Contents:

1) Story opening (Warm up)

2) Suspense and tension
3) Powerful descriptive phrases
4) Linkers used in story writing
5) Real life story
6) Horror story
7) Mystery/Crime/Detective stories
8) Fantasy
9) Science fiction
10) Fable
11) Adventure
12) Myth and legends
13) Folktales
14) Fairy tales
15) Historical Fiction

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 Real life story

Characterization
 Characterization Characters are ordinary real people.
 Characters usually change as a result of a problem and must to be able
to resolve it.
Setting
 Place is imaginary, but possible.
 Time is anytime or no time.
 Can take a hard line and say it must be of this world and totally
plausble as we know this world from immediate present to past. Or
could move toward future and include science fiction, time travel.
However, if and where would science fiction and other future fantasy
fit?
Plot
 Must be plausable and believable.
 Usually problem or puzzling event for characters to resolve.
 Reader/listener usually feel that the story really happened or may want
to believe that it did.
Theme
 Life themes as well as good versus bad/evil.
Style
 Author usually uses foreshadowing or clues to tease the
reader/listener's curiosity.
 Events are accurate, but don't necessarily real life.
 Dialog, artifacts, feelings, are from the real world and described
accurately.
Tone
 Feel that it really happened. Children will often ask if it was real and
be disappointed when told, no.
Point of View
 Could be any. Often third person narrative.

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Plan:

P1 Setting: place ( school/ home), time (afternoon)/ weather (hot), names of

characters ( Jessy and her mom), hint about the story (Jessy did not know
how to tell her mom about her bad marks)

P2 Jessy had always been hardworking/ careful/ dedicated to studying

Jessy’s mom was a kind mother but she was strict sometimes.

P3 Jessy faced her mom with the problem and told her about the bad
marks she got on that day.

P4 Jessy’s mom got sick later on and went to the hospital

P5 Resolution and ending.

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 A tough day
It was a terribly hot afternoon. Jessy was on her way back home from
school. She could not believe that that awful day was finally over. She did
not know how to break the news to her mom about her bad marks. Then, she
reached her room, and kept herself locked in. She felt that her room was
turning into a prison she would not be able to escape. She kept thinking and
thinking until…
Jessy had always been a hard working student. As for school, she was
always doing her homework and dedicated to studying. She used to get the
highest grades in class and achieve the best results. However, she started
changing by 6th grade and her marks were not really pleasant. Her mother
was a really kind lady, yet she had to be strict with her sometimes. She used
to support her and give her all the power needed, but she was lately really
frustrated as Jessy’s results were not the best anymore.
Her mom tried approaching her as she had been locking herself in her
room for long hours. Then, the minute she opened the door, Jessy shouted “I
got bad marks AGAIN!!” Her mom was very disappointed and really angry.
“ I warned you that you need to be careful as your level has been changing
lately. You just never listen to me.” Said her mom. Jessy got really furious
when her mom blamed her, and lost total control and kept yelling at her
mom saying “Get out of my room!” Jessy’s mom was beyond shocked and
could not believe that her own daughter was talking to her in this manner.
She could not believe that this was Jessy, the super innocent little girl who
had always been polite and never raised her voice. She was quiet as she was
really surprised and did not know how to react. Then she said “ Jessy, you
are grounded this weekend”. Her mom closed the door, and left her locked
inside alone.
At night, Jessy heard her mom crying in pain and asking for help.
Gladly, her dad was at home and he had to take her to the hospital. She had a
problem with her blood pressure and had to be saved on the spot. In fact, it
was not only her pressure, also her heart had some problems that she used to
live with. However, when she was exposed to deep frustration because of
Jessy, she got sick and her state deteriorated. Jessy felt so guilty and did not
know what to do. She called her father and asked him to send her any driver

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who could take her to see her mom. She went to her. She apologized, and
her mom was happy to see her.
Eventually, Jessy talked to her mom and said, “ This is all my fault.
I’m the reason you’re at the hospital. I promise I’ll behave next time, and
will pay better attention to my studies.” Her mom hugged ger and told her: “
It’s ok dear. We have to make mistakes in order to learn.”

