Passion for Fiction invites students to work on the elements of fiction using specific exercises to grow in their craft. Students study setting, character development, dialogue, plot, and description separately, building skills in these areas to grow fiction-writing prowess.
While writing an entire story is not the focus of this class, students emerge with firm methodology to approach the structuring and writing of original works of fiction. Once a student understands the elements of fiction, that writer becomes a more effective storyteller in each subsequent writing experience.
This class also offers a writer’s workshop experience where students can post excerpts and offer commentary on original pieces of writing.
Syllabus
Week One
Students begin reflecting on goals and experiences as writers. They’ll practice freewriting, the essential tool used across the four weeks to explore different aspects of fiction writing.
Week Two
Vivid description of people (specifically names, bodies, and other character-creation details), scenery, and buildings takes center stage this week. Students implement strong writing craft to write about a memory.
Week Three
Students use freewriting and notebooking to delve into two elements of strong fiction writing: innovative use of language and authentic dialogue.
Week Four
Plot is king in any good fiction story, and this week will focus on that all-important story arc. Students use the structure of action-background-development-climax-ending (ABDCE) to structure an original story.
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Character
- Description
- Dialogue
- Notebooking
- Plot
- Sequencing
- Setting
- Story arc
- Theme
- Vivid detail
- Vocabulary development
- Writing craft
- Writer’s workshop
- Writing voice
Core Skills
- Describe setting and characters with vivid detail
- Engage in narrative writing to bring a memory to life
- Organize a writing notebook to capture names, body features, scenery, words, memories, and dialogue from observations of the everyday environment
- Reflect and apply metacognitive understanding of the writer’s journey
- Revise writing for clarity, flow, order, interest, and economy of language
- Study narrative arc: action, background, development, climax, resolution
- Utilize distinct writer’s voice
- Utilize dialogue to convey character
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
