever helpful advice I can.
Now, though, I will expand this practice and, after reading and discussing the teacher's work, I will send them to an excellent blog. Margot Finke is an Aussie living in Oregan and writing children's books. Teachers, check her out at http://margotfinke.blogspot.com/ .
Click on her "Musings" column for lively and realistic insights into writing for kids. Also, follow her links to look at her books, learn about her school visits, and get lots and lots of ideas for classroom activities.
Kids, you'll find lots to like at the site, too. I especially enjoyed the "Kids Do Ecology" pages.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Climax: The Turning Point
Usually the Most Exciting Part of the Story
This is where your character must dig deep inside herself/himself to find the courage or cleverness to solve the problem—or at least learn to live with it.
99.97% of the time (well, most of the time, anyway) this is a Scene. It happens right smack, dab before the end of the story.
Remember what you need for a Scene:
1) One small place
2) Other Characters for Dialogue and Action
3) A Feeling Word to Show and Not Tell
Jack ran and ran, the bag of gold tucked under his arm like a football.
“Ahma gonna git yer!” yelled the giant as he chased Jack out of the castle gate. “Ahma gonna make ye a ham sanditch, jest lak Ah did wit yer daddy!”
Jack began sliding down the beanstalk, reaching inside his pants pocket for his cell phone. He could smell the giant’s filthy bare feet and garlicy breath. The giant’s feet came closer and closer as Jack fumbled with his cell phone. He could see the long, yellow toenails curling over the ends of the giant’s toes. He pressed speed dial on the phone. “Come on, come on!” he nervously whispered as he continued sliding down the beanstalk.
“Hello,” his mother’s voice said at the other end of the phone.
“Mom!” Jack nearly screamed into the phone, “bring the axe to the bottom of that stalk in the back yard!”
“I beg your pardon, young man,” came her not-so-pleased answer. “I’ve told you before not to yell into the phone. Now. What can I do for you?”
Jack could smell the giant’s smelly body odor. He repeated—much more politely—his request that his mother bring the axe. But when he got there, she had brought that awful chain saw he always had trouble starting.
The giant roared with laughter as Jack struggled to start the saw, but he did get it going, and sawed the beanstalk down. It crashed to the ground, sending the giant hopping to the emergency room with a broken ankle.
“Oh, me goodness!” he yelled. “That’s the one I twisted playing tennis last week! Oh, me! Oh, my!”
Your challenge: Write an exciting scene in which your character tries to solve his or her problem.
Back to www.kidswrite4kids.com
This is where your character must dig deep inside herself/himself to find the courage or cleverness to solve the problem—or at least learn to live with it.
99.97% of the time (well, most of the time, anyway) this is a Scene. It happens right smack, dab before the end of the story.
Remember what you need for a Scene:
1) One small place
2) Other Characters for Dialogue and Action
3) A Feeling Word to Show and Not Tell
Jack ran and ran, the bag of gold tucked under his arm like a football.
“Ahma gonna git yer!” yelled the giant as he chased Jack out of the castle gate. “Ahma gonna make ye a ham sanditch, jest lak Ah did wit yer daddy!”
Jack began sliding down the beanstalk, reaching inside his pants pocket for his cell phone. He could smell the giant’s filthy bare feet and garlicy breath. The giant’s feet came closer and closer as Jack fumbled with his cell phone. He could see the long, yellow toenails curling over the ends of the giant’s toes. He pressed speed dial on the phone. “Come on, come on!” he nervously whispered as he continued sliding down the beanstalk.
“Hello,” his mother’s voice said at the other end of the phone.
“Mom!” Jack nearly screamed into the phone, “bring the axe to the bottom of that stalk in the back yard!”
“I beg your pardon, young man,” came her not-so-pleased answer. “I’ve told you before not to yell into the phone. Now. What can I do for you?”
Jack could smell the giant’s smelly body odor. He repeated—much more politely—his request that his mother bring the axe. But when he got there, she had brought that awful chain saw he always had trouble starting.
The giant roared with laughter as Jack struggled to start the saw, but he did get it going, and sawed the beanstalk down. It crashed to the ground, sending the giant hopping to the emergency room with a broken ankle.
“Oh, me goodness!” he yelled. “That’s the one I twisted playing tennis last week! Oh, me! Oh, my!”
Your challenge: Write an exciting scene in which your character tries to solve his or her problem.
Back to www.kidswrite4kids.com
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