Now, write your own story.

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 Horror

What is horror fiction?

The word ‘horror’ means ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock or disgust’
(Oxford English Dictionary). The word comes from the Latin horrere,
meaning ‘to tremble or shudder’.

The best horror stories: 5 common features

The best horror stories share at least five elements in common. Horrors:

1. Explore ‘malevolent’ or ‘wicked’ characters, deeds or

phenomena.
2. Arouse feelings of fear, shock or disgust as well as the sense of the
uncanny – things are not what they seem. There is a heightened sense
of the unknown and/or mysterious.
3. Are intense (as the dictionary definition reminds us). Horror books
convey intense emotion, mood, tone and environments. Together,
these produce a sense of ominous possibility.
4. Contain scary and/or shocking plot twists and story
reveals (unlike episodes of the cartoon Scooby Doo, in which the bad
guys are typically conniving realtors dressed as paranormal beings). In
horror the ghosts and werewolves are very, very real.
5. Immerse readers in the macabre. Horror tends to deal with morbid
situations, from repetitive cycles of violence to death-related uncanny
scenarios. Zombies march, vampires make you join their legion, or (in
subtler scenarios) long-dead friends or relations pay unexpected visits.

How do you write a horror story or novel like Stephen King, Clive Barker or
(looking further back in the genre’s history) Edgar Allan Poe?

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Use strong, pervasive tone
Understanding ‘tone’ is crucial to how to write horror well.

Tone and mood are two style elements that affect how your story
feels. Great tone and mood make readers’ spines tingle before a single
character has made a terrible decision.

How you describe settings, character movement and actions creates an

overarching tone.

In horror writing, a dark or frightening tone is often pronounced. Take this

example from Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always:

Half closing his eyes, he crossed to the window and fumbled to slam it,
making sure that the latch was in place this time.

The wind had started his lamp moving, and when he turned back the whole
room seemed to be swinging around. One moment the fight was blazing in
his eyes, the next it was flooding the opposite wall. But in between the blaze
and the flood it lit the middle of his room, and standing there – shaking the
rain off his hat – was a stranger.

He looked harmless enough. He was no more than six inches taller than
Harvey, his frame scrawny, his skin distinctly yellowish in colour. He was
wearing a fancy suit, a pair of spectacles and a lavish smile.

Clive Barker, The Thief of Always, 1992

The scene is suffused with a sense of the unsettling. Objects that should be
stationary move. The room itself seems to move. The viewpoint character is
disoriented. A peculiar character seems to materialize out of nowhere.

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Barker also creates an ominous tone through indirect means. ‘He looked
harmless enough’ draws our attention to the possibility the man could in fact
be harmful. The ‘scrawny’ frame and ‘yellowish’ skin both make the
stranger unsettling and increase the sense of unfamiliarity.

he horror genre uses the core elements of tragedy so nakedly that some of
these have become clichés. ‘Don’t go in that house, idiot,’ you might shout
at the screen while watching American Horror Story, because the character
is oblivious to personal danger.

In horror stories, we get scared because, as readers, we see the signs

foolhardy characters don’t.

At its heart, tragedy teaches some important lessons. For example, tragedy
shows that:

 Acts of cruelty have destructive, rippling cause and efffect (the

frightening way the title character of Stephen King’s
novel Carrie unleashes her powers due to bottling sustained
psychological abuse is a good example)
 Seeing situations and scenarios from multiple perspectives can avoid a
downfall (e.g. You could tell yourself, ‘That house is abandoned
because the property market fell’. But also: ‘That house is abandoned
because something terrible happened there (and keeps happening
there) and people are afraid of it.’)
 Bravery means making a choice in full awareness of danger, whereas
making choices in blissful unawareness of their potential
consequences leaves people vulnerable

To write a credible horror novel, in other words, show that the horror-filled
situation is dependent on a network of character choices, past or present. At

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its heart, horror fiction reminds us that cause and effect is real, even in the
fantastical realm of storytelling.

