OBJECTIVE
Students will identify features of a story in order to generate topics for a good story.

Another Word for Your Glossary of Literary Terms
• Simile: Comparison using “like” or “as”. Similes allow things to remain distinct in spite of their similarities. Examples: “arms feeling like braille”; “teeth chattered like a cup of crooked dice”; “girls who had been friendly, blew away like loose flowers”

IN-CLASS WRITING ASSIGNMENT
• In your “Writing Explorations” section: Describe an object or a place WITHOUT telling us what it is.
• Name it: “Features of a Great Story”
• When you finish, return and describe your object or place using similes for words like a lot, fat, pretty, beautiful, long, skinny, fat.

BEFORE EXAMPLE
Her hair was long and her legs were fat. That’s why they called her Pumpkin because of her legs. But it was her face that really made people pay attention. Her eyes were dark brown. Her lips were pretty.

AFTER EXAMPLE
Her hair was long like the Nile River and her legs her fat like a pumpkin. That’s why they called her Pumpkin because of her legs. But it was her face that really made people pay attention. Her eyes were like two dark brown almonds roasted to perfection. Her lips were like rose petals and it was as if God himself made her eyelashes.

FEATURES OF A GOOD STORY

My different mods all came up with different ideas about what makes a good story. While there were many consistencies, there were also a lot of different (and unique) opinions on what makes a story dynamite! Here are some of them:
• Gets your attention right away.
• Keeps you in suspense.
• Uses words that makes the story seem real.
• Situation and/or characters are real.
• Characters talk like real people.
• Story is funny.
• Good description.
• Good action!
• Great ending.
• The ending resolves all of the action and is final.
• Makes you think!
• Good descriptions that help you visualize.
• The settings are anywhere in the world (or not)
• Lots of drama (people arguing, fighting)

THINK ABOUT IT
•What are your favorite features of a good story? Why?
•Do you see yourself developing as a writer? Why or why not?