Writing Workshop
BUILDING STORY CHARACTERS
Kids: How to Write Stories
Teachers: Preparing for the Writing Workshop
Feedback on the workshop from Teachers & Children
Read my writing:
April - A short story about a 12 year-old girl bullied by her friend, and how she gets revenge
Fun in Moominland - a story I wrote when I was 8, based on the stories by Tove Jannson
Information on my children's novels:
Reviewers Needed for Marathon
I would like to quote reviews from teachers and children on my publicity, so if you read the book and have comments please email them to me at tnorth67@hotmail.com.
Send me your children's stories and I will post them on my website. Click the link above to read the stories.
Convincing and memorable characters are essential to a good story. What makes one character seem to breathe, and another to flop lifelessly on the page?
In this workshop for Year 4-6, children will learn how to create and write good story characters. The workshop lasts half a day and takes place on your classroom. At present a minimum of two sessions must be booked for the same day, for two classes.
The cost is £75 per session, £149 per day.
Each child will also receive a colour bookmark with one of 10 story characters.
National Curriculum Targets Covered
Year 3: writing portraits of characters; discuss characters’ feelings, behaviour and relationships.
Year 4: investigate how characters are built up from small details; identify main characteristics of key characters; writing character sketches; how settings affect characters’ behaviour; describing attitudes and emotions.
Year 5: how characters are presented through dialogue, action, description; viewpoint of different characters; taking perspective of another character; maintain consistency of character in writing.
Year 6: plan characters.
All children must be able to read and write, although with the help of classroom assistants lower ability children will also benefit. The lesson is too difficult for most Year 3s, however.
Plan of the Workshop
1. Introduction: what story characters do the children like? What makes a good character?
2. Creating characters, by filling in a table of
traits, such as age, sex, appearance, personality, likes and
dislikes, history, and quirks. We first create one well-known
character (real or fictional) together then the children will each create
their own.
3. Taking the perspective of the character in a particular situation - imagining his or her feelings, speech, and actions.
4. How well-known authors (e.g. A.A. Milne, J.Wilson)
depict character, using
description, action, speech, thoughts, and using
the principle ‘show, don’t tell’.
5. Writing the character into a scene. I will give on-the-spot advice as children write a mini-story as an exercise in depicting character.
6. If time allows some children will read their stories and the class will give constructive feedback.
7. I will read chapter 1 of my novel, The King Herself, and the class will discuss the characters. I will finally answer any questions the children may have.
To book the workshop contact me at: tnorth67@hotmail.com, or call 0161 438 6634, or 07754 406422