Tap into common human fears

If the point of horror writing (and horror elements in other genres such as
paranormal romance) is to arouse fear, shock or disgust, think of the things
people are most commonly afraid of.

Live Science places an interest choice at number one: The dentist. It’s true
that you can feel powerless when you’re in the dentist’s chair. Couple this
with the pain of certain dental procedures and it’s plain to see why a
malevolent dentist is the stuff of horror nightmares.

Making readers scared creates tension and increases the pace of your story.
Even so there should be a reason for making readers fearful.

Here are some of the most common fears people have:

 Fear of animals (dogs, snakes, sharks, mythical creatures such as the

deep sea-dwelling kraken)
 Fear of flying (film producers combined the previous fear and this
other common fear to make the spoof horror movie Snakes on a
Plane)
 The dark – one of the most fundamental fears of the unfamiliar
 Perilous heights
 Other people and their often unknown desires or intentions
 Ugly or disorienting environments

Think of how common fears can be evoked in your horror fiction. Some are
more often exploited in horror writing than others. A less precise fear (such
as the fear of certain spaces) will let you tell the horror story you want with
fewer specified must-haves.

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 The Spootucular Mysterious Snowy Halloween
It was the day on an early Halloween morning, all the ghosts, witches, jack-
olanterns, and monsters were all meeting up at a Spooky Halloween House,
and they all had a plan to make it be a snowy and mysterious day. So they all
said, “Magical evil snow, fall on the ground, and poof 2 inches of snow fell
magically on the ground. So then they went to an elementary school called
Oak Park. And they all secretly went into the cafeteria.
They cooked a mysterious vanilla cake that had magical frosting on top, so
they quickly set all the mysterious vanilla cakes on the cafeteria tables and
they left the school. When the kids woke up later that morning, they couldn’t
believe it was snow on the ground. They couldn’t figure out why there was
snow on the ground? So they all went to school in orange and black shirts
and pants, and when they walked into the cafeteria, they saw mysterious
vanilla cakes on the tables.
So each and every one of them ate the mysterious vanilla cake. Each and
every one of the children turned into ghosts, witches, jack-o-anterns and
monsters. The children couldn’t figure out what ingredient turned all of them
into a Halloween character. Then a nice bat snuck into the school window,
she watched everything that happened, and the bat said these magical words,
“Turn back into normal children” and they all did. The kids all said “This
was the most mysterious and snowy Halloween ever.” So all of them went to
figure out what secret ingredient was in the cake, and it was powerful
magical sparkles that turned them into those evil Halloween characters. And
they saw footprints of jack-o-lanterns, witches, ghosts, and monster
footprints.
So the children went secretly to get all of their belongings and went back
home. So when the teachers got to the school, they said “Where are all my
students.” Will the teachers ever find out what happened to all of her
students?

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Now, to improve this story by adding more details and developing the
choice of vocabulary.
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 Detective and Mystery stories

Main features:
1. Crime
2. Murderers and thieves “criminals”
3. Suspense and Tension
4. Clues and hints
5. Chasing traces
6. Mysterious mood/tone
7. Detectives and suspects
8. Evidence “ a knife with some fingerprints”
9. Victims
10.Cliffhangers
11.Complicated plots and unexpected twists

Characteristics of a Detective Story

First, the crime must be significant, worthy of the attention it receives.
Most stories involve murder, though Conan Doyle tied the majority of his
crimes to greed and theft.
Second, the detective must be in some way a memorable character. He or
she must be very intelligent, of course, unusually clever and observant, but
also quirky, possessing perhaps some odd idiosyncrasies that distinguish him
or her. Kojak’s lollipop, Columbo’s crumpled raincoat, James Bond’s
unruffled cool and high-tech gadgets, all of these things make the hero
somehow distinct.
Third, along with an exceptional detective, there must be an outstanding
opponent, a criminal clever enough to be a match for the hero. Solving the
crime can’t be too easy.
Fourth, because a large part of the attraction of a detective story is the
opportunity for the reader to try to figure out the solution along with the
detective, all suspects of the crime must be introduced early in the story, and
Fifth, all clues the detective discovers must be made available to the reader
also. Finally, at the end of the story, the solution must seem obvious, logical,
possible. The crime must not have resulted from accident or supernatural
intervention, and the detective must be able to explain all aspects of the case

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in a reasonable way. A fine detective story should meet each one of these
standards.

