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Dear Head of English,
I am delighted to let you know that our latest exciting mini saga competition, Grim Tales, is now open!
Gothic fiction has been attractive to readers for centuries, from the perils and dangers faced to the age-old fight between good and evil. Can your students write a grim tale with a twist in just 100 words?
Students can be inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ fairytales (can they re-tell them with a modern twist?), their favourite book or film, or use this opportunity to write their own original mini saga.
Whether you ask students to take part in class or as homework, the young adults at your school will enjoy this activity. Not only that, this theme ensures that the work being produced will make great reading as well as provide the young authors with an entertaining writing challenge.
Everything you need to get your school involved is enclosed, including a lesson plan to use, should you wish to. There’s also the fantastic opportunity for students to be published and win Love2Shop vouchers, plus there’s prizes for schools! Grim Tales is open to your whole school, so if you’d like posters for each classroom, please let me know.
If you have any questions or would like further entry forms / posters sending please do get in touch.
I look forward to reading your students’ grim tales.
Best wishes,
Jenni Bannister Editorial Manager
School Entry FormPlease make any changes in the boxes provided below,
and include this form with your entries.
Number of entries enclosed in this envelope:
Please provide any feedback in this box, thank you!
Closing Date: 24th July 2015
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY, Young Writers SS, Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough, PE2 9BF
Inspire your pupils with Grim Tales, let them develop and showcase their technical writing and creative skills as well as have the opportunity to see themselves as published writers.
Utilise our free resources to assist pupils to write their own mini sagas in class or as homework. Each school who takes part receives a complimentary copy of
the book their pupils feature in, plus there are fantastic prizes to be won! Don’t forget to send your entries to us at the freepost address
below, or upload them at our website by 27th March 2015.
The wolf caught a scent. There. A flash of red. With a target in sight he ran, not worrying about the noise as he crashed through the undergrowth - it didn’t matter if the prey ran, he’d catch it. He always did. But it didn’t run. In fact it stopped, waiting. A girl. The wolf sniffed, confused. Where was the fear? She didn’t smell of fear. The girl in the red cloak turned and met his eye. With a whimper the wolf turned and fled, his tail tight between his legs. There was more than one predator in this forest.
YoungWriters
If you have any questions or require further entry forms or posters please get in touch.
Young Writers, Remus House, Peterborough, PE2 9BF Tel 01733 898110 Fax 01733 313524 Web www.youngwriters.co.uk Email [email protected]
Young Writers is an imprint of ‘Bonacia Ltd’ VAT No. 102781343 Reg No. 05368980
YoungWriters
IntroductionAsk your class what their favourite books/stories are. Write them on the board and from these you should pick an example that all pupils can identify with. Ask pupils how many words they think they could retell the story in if they had to tell it in as few words as possible.
Main Teaching ActivityOnce you have had the pupils’ suggestions you can then explain that in today’s lesson they will be writing mini sagas - a story of 100 words. Use the example above to show them. Next ask for suggestions of what the main parts of your chosen story are - explain that they need to include character, setting, plot and theme, and ask pupils to identify what these are. Ask them how the story can be adapted to contain a new, exciting twist. When you have all this information, as a class, begin to piece the most important parts of the story together and write them down on the board. At this stage it is likely your class story is over the 100-word mini saga limit. You’ll need to help pupils find where they can edit the saga down. E.g. ‘it is’ can become ‘it’s’ to save a word. When you reach 100 words ask the class to show where the key parts of the mini saga are to illustrate to them that character, setting, plot and theme are included. Hand out the Idea Generators. Ask pupils to write their own mini saga using the Idea Generator or adapt any of the suggestions on the board.
PlenaryThis is a 5-10 minute activity. Ask the pupils to work in pairs to read their mini saga to their partner. Their partner is to provide feedback; something they like about the mini saga and a suggestion on how it could be improved. The partner can help edit the story down if it exceeds the 100-word limit. To extend the activity further ask pupils to copy up and illustrate their mini saga; ask them to develop their mini saga into a short story.
DifferentiationTo challenge more advanced pupils, ask them to include a plot twist. You can also suggest a word rather than a theme they must base their saga on, and insist their idea is original! Request they include 1 or 2 key technical concepts, such as speech or narration, in their mini saga.
For less able pupils suggest key words they must use in their mini saga, or ask them to retell, in their own words, a famous fairy tale or myth as a mini saga from a different character’s point of view.
NotesThis is a one-hour activity. Alternatively, introductory work can be done in class and the mini saga can be written as homework.
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY, Young Writers SS, Remus House, Peterborough PE2 9BFTel: (01733) 890066 Email: [email protected] Website: www.youngwriters.co.uk
PreparationMake the Idea Generator. Prepare images that may inspire your pupils. We suggest images inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ stories.
The HunterThe wolf caught a scent.
There. A flash of red. With a target in sight he ran, not worrying about the noise as he crashed through the undergrowth - it didn’t matter if the prey ran, he’d catch it. He always did. But it didn’t run. In fact it stopped, waiting. A girl. The wolf sniffed, confused. Where was the fear? She didn’t smell of fear. The girl in the red cloak turned and met his eye. With a whimper the wolf turned and fled, his tail tight between his legs. There was more than one predator in this forest.
Can
yo
u w
rit
e a
gr
im t
ale?
Wr
ite
an o
rig
inal
sto
ry
wit
h a
tw
ist
or
tak
e
a w
ell-
kn
ow
n c
lass
ic a
nd
pu
t a
new
spi
n o
n i
t.
Bu
t, t
her
e’s
an a
dd
ed c
hal
len
ge,
can
yo
u w
rit
e yo
ur
sto
ry
usi
ng
100
wo
rd
s o
r f
ewer
?
See
ho
w g
rim
yo
ur
tal
e c
an b
e!
Th
e H
un
ter
The
wol
f cau
ght a
sce
nt.
Ther
e. A
flas
h of
red.
With
a ta
rget
in s
ight
he
ran,
not
wor
ryin
g ab
out t
he n
oise
as
he
cras
hed
thro
ugh
the
unde
rgro
wth
- it
didn
’t m
atte
r if t
he p
rey
ran,
he’
d ca
tch
it.
He
alw
ays
did.
But
it d
idn’
t run
. In
fact
it s
topp
ed, w
aitin
g.
A g
irl. T
he w
olf s
niffe
d, c
onfu
sed.
W
here
was
the
fear
? S
he d
idn’
t sm
ell o
f fea
r. Th
e gi
rl in
the
red
cloa
k tu
rned
and
met
his
ey
e. W
ith a
whi
mpe
r the
wol
f tur
ned
and
fled,
his
tail
tight
bet
wee
n hi
s le
gs.
Ther
e w
as m
ore
than
one
pre
dato
r in
th
is fo
rest
.
This
form
may
be
phot
ocop
ied.
Yo
ung
Wri
ters
SS
, Rem
us H
ous
e, P
eter
bo
roug
h, P
E2
9BF
Tel 0
1733
890
066
Em
ail i
nfo@
youn
gwrit
ers.
co.u
k W
eb w
ww
.you
ngw
riter
s.co
.uk
Nam
e: .
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Title
of M
ini S
aga
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PU
PIL
EN
TR
Y F
OR
M (P
lease
wr
ite
in B
LOC
K C
AP
ITA
LS)
This
form
may
be
phot
ocop
ied.
Yo
ung
Wri
ters
SS
, Rem
us H
ous
e, P
eter
bo
roug
h, P
E2
9BF.
Tel
017
33 8
9006
6 E
mai
l inf
o@yo
ungw
riter
s.co
.uk
Web
ww
w.y
oung
writ
ers.
co.u
k
