by Bruce Cabell
Teacher/Author/Creator
Writing Tip #5- Fiction: Action Packed Middles
Now it's time to show your children how to write the story’s middle. The middle is the longest and it includes three or more events. It's where the action begins and has many specific details. Please be aware that children have difficulty with this part of the story! Make sure you… MODEL, MODEL, MODEL!
When you begin to write the middle, break it down into separate events. As you write each event, include the following ideas:
Event 1- Where the characters go, what the characters do, what the characters think or say, continue the character's problem, and include action verbs.
Event 2- Where the characters go, what the characters see, continue the character's problem, add a character’s feeling, include a simile, and incorporate adverbs and adjectives to paint a mental image.
Event 3- Where the characters go, how the characters act, continue the character's problem, add humor or suspense, and include sensory words/details that can be seen, heard, smelled, felt, or tasted.
Note: Based on your child's writing skills, you can simplify or modify the events above. Additionally, bear in mind that each event DOES NOT have to be followed as I suggested. Children can and should use their own ideas as they write too. This is only a guide.
REMEMBER… details are the answers to your readers' questions. You need to show your readers the evidence!
As you write the middle, include transition words and phrases such as first, next, then, after, meanwhile, however, later, instantly, immediately, suddenly, finally, minutes later, after that, just then, all of a sudden, in the end, etc. Transition words and phrases keep your story organized.
When you add dialogue in your story, make sure you incorporate an assortment of conversation or dialogue words. Children usually utilize the word “said” when their characters speak. Other words to use are mumbled, answered, cried, asked, replied, thought, exclaimed, laughed, wondered, whispered, shouted, stated, screamed, etc.
To support children who have difficulty brainstorming events or actions, provide them with the questions below.
1) Where did the characters go?
2) What did the characters do?
3) What did the characters see?
4) How did the characters act?
5) What did the characters hear?
To support a story's middle, the following strategy and organizer will assist children in writing the main events. PLEASE REFER TO THE EVENT-DETAIL EXAMPLES AND ORGANIZER IN PDF FORMAT. When using the organizer as a model, record your ideas in this order: 1) Events in first column 2) Details in second column.
Model three or more details to support each event. In addition, this organizer can teach paragraph formation.
Event 1: I called my mom and dad for help (what the characters do).
Specific Details: My voice was so squeaky, I could barely hear it. No one came to help me as I was struggling to walk toward the bedroom door. I began to shed tears that created a tiny puddle of water.
Event 2: I crawled under the bedroom door to look for my parents (where the characters go).
Specific Details: The hallway was as long as a river. The brown and green striped rug reminded me of my front lawn. It was going to take hours to reach my parent's bedroom.
Event 3: I was so hungry that I marched into my kitchen and climbed up the wooden cupboards (how the characters act).
Specific Details: They were so smooth and slippery that I thought I was skating on ice. The cupboards were full of crunchy red apples, sweet juicy oranges, and long ripe bananas. I ate so much that my scrawny body was ready to explode.
Event 4: I walked out the kitchen door (what the characters see).
Specific Details: The backyard was as enormous as a forest. I crept through each blade of grass hoping that I would be rescued. All around me were six legged creatures. A black and white Nike sneaker walked past me.
I called my mom and dad for help. My voice was so squeaky, I could barely hear it. No one came to help me as I was struggling to walk toward the bedroom door. I began to shed tears that created a tiny puddle of water.
I crawled under the bedroom door to look for my parents. The hallway was as long as a river. The brown and green striped rug reminded me of my front lawn. It was going to take hours to reach my parent's bedroom.
I was so hungry that I marched into my kitchen and climbed up the wooden cupboards. They were so smooth and slippery that I thought I was skating on ice. The cupboards were full of crunchy red apples, sweet juicy oranges, and long ripe bananas. I ate so much that my scrawny body was ready to explode.
I walked out the kitchen door. The backyard was as enormous as a forest. I crept through each blade of grass hoping that I would be rescued. All around me were six legged creatures. A black and white Nike sneaker walked past me.
EVENT DETAILS ORGANIZER
EVENT DETAILS EXAMPLE
ORGANIZER IN PDF
Bruce Cabell is a teacher, author, and creator. He was a classroom teacher for over 27 years. He taught kindergarten, first, and third grade in Connecticut. Bruce has mentored numerous young teachers as well as modeled many writing strategies and skills for classroom teachers. His passion for writing has resulted in his first published creation, Writing Organizer Fold-Outs for grades 2-5. Visit Creative Teaching Press at www.creativeteaching.com to view these wonderful all-in-one resource writing tools.
In addition, to learn more about Bruce, visit him on LinkedIn.