The Case of the Desert Caper

It was a long and almost unbearable drive out into the desert as the hot sun
beat down on Detective Nose’s face. As luck would have it, his air
conditioning had broken down only two days earlier and despite having all
the windows open, the heat was simply excruciating. As the inspector sipped
on some of the water that he brought for the trip, the thought that he may
have somehow missed his destination was beginning to penetrate his mind.
Just as he was about to turn around and head back, a small sign appeared
that read “Ross Expeditions Here”. With a silent sigh of relief, he turned his
car towards the small cabin that could be seen in the distance.
As Nose reached the front door, Jason Ross introduced himself and
motioned for the detective to come inside. The interior of the cabin consisted
of one very large, but cozy room. In the right-hand corner, all the camping
supplies were piled including an axe, one five-liter jug of water, some
canned food, a lantern and other various pieces of camping equipment. To
the back of the room was a small fireplace, and a wooden table with a couple
mismatched chairs.
The most notable item in the cabin could be seen in the middle of the floor;
a body, evidently lifeless, sprawled on top of two sleeping bags that were
casually laid there. The cause of death was not obvious. “Can you tell me
what happened?” said Detective Nose. “I wish I knew,” Jason said quietly.
“I run a desert camping expedition business, providing tours to a variety of
people.
I have been trying for years to get my brother to come and join me, but
being the city person that he was, he would always scoff at the idea. He used
to joke that if he wanted to be without the convenience of phones, running
water, or electricity, he’d simply skip paying his bills. Anyways, last week
we were having a few drinks together, and we made a silly bet in which if he
lost, he would have to spend a week out here with me. As you can see, he
lost.” Jason then paused for moment and took a long deep breath before
continuing.
“I woke up early this morning and since my brother was still sleeping, I
decided to do a little dirt biking. I was gone for about two hours. When I

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returned, I found my brother dead in the middle of the floor. I really do not
know what happened. Other than his wallet that was on the table, nothing
seems to be missing.” “I think you may know more than you’re telling me!”

Now, improve this story by adding more details and developing the choice
of vocabulary.
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 Fantasy story
CHARACTERISTICS OF FANTASY FICTION

FANTASY - contains elements that are not realistic

• talking animals
• magical powers
• often set in a medieval universe
• possibly involving mythical beings

The key element of the fantasy fiction genre is magic.

Fantasy novels may be romantic, historical, action-packed or all three, but
the element of magic is what sets this genre apart from all the others. Fairy
tales, myths, and legends are part of the fantasy genre. Stories featuring
wizards and sorcery, unicorns and dragons, are fantasy. Through fantasy
fiction, readers are allowed to visit a world they never would have been able
to otherwise.

Although all fantasy stories are unique, there are some characteristics that
are common of the genre. In general, the conflict in fantasy novels is of good
versus evil. Usually, the protagonist and supporting characters set out to
conquer this evil, although this is often played out through a series of books,
rather than just one. Most fantasy fiction also features great details, with
settings, creatures, words and names that are often created by the author.
Fantasy novels must be read carefully, for their settings and characters are
not familiar in everyday life.

Supernatural Creatures: Elves, dragons, dwarves, enchanted plants,

vampires, werewolves and talking animals. The right combination of these,
alongside a few lowly humans, creates an essential dynamic between the real
and the surreal.

Magic, or a lack thereof. Characters have to be able to perform some form

of magic. Most often the hero or heroine possesses a very strong magical
ability that they don’t initially have, or don’t know they have, and learn to
develop.

Love: Although the love factor must remain on the PG-rated side, a love
interest exists in order to pull at the heart strings of readers. Usually the love
interest of the main character is unattainable. It helps if they are not of the
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same genetic make-up (i.e. Human and Vampire, Human and Elf, Werewolf
and Vampire, etc.)

