My Once Upon a Time, Lesson 3: The Shape of a Story

Lesson 3 — The Shape of a Story

What we learned today:  Personal Narrative Structure: Entry Point (begin in the middle), The Before (context), The Moment (central scene — time slows down), The Turn (something shifts), The After (what is carried forward). Scene = camera slows down. Summary = camera speeds up.

What we practiced:  We read When I Was Young in the Mountains and mapped Saturdays and Teacakes onto the five-part arc. We completed the Story Arc Planning Sheet in bullet points. We then answered five questions to verify our blueprint was structurally sound before drafting begins.

What belongs in your Story Notebook from this lesson:  Completed Story Arc Planning Sheet — your blueprint for the whole story; Five verification questions answered in your Story Notebook

Mentor text used:  When I Was Young in the Mountains; Saturdays and Teacakes

If you missed this class, do this first:  This is one of the two most important lessons. Obtain a blank Story Arc Planning Sheet from your teacher and complete it in bullet points using your photograph and your “So What?” sentence as guides. Then answer the five verification questions in your Story Notebook. If you cannot answer one of the five questions, that part of the arc needs more thinking before you begin drafting. Send a copy of your completed Story Arc Planning Sheet to Ann, Angela, and Lori in the WhatsApp group chat.