Writer's Workshop - Launch Lesson 6
Today we will learn how writers use storytelling to allow their readers to feel as if they are actually in the story rather than just reading about it.
We’ve been learning about ways to focus our writing by narrowing from a broad “watermelon” topic to a specific “seed” story. Next we learned how to “zoom” in on the most important part and tell only about the essential moment of that special time. However there is one more important way that we can focus our writing on the truly important parts and that’s by using the strategy of storytelling.
When you are writing about a special moment and then decide where to zoom in, I’d like you to stretch your thinking even more and imagine yourselves as moviemakers. Let’s think about what happens when a movie is made. When moviemakers work, their job is to capture the action that is happening on the movie set. Using a video camera, they record everything they see and hear the characters do and all the details of the setting. The moviemaker even uses special effects and music to set the mood of the movie, allowing the audience to laugh, cry, or bite their nails in fear. Picture your favorite movie scene in your mind, think of all the details that you “see”!!! When you write I’d like you to imagine that you are the moviemaker and share with your reader not only everything that the characters are doing and saying, but also what they are thinking and feeling.
Qualities of Storytelling:
SEE
HEAR
THINK
FEEL
DO
In this way your reader will feel as if they are in the moment instead of just reading a summary or list of events that happened.
Let's try it. Look at the example and see if we can see how this strategy of storytelling can help improve our writing.
Continue working on your seed story and try this strategy to improve it.