The Villain: The Villain must be extraordinary and not easily defeated. The
villain is often not revealed in person until the end of the story, in order to
create the most impact.
A Great Battle: Without an epic battle in which the hero is nearly defeated,
ultimate victory would not be so sweet.

The Weapon: Harry Potter has his wand, Eragon has his sword and Bella has
her ability to hide her mind from others. Whatever the weapon, it has to be
special in not only its capabilities, but also in the reason behind its existence.

The Setting: From Middle-earth, to Narnia, Alagaesia, Hogwarts, and even

Forks, the setting is another character in the story. It is the unique quality of
the landscape that allows for most of the events in the story to take place.

Language: Whether it’s a fabricated language, such as the Elvish speak in

Tolkien’s works, or it’s the manipulation of how an existing language is
spoken, common vernacular won’t do. The inclusion of a fantasy language
heightens the reader’s ability to transport themselves into a different world.

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 The power of Magic

The sun beat on Jason’s back as the Trails came closer,their nails dragging

against the ground. Jason’s hood covered his hair but Jason could still feel

the heatfrom the sun as they waited underneath the foliage. The Trails

moved forward while the merchant’s caravan horses trotted in the dried

mud. The line of Trails led back to theend of the forest but the captain still

wanted to hit the caravan. The enemy couldn’t beallowed to receive these

supplies and they couldn’t allow their supplies to be taken.The captain gave

a curt nod from the other side and Jason crawled back out of the foliage to

signal the rangers in the trees. A silent quip was heard as their arrows

flewinwards and small thud noises as the bodies they flew into dropped dead

to the ground.The first platoon was taken care of but there were still several

platoons behind them.The captain ran out in front of the merchant’s caravan

and directed them to ride into themakeshift path they had lain out.

The caravan bolted with speed and the rangers above hopped from tree to

tree to keep up with it as they escaped. The second platoon was closing in

and Jason heard their battle cries as they saw their fallen comrades. “To

arms!” The captain yelled. The mages went first, sending fireballs out of the

trees and into the backs of the Trails. A few managed to escape but were not

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alive long enough to escape the arrows that the captain’s platoon sent their

way. The sound of a horse’s gallop came into range and the look on the

captain’s face let loose that he had not prepared for this. “Charge!” The

Trails horse rider yelled. All of the platoons had now formed and the entire

force was heading into thetrees. Everyone bolted in a different direction,

hoping to retreat from the slaughter that

was taking place. Jason had no such fortune as a Trail came running in his

direction, its claws had come to full bare. Jason ducked in close, scarcely

dodging its closing swipe, and plunged his knife into the Trail’s side.

He yanked his other claws upwards wildly but Jason rolled out of his reach,

taking an arrow from his shaft and sending it flying from his bow. No sooner

had he dropped than was Jason surrounded by Trails. The screaming from

those left behind echoed in Jason’s ears as a group of Trails surrounded him.

Their mouths making crooked smiles and brandishing their claws, clanking

against each other’s as they circled their prey. At once, they came in close to

him but a rope swung down towards him and he hastily grabbed it, swinging

upwards just out of their reach. The captain smiled at him as his arm pulled

Jason’s up on to the branch.

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“We need to go; the giants will be coming soon.” The captain said.

Lodging himself forward, Jason felt the tree give way underneath his feet

just as they left the branch. Jason concentrated on the branches in front of

him as he swung forward but the trees simply didn’t propel his speed fast

enough. A quick glance behind himself gave him a glimpse of the giants

tearing down the trees and the helpless men falling to their deaths on the

ground below them.

“Get to the wall!” The captain yelled.

“The giants will have our heads before we ever get out of the forest!” Jason

yelled.“Then we better slow them down.” The captain replied, throwing his

totem rock to Jason.

Jason caught the rock and threw it behind himself as his foot disembarked

from another branch. As it flew into the air, Jason pulled an arrow from his

shaft and smashed the totem rock in the air. In a glittering shower, the

fragments fell to the ground which shook violently. Jason felt the captain’s

hand grab his cuff as he fell through the air and saw the demonic hands

splitting the ground to rip their disfigured bodies to the surface.