Teacher/Author/Creator
Writing Tip #5- Fiction: Action Packed Middles
Now it's time to show your children how to write the story’s middle. The middle is the longest and it includes three or more events. It's where the action begins and has many specific details. Please be aware that children have difficulty with this part of the story! Make sure you… MODEL, MODEL, MODEL!
When you begin to write the middle, break it down into separate events. As you write each event, include the following ideas:
Event 1- Where the characters go, what the characters do, what the characters think or say, continue the character's problem, and include action verbs.
Event 2- Where the characters go, what the characters see, continue the character's problem, add a character’s feeling, include a simile, and incorporate adverbs and adjectives to paint a mental image.
Event 3- Where the characters go, how the characters act, continue the character's problem, add humor or suspense, and include sensory words/details that can be seen, heard, smelled, felt, or tasted.
Note: Based on your child's writing skills, you can simplify or modify the events above. Additionally, bear in mind that each event DOES NOT have to be followed as I suggested. Children can and should use their own ideas as they write too. This is only a guide.
REMEMBER… details are the answers to your readers' questions. You need to show your readers the evidence!
As you write the middle, include transition words and phrases such as first, next, then, after, meanwhile, however, later, instantly, immediately, suddenly, finally, minutes later, after that, just then, all of a sudden, in the end, etc. Transition words and phrases keep your story organized.
When you add dialogue in your story, make sure you incorporate an assortment of conversation or dialogue words. Children usually utilize the word “said” when their characters speak. Other words to use are mumbled, answered, cried, asked, replied, thought, exclaimed, laughed, wondered, whispered, shouted, stated, screamed, etc.
To support children who have difficulty brainstorming events or actions, provide them with the questions below.
1) Where did the characters go?
2) What did the characters do?
3) What did the characters see?
4) How did the characters act?
5) What did the characters hear?
Writing Tip #5 Part 2- Fiction: Action Packed Middles
To support a story's middle, the following strategy and organizer will assist children in writing the main events. PLEASE REFER TO THE EVENT-DETAIL EXAMPLES AND ORGANIZER IN PDF FORMAT. When using the organizer as a model, record your ideas in this order: 1) Events in first column 2) Details in second column.
Model three or more details to support each event. In addition, this organizer can teach paragraph formation.
Event 1: I called my mom and dad for help (what the characters do).
Specific Details: My voice was so squeaky, I could barely hear it. No one came to help me as I was struggling to walk toward the bedroom door. I began to shed tears that created a tiny puddle of water.
Event 2: I crawled under the bedroom door to look for my parents (where the characters go).
Specific Details: The hallway was as long as a river. The brown and green striped rug reminded me of my front lawn. It was going to take hours to reach my parent's bedroom.
Event 3: I was so hungry that I marched into my kitchen and climbed up the wooden cupboards (how the characters act).
Specific Details: They were so smooth and slippery that I thought I was skating on ice. The cupboards were full of crunchy red apples, sweet juicy oranges, and long ripe bananas. I ate so much that my scrawny body was ready to explode.
Event 4: I walked out the kitchen door (what the characters see).
Specific Details: The backyard was as enormous as a forest. I crept through each blade of grass hoping that I would be rescued. All around me were six legged creatures. A black and white Nike sneaker walked past me.
Action Packed Middle
I called my mom and dad for help. My voice was so squeaky, I could barely hear it. No one came to help me as I was struggling to walk toward the bedroom door. I began to shed tears that created a tiny puddle of water.
I crawled under the bedroom door to look for my parents. The hallway was as long as a river. The brown and green striped rug reminded me of my front lawn. It was going to take hours to reach my parent's bedroom.
I was so hungry that I marched into my kitchen and climbed up the wooden cupboards. They were so smooth and slippery that I thought I was skating on ice. The cupboards were full of crunchy red apples, sweet juicy oranges, and long ripe bananas. I ate so much that my scrawny body was ready to explode.
I walked out the kitchen door. The backyard was as enormous as a forest. I crept through each blade of grass hoping that I would be rescued. All around me were six legged creatures. A black and white Nike sneaker walked past me.
EVENT DETAILS ORGANIZER
EVENT DETAILS EXAMPLE
ORGANIZER IN PDF
Bruce Cabell is a teacher, author, and creator. He was a classroom teacher for over 27 years. He taught kindergarten, first, and third grade in Connecticut. Bruce has mentored numerous young teachers as well as modeled many writing strategies and skills for classroom teachers. His passion for writing has resulted in his first published creation, Writing Organizer Fold-Outs for grades 2-5. Visit Creative Teaching Press at www.creativeteaching.com to view these wonderful all-in-one resource writing tools.
In addition, to learn more about Bruce, visit him on LinkedIn.
