Agenda / Notes: Writer’s Workshop, T.H. Rogers
1|Page
Ms. Hendricks
August 14, 2014
*Parts of these notes are derived verbatim from What’s Your Story: A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction by
Marion Dane Bauer (NY: Clarion Books, 1992). Passages verbatim from this text are marked by attribution in the
form of page number citations.
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Introduction to Scholastic Writing Competition – (10 min.) 9:00 a.m.-9:10 a.m.
Brainstorming (Step I. of Storywriting): Imagine a character who faces a problem. (You can
take an ordinary scenario and imagine “What If.”) Silently brainstorm at least six scenarios
(you may list). (5 min.) 9:10-9:15 a.m.
o What if…a girl (boy) like me were kidnapped by space invaders? (14).
o What if…a big, burly policeman were afraid of dogs, even little ones, the way I am?
(14).
o What if…my father had not found me that time I got lost in the department store?
(14).
Whole group share out of ideas –analysis of patterns / themes (15 min.) 9:15-9:30 a.m.
Focusing Initial Brainstorming – (10 min.) 9:30-9:40 a.m.
o Apply these criteria to your scenarios: 1) Your character must be able to solve the
problem largely on his/her own. Example: If someone else has to solve the problem,
then the story belongs to that other person. A boy who wants to be on the school
baseball team had better be able to make it on his own (or decide for himself that he
would rather do something else). If his father must talk the coach into giving the boy a
chance, then it is really the father’s story. He is the one struggling to resolve the
problem (9).
 CROSS OUT or modify (mark with a star) any brainstorming ideas where the
main character is unable to solve his/her problem largely on his/her own.
o 2) Your character should have to struggle to solve his / her problem. Consider the
following scenarios: A) There was a girl who wanted to have a slumber party, but she
was afraid her pesky younger brother would ruin it. So, she decided to have her party
at a friend’s house instead (10-11). B) There was a chimp who fell in love with an
alligator. She went to the alligator and said, “Will you marry me?” The alligator said he
would and the two lived happily ever after (11).
 CROSS OUT or modify (mark with a star) any brainstorming ideas that do not
require a real struggle.
Expand Your Ideas - Think about what story idea appeals to you the most. Draw and/or draft
ideas for your main character and his/her struggle /journey with his/her problem. (10 min.)
9:40-9:50 a.m.
Artistic Envisioning – Think about your character / story problem. Walk around the tables and
look at the images. Walk around again. At the signal, pick up an image that connects to your
story in some way. (5 min.) 9:50-9:55 a.m.
Sharing of Images / Connection Making (15 min.) 9:55-10:05 a.m.
15 Minute Break 10:05-10:20 a.m.
Introduction to The Magic of Three (8 min.) 10:20-10:28
Agenda / Notes: Writer’s Workshop, T.H. Rogers
2|Page
Ms. Hendricks
August 14, 2014
*Parts of these notes are derived verbatim from What’s Your Story: A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction by
Marion Dane Bauer (NY: Clarion Books, 1992). Passages verbatim from this text are marked by attribution in the
form of page number citations.
o
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(48-49) – A chimp falls in love with an alligator. The problem is that the alligator isn’t
in love with the chimp. Perhaps he doesn’t know she exists.
1. So first the chimp sneaks up and leaves a bouquet of flowers. The alligator, not
knowing what the flowers are for, eats them.
2. Next she decides that the poor alligator is hungry. So she brings bananas. The
alligator tromps them into the mud.
3. Finally, she presents herself, declaring her love. And the alligator, seeing her at last,
falls in love, too.
OR 3. The chimp declares her love, and the alligator tries to eat her. So the chimp
changes her mind. She goes to visit another chimp instead (probably one who had
been courting her in the beginning of the story), carrying both flowers and bananas.
(In this case you have a circular rather than a linear story).
Consider your story. The action / plot of your story should build (each attempt toward the goal
must be stronger, more difficult to make, or more important than the one before). That’s how
you build story tension.
Using the “magic of three,” create your story arc (20 min.) 10:28-10:48
Example:
Problem: Jackie wants to run a 5K that the popular kids at her school will be running BUT is
often bullied by her peers.
Attempt #1: Jackie uses her parents’ treadmill machine to train. (She is getting ready for the
race, but does not have to face her peers.)
Attempt #2: Jackie jogs around her neighborhood. A girl from school laughs at her, but Jackie
ignores her and continues her run.
Attempt #3 + Lesson Learned: Jackie runs the race. Some of the popular girls laugh at her, but
others (impressed by Jackie’s courage) do not. Jackie realizes that in life there are always
detractors, and that you cannot allow them to derail you from your dreams.
Character change from beginning to end: Jackie changes from fearful to self-confident.
Microlab Protocol (10 min.) 10:48-10:58
STEP ONE. Choose a partner close-by. Person #1: Read your story arc from beginning to end.
(approx. 2 min.) If you have any remaining time, elaborate on any aspect of your story. Person
#2: may not talk at all.
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
(approx. 1 min.) STEP TWO. Person #2 comments on the story idea (no negative comments). Ask
questions of the author. Examples: I am wondering how Jenny will solve her problem. Could you
explain to me more about the significance of the sunrise? Person #1 may not talk at all.
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
Agenda / Notes: Writer’s Workshop, T.H. Rogers
3|Page
Ms. Hendricks
August 14, 2014
*Parts of these notes are derived verbatim from What’s Your Story: A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction by
Marion Dane Bauer (NY: Clarion Books, 1992). Passages verbatim from this text are marked by attribution in the
form of page number citations.
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(approx. 2 min.) STEP THREE. Person #1 responds to Person #2. Person #2 may talk to offer
advice on Person #1’s story ideas, but Person #1 has speaking priority
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
SWITCH
STEP ONE. Person #2: Read your story arc from beginning to end. (approx. 2 min.) If you have
any remaining time, elaborate on any aspect of your story. Person #1: may not talk at all.
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
(approx. 1 min.) STEP TWO. Person #1 comments on the story idea (no negative comments). Ask
questions of the author. Examples: I am wondering how Jenny will solve her problem. Could you
explain to me more about the significance of the sunrise? Person #2 may not talk at all.
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
(approx. 2 min.) STEP THREE. Person #2 responds to Person #1. Person #2 may talk to offer
advice on Person #1’s story ideas, but Person #2 has speaking priority
approx. 10 sec. of reflection time
Whole Group Reflection (8 min.) 10:58-11:06: 1. What did you notice about the discussion,
listening, and reflective periods? What types of questions were posed? Are you thinking about
your story any differently after this activity?
Narrative Hooks (70-72) (24 min.) 11:06-11:30
o The beginning of your story has one primary job: to capture your readers’ attention so
they will want to go on reading. A narrative hook will do this for you. It will grab your
readers and pull them into your story. What is a narrative hook? Your story problem.
o Reveal your main character’s problem (at least a strong hint of it) in the first paragraph,
even the first sentence, and you will catch your readers’ attention. Always keep that
problem up front, and they will keep on reading.
o Occasionally, there is some reason why the real problem of your story can’t begin until
later. Then you will need to begin with a minor problem which will lead to the main one.
o Open with dialogue, even an argument that lays out the story problem. Or open with
strong action – the main character doing something, or someone else doing something
to him.
o Reading of pp. 70-72
o Writing of Narrative Hooks
o Sharing of Narrative Hooks
Lunch 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Sensory Imagery
o Introduction to Visual and Olfactory Imagery + Annotation of Example (10 min.) 12:1512:25 p.m.
Agenda / Notes: Writer’s Workshop, T.H. Rogers
4|Page
Ms. Hendricks
August 14, 2014
*Parts of these notes are derived verbatim from What’s Your Story: A Young Person’s Guide to Writing Fiction by
Marion Dane Bauer (NY: Clarion Books, 1992). Passages verbatim from this text are marked by attribution in the
form of page number citations.
o
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Label your paper Attempt #1: Write a paragraph of least eight sentences describing
Attempt #1 in your story utilizing visual and olfactory imagery. (10 min.) 12:25-12:35
o Share Out (10 min.): 12:35-12:45
o Introduction to Auditory Imagery – listen and/or listen while jotting down any notes
about what you hear (10 min.) 12:45-12:55
Team narrative 1-3 sentences auditory imagery (5 min.) 12:55-1:00
o Groups share out auditory imagery narratives (10 min.) 1:00-1:10
o Introduction to Tactile Imagery / Annotation (5 min.) 1:10-1:15
o Label your paper Attempt #2: Write a paragraph of least eight sentences describing
Attempt #2 incorporating tactile imagery. (10 min.) 1:15-1:25
o Share Out (10 min.): 1:25-1:35
o Introduction to Gustatory Imagery (5 min.) 1:35-1:40
o Gustatory Imagery Quickwrite (5 min.) 1:40-1:45
Dialogue (80-82) (1:45-2:00 p.m.) (15 min.)
o Dialogue gives the reader information. “I know I’m supposed to like to hunt,” the cat
said, “but the truth is I find the practice quite disgusting. I nibbled a mouse’s tail once,
but it tasted like rubber bands.”
o Dialogue reveals character. Jason turned around, clenching his fists. “You gonna make
me? You and who else.”
o Dialogue moves the story forward. “There’s gold out there. I know there is. And I’m the
one who’s going to find it first.”
o Punctuating Conversation
Every time a new person speaks, even if the last has said nothing more than, “Oh!” begin a new
paragraph. That way, the paragraphing lets the reader know to expect a new voice.
“What is your name?”
“Jennifer Bradley.”
“Could you possibly be related to the Bradleys who own the big department store downtown?”
Separate the dialogue from the tag (the he or she said that identifies the speaker) with a comma, not a
period. Use a question mark or exclamation mark when it is needed.
“Tom Bradley is my uncle,” she said.
“Do you know Tom Bradley?” she asked.
“Tom Bradley!” she exclaimed.
She said, “Tom Bradley is my uncle.”
“Tom Bradley is my uncle,” she said, “my father’s brother.”
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Develop a rough draft of a short story 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (1 hr.)