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They landed on the ground, bolting into a run as the demons began to slice

apart those foolish enough to run across the fragments. The wall was now

coming into view but the Trails were closing in on them faster than they

could run.

Now, write your own story.

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 Science Fiction

SCIENCE FICTION (Sci Fi)- stories that often tell

about science and technology of the future
involving partially true fictions laws or theories of
science

Settings:
• in the future
• in space
• on a different world
• in a different universe or dimension

Aliens
Aliens are one of the central characteristics of the science-fiction genre. A
sci-fi novel may deal with aliens coming to Earth, humans encountering
aliens on space explorations or a number of other variations. Sometimes the
aliens are friendly, while other works portray aliens as mortal enemies.

Space Travel
Space travel is a common element of sci-fi, regardless of whether or not it
features contact with aliens. Space travel pops up in fiction over and over
again as humans wonder whether or not they're alone in the universe, and
what might happen if humans encounter other life forms.

Time Travel

In scientific theory, time travel is possible based on potential technologies

utilizing scientific knowledge. In fiction, time travel poses many questions,
including that of the time travel paradox, and it is a popular topic for science
fiction, as protagonists can glimpse the future or change events in the past.

Futuristic Setting or Alternate History

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Even if there's no time travel involved, science fiction novels are often
placed in a futuristic setting, while other sci-fi novels feature alternate
histories. Whether moving forward or back in time, very few sci-fi novels
are set in the present day.

Advanced Technology
Early science fiction writers and editors focused on the hard science of
science fiction, and much of that incorporates the development of advanced
technology, or creative ways to utilize existing technology. As the last
century has seen big advances in technology, it's not difficult to imagine
some traditional sci-fi technology that could be very real in the future.

Additionally, some science fiction writers have proven almost prophetic in

predicting the rise of technology that didn't exist during their time-notably
Jules Verne, although other writers have foreshadowed or outright predicted
other pieces of technology.

Dystopia

One common theme of many science fiction novels is a dystopia set

sometime in the future. Dystopia sci-fi themes are often used to explore
current social issues, and they have very little to do with science, except
dystopian fiction that revolves around technological mis-utilization.
"Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a good example of a dystopian sci-fi story.

Exploration Of Popular Societal Or Cultural Issues

Much of sci-fi attempts to explore popular societal or cultural issues through

a sci-fi setting. These issues range from class struggles to misuse of
technology, and sci-fi gives voice to the concerns of the society in which
they are conceived. Common social issues include a world destroyed by war;
a world destroyed by overuse; a world in which the government controls
everything; or a world in which genetic experimentation has gone terribly
awry.

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IT’S NOT A CHOCOLATE CHIP
1:13 a.m. … I was still plugging away on my project. The late night talk
show Coast to Coast was on the radio. A caller called up and said that soon
everyone would have identification verichips implanted in the palms of their
hands.
The movie Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was on TV. I was typing away,
listening to the radio and watching TV at the same time. I needed a break
and drove over to my favorite café to have coffee with my friend Xena.
Xena was perplexed as she showed me a strange mark on the back of her
neck. “It looks like some sort of alien implant,” she said. “Do you know how
I can get rid of it?”
We finished drinking our coffee, and I drove Xena over to the office of Dr.
Zclops. He was an expert at surgically removing alien implants. When we
arrived at his office, we discovered that he was sprawled over his office
desk. Someone had removed his brain. Xena began to scream hysterically as
I tried to calm her down. I saw a note on a post-it on the wall. It read … The
aliens are working with a company called ABR Technologies. “We got to
find out more about this company,” I said. “I think it stands for Advanced
Brain Research.” 11 After a few more cups of coffee, we drove over to ABR
to investigate what was going on. When we arrived at the gate, a guard
screamed, “Flash the palm of your hand for ID.” \
We ignored him … and drove around the back of the building and looked
into the windows. Three small grey aliens were handing over the secrets of
alien technology to the chief executive officers of ABR. They all shook
hands and the aliens dematerialized. “We’ve got to report this to the proper
authorities,” I said in a low voice so no one could hear me. Xena and I
jumped into my car and sped away.
We arrived at the local FBI office and told the agent in charge what we saw.
He laughed … “You guys are a bunch of nuts. You must be listening too
much to that radio talk show Coast to Coast.” When I got home, I turned on

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my TV to watch instant headline news. There was a report about ABR
Technologies just signing a major contract with the Department of Global
Security for twenty billion dollars. 5:13 a.m. … I brewed another pot of
coffee and continued to type away on my project

Now, write your own story.

