Write your own WOW story

Guest Post by Mary Amato

In my latest book, Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories, the kids in Mrs. Penrose’s classroom get advice from their favorite author about how to write a great story. The author teaches them a simple process that she calls writing a WOW story. 

I developed the idea of the WOW story after reading Aristotle in graduate school. WOW is my easy way of remembering what the wise philosopher had to say about what makes stories work. WOW stories have three parts: a main character who wants something, an obstacle that gets in the way, and a win by the main character at the end. Here’s an example.

Want: A cat wants a saucer of milk.

Obstacle: A dog gets in the way.

Win: The cat sings the dog a lullabye; the dog falls asleep; and the cat wins by getting the milk.

Want to write a WOW story of your own? To write this story, think about what kind of personality traits your cat and dog might have. Is your cat shy or sassy? Is your dog grumpy or mean? Do your characters talk? What do their voices sound like? Think about where the story takes place. Inside a cozy house? In a scary, dark alley? Close your eyes and imagine the story like a little movie in your mind. Then open your eyes and try to write it.

You can also come up with your own ideas for WOW stories.

Make a Wow Book

In Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories, students write WOW stories and make them into books over their spring break. You can make a book, too. You will need sheets of blank paper of any size and a stapler.

Fold a few pages of paper in half so that it looks like a book and staple it twice on the outside along the fold line. (If your paper is wider than 3 inches, you’ll need a long-arm stapler to reach the fold line.)

To make your WOW book have a special look and feel, use one sheet of thicker, colored paper on top for the cover. After you fold it, put black masking tape on the fold to make a decorative reinforcement. Then you can staple it on the outside of your book along the fold line.

 Write your title on the front and your WOW story inside.

BIO: Mary Amato is an award-winning children’s and YA book author, poet, playwright, and songwriter. Her books have been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, produced onstage, and have won the children’s choice awards in Ohio, Minnesota, Utah, and Arizona. She teaches popular workshops on writing and the creative process around the country. Visit her online at www.maryamato.com

THE PROBLEM WITH NO PROBLEMS

guest post by Jodi Moore

When I visit schools, I like to pose a question:

“If a football player runs the ball for 100 yards and scores a touchdown, is that exciting?“

I’m almost always met with a loud, unanimous “YES!”

But then I counter with:  “Is it exciting if there’s no one on the field to stop him or her?”

This picture usually elicits giggles, but the point is made. A game is only exciting if the players have to overcome obstacles.

The same is true of stories. A tale will fall flat if the main character doesn’t face problems. The more, the merrier! We want to cheer our players – and our characters – on to victory.

“If, Then” stories, like Laura Numeroff’s If You Give A Mouse A Cookie and its wonderful corresponding series, as well as my own When A Dragon Moves In and its sequel When A Dragon Moves In Again, can be used to illustrate how tension works in stories. In my debut picture book, the main human character is faced with convincing his family that his magnificent new dragon friend is real; in the second, he and Dragon must deal with the newest little addition to the family – a baby!

After a reading, ask students the following questions: Who is the main character(s)? What does that character want? What problems stand in his/her way?

Writing Exercise: Ask your students to write an “If, Then” story. Have them answer the questions above with respect to their own work. Challenge them to create three elements of conflict as the story unfolds, each one ramping up the tension (and excitement!), before resolving the problem.

Author bio: Jodi Moore is author of the award winning When A Dragon Moves In (Flashlight Press, 2011), its newly released sequel, When A Dragon Moves In Again (Flashlight Press, 2015) and Good News Nelson (Story Pie Press, 2012). Jodi is the proud, (admittedly) neurotic mother of two talented young adults and never ceases to be amazed at how far the umbilical cord will stretch. She loves connecting with readers through school and book events. Jodi lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Larry, and an ever-changing bunch of characters in her head. Visit her website: www.writerjodimoore.com

Writing Nonfiction--Look for the Superstar Moment

Guest Post by Moira Rose Donohue

Sometimes it can be hard for students to read nonfiction—and even harder to write it.  But nonfiction can be fun to both read and write if the author strives for the “superstar moment.”

I have written a number of educational biographies and two books for National Geographic that tell amazing but true animal stories.  And I have learned a simple, but helpful, lesson. After I finish my research, I identify the rock star moment.  Then I draft a general outline, making sure that somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters of the way through the book, I will hit that big moment. 

For example, if I am writing about Vasco Núñez de Balboa, I need to make sure that his superstar moment—being the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the New World—is the climax of the story.  Likewise, if I am writing about a kangaroo that rescues his injured owner, that has to happen towards the end of the story.  And if I am telling you about my summer vacation, I need to build up to the best part of it—the day I learned to swim alone.

This may sound a bit simplistic, but it’s a rule that gets easily forgotten when pencil hits paper.  Why?  Most nonfiction writers have learned a tremendous amount about the subject of their report or book.  They want to share it, so they cram in all kinds of data and lose the sense of story and climax that holds the reader’s interest.  That means that bits of information, even really fun ones like a dramatic fight with another explorer over a girl, have to be jettisoned if they don’t advance the story towards the superstar moment.

Next time you assign a biography writing project, or even a “What I Did This Summer” essay, remind your young writers to identify the “superstar moment” and edit their stories so that they take the reader up the mountain to superstardom.  Hopefully that will put them on the road to superstar writing.

BIO: Moira Rose Donohue is the author of Parrot Genius from National Geographic; 13 biographies from State Standards Publishing; and Alfie the Apostrophe and Penny and the Punctuation Bee from Albert Whitman.  Coming soon-- another explorer biography (de Soto) and Kangaroo to the Rescue from National Geographic in Spring, 2015!

WHAT IF? and WHAT ELSE?: Helping Young Writers Expand Their Stories

by Jacqueline Jules

What if your character was pursued by a wolf? How could she save herself?

What else could you add to make the reader feel your main character’s fear?

“What if?” and “What else?” These two short questions can help young writers get into the habit of expanding and resolving their fiction stories. Post them with a cute graphic and remind your budding writers to brainstorm throughout the creation of their stories, particularly when they find themselves stuck in the middle. Young writers are often unable to end their stories because their main character doesn’t have a problem to solve. Asking WHAT IF—the character wanted something, the character was afraid of something, the character was in danger, etc.—naturally leads to a problem in need of resolution.

The question WHAT ELSE? opens the conversation about adding details.

A great picture book for modeling this process is The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch. In this book, Henrietta, a book-loving chicken, writes a story with the help of her three chicken aunts. Together, they brainstorm an adventure entitled, “The Perils of Maxine,” about a hen who ventures into the woods and is pursued by a wolf. Henrietta follows a set of “Writing Rules” which includes the very wise advice of developing your plot by asking the question, “What if?”

After reading The Plot Chickens with several groups of students, I’ve had a humorous frame of reference for asking the question “What if?” during writing conferences. Brainstorming should never be restricted to pre-writing. It is an essential part of plot and character development and the best way to move a stalled story forward. Questions fuel stories like gasoline powers cars. Help your students keep their pencils moving by asking “What if?” and “What else?”  

http://www.jacquelinejules.com/