How to Fix a Broken Story

Presented by© Jeni Mawter

www.literaturelive.net

What is a story?

Story = what characters do

(action)

+ in a place (setting)

+ at some time (event).

What must a story have?

A character (s)

A plot

A broken story

How is this story broken? Think about …1) character2) opening3) action or plot4) ending

Characters can be people or animals. What story has a character like this?

Other Types of Characters Anthropomorphic

Mythological

Other Types of Characters Science Fiction

Fantasy

We have to care about characters Characters have human thoughts,

wants and feelings.What character don’t you care about?

Why?

Characters must want something

What might these characters want?

Characters go on a journeyCharacters change through the course

of the story. Does the character have to change?

Yes!

Change means:Emotional Psychological Physical Intellectual

Plot

Plot is the action of the story.

Things happen.

Things must go wrong.

Plot continued …What complications can arise?

Stories have beginnings, middles and endings

Beginnings must hook the reader.

 Middles cannot be boring.

Endings cannot be predictable.

How can we fix character?

What does the

character

want the

most?

Character ProfileName:Age:Family: Friends: Personality:Likes and

dislikes: Fears:Secret:

How can we fix the opening?Start with action or a problem.

Unusual or interesting.

No clichés or expected openings.

Opening Sentence Hook your reader. Write an interesting opening sentence.

How can we fix the plot?What does the character want?What is stopping him/her from

getting it?

See ‘What if?’ in Activity Pack

How can we fix the ending?No clichés.

The ending must make sense with

the story.

Summary: To fix a broken storyCharacter - Care? - Want something? 

Opening- Hook?- Start with action or problem?

Summary: To fix a broken storyPlot- Boring?- What stops the character? 

Ending- Clichéd or predictable?- Not relevant to the story.

Questions

www.literaturelive.net