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 FABLES

What are the elements of a fable story?

Elements of a Fable

 Falling Action (Events resulting from the conflict)

 Conflict (Struggle in the Story)
 Moral, or lesson, of the story.
 Rising Action (What leads to the conflict)
 Characters and Setting.
 Elements of a Fable.

What makes a good fable?

Fables are characterized by their moral lessons. These short tales were once
passed down as folklore to teach listeners the difference between right and
wrong, give advice on proper behavior and manners, and offer maxims to
live by. A fable includes a simple conflict and a resolution, followed by a
maxim.

How do you identify a fable?

A fable is intended to provide a moral story. Fables often use animals as the
main characters. They are presented with anthropomorphic characteristics,
such as the ability to speak and to reason.

What does this fable teach us?

A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson or conveys a moral. Children

tend to find this appealing, making the moral of the story more relevant.
Fables are closely associated with fairy tales. While fairy tales can also
feature talking animals, they don’t have to feature a solid moral or lesson as
fables do.

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 CATS AND ROOSTERS
Once upon a time in Africa, roosters ruled cats. The cats worked hard all day
and at night they had to bring all they had gathered for the roosters. The king
of the roosters would take all the food for himself and for the other roosters.
The roosters loved to eat ants. Thus, every cat had a purse hung round its
neck, which it filled with ants for the king of the roosters. The cats did not
like the situation. They wanted to rid themselves of the king so that the food
they gathered through hard work and great difficulty would be their own.
But they were afraid of the roosters.
The roosters had told the cats that rooster’s combs were made out of fire and
that the fire of their combs would burn anyone who disobeyed them! The
cats believed them and therefore worked from early morning until night for
the roosters.
One night, the fire on the house of Mrs. Cat went out. She told her kitten,
Fluffy, to bring some fire from Mr. Rooster’s house. When Fluffy went into
the house of the rooster, she saw that Mr. Rooster was fast asleep, his
stomach swollen with the ants he had eaten. The kitten was afraid to wake
the rooster, so she returned home empty handed and told her mother what
had happened. Mrs. Cat said, “Now that the rooster is asleep, gather some
dry twigs and place them near his comb. As soon as the twigs catch fire,
bring them home.” Fluffy gathered some dry twigs and took them to the
rooster’s house. He was still asleep. Fluffy fearfully put the dry twigs near
the rooster’s comb but it was no use, the twigs did not catch fire. Fluffy
rubbed the twigs against the rooster’s comb again but it was no use they
would not catch fire.
Fluffy returned home without any fire and told her mother, “The roost’s
comb does not set twigs on fire.” Mrs. Cat answered “Why can’t you do
anything right! Come with me I’ll show you how to make fire with the
rooster’s comb.” So together they went to the house of Mr. Rooster. He was
still asleep. Mrs. Cat put the twigs as near to the rooster’s comb as she could.
But the twigs did not catch fire. Then, shaking with fear, she put her paw
near the rooster’s comb and gently touched it. To her surprise, the comb was
not hot, it was very cold, and it was just red colored. As soon as Mrs. Cat
realized that the roosters had lied to the cats about their combs, she joyfully
went out and told the other cats about the rooster’s tricks. From that day on,
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the cats no longer worked for the roosters. At first, the king of the roosters
became very angry and said to the cats; “I will burn all of your houses if you
do not work for me!” But the cats said, “Your comb is not made of fire. It is
just the color of fire. We touched it when you were sleep. You lied to us.
” When the king of the roosters found out that the cats knew that he had lied
to them, he ran away. Now, whenever roosters see a cat, they scurry away