Caro Clarke
The Art of the Unspoken: Saying More by Describing Less
This is the thirteenth article in a series that was developed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how good descriptions aren't necessarily connected with a lot of words, good descriptions are clean and to the point.
Caro Clarke
Historical Fiction: Who Rules?
This is the fifteenth article in a series designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on the genre of historical fiction and the role of the author. Is the author a researcher or a story-teller?
Caro Clarke
Rewriting
This is the 17th article in a series that helps the new fiction author with the final step--revision.
Other
National Novel Writing Month
Here's an interesting creative writing challenge. Write a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. NaNoWriMo has been orchestrating this challenge for several years now and the site has plenty of directions on the process,...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Characterization
This slideshow focuses on characterization including defining and discussing the 5 methods of characterizations: speech, action, description, interaction, and thoughts with examples of each. It also covers the importance of...
Other
Fiction Writing Tips: Creating a Vivid Setting
Some excellent guidelines to consider when evaluating your setting in a short story or novel. Discusses the importance of setting, some examples, as well as practical advice in setting your story. W.11-12.3d Sensory/precise lang narratives
Caro Clarke
Caro Clarke: Description: What's It For?
This is the twelfth article in a series that is designed to help the new novel writer. This article focuses on how to effectively use descriptions in any writing.
Other
Elements of Fiction
Simple discussion of the elements of fiction with a specific section devoted to Freytag's Pyramid (aka "basic plot structure"). A good place to start for gathering information on the structure of narrative.
Caro Clarke
Writing Advice: Where to Start?
This writing tutorial focuses on helping the aspiring author find a good place to start on his or her fiction.
Caro Clarke
Caro Clarke: Pacing Anxiety, or How to Stop Padding and Plot!
This is the seventh installment of a series giving advice to the author who is new to writing novels. This article focuses on how to take your characters and use them and their conflicts to develop the plot of your story. W.9-10.3b...
Caro Clarke
Caroclarke: Dialogue: The Best Action
This is the fourteenth article in a series published with the goal of helping the new novel author. This article focuses on using dialogue to advance the action of the story. Links on the left offer other information about story writing.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Making Connections to Myth and Folktale
Excellent online lesson based on N. Scott Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain. Students create a three-voice narrative based on the novel in studying and learning about myths and folktales. W.9-10.3a,3b,3d,3e Narratives, W.9-10.5 Writing...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: High School Personal Narrative Example
This two-page essay provides an example of a personal narrative (Click on View Printable Version). Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Leads for a Most Embarrassing Moment Narrative
Inspired by the embarrassing situation Byron finds himself in during chapter 1 of Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, students will think of their own embarrassing moments they might write about. Using the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Inventing a New Word
Inspired by the main character's actions in Frindle by Andrew Clements, students will be asked to reinvent an everyday object with a brand new word. They will need to imagine a character has reinvented their word, and then they will...
Caro Clarke
Describing Your Characters Through Their Actions
This is the tenth in a series of articles designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on how to develop characters through their actions instead of simply relying on dialogue and description of thoughts. W.11-12.3d...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Writing Narratives
Notes, a PowerPoint presentation, two videos, a song, an exercise, and a game help students to understand how to write a narrative. Elements of a narrative as well as the use of figurative language and sensory images are introduced and...
Other
Storytelling in the Classroom
There are several steps to becoming a storyteller. Find out what they are and be on your way to becoming a storyteller here! Learn how to find good stories to tell, and how to tell them to an audience effectively.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Boundless Communications: Using Life Experience (Narrative)
This lesson focuses on using narratives or stories in speeches. It discusses the importance of stories, the power of storytelling, and how and when to use stories in speeches.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Reading and Interpreting Literary Texts: How to Analyze a Short Story
This lesson focuses on analyzing a short story including all of the elements of a short story such as setting, plot and structure, and characterization.
Literacy Head
Literacyhead: Writing Prompts: Images to Give Writers Ideas
Narrative images to encourage writers to write by exploring the themes and details of the art works.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Mechanical Monsters
In this lesson, students read the description of the mechanical dog from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and then work in groups to create and write descriptions of their own futuristic pet.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Isolated Scenes and Plot Support (English Ii Reading)
Analyze various scenes in several works of fiction to see how those scenes affect the plot as a whole.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Teaching: Prewriting and Planning Personal Narratives
This lesson focuses on prewriting and planning a personal narrative. The information can be used in all types of writing. It discusses brainstorming ideas, narrowing the focus, and developing the central idea. W.9-10.5 Writing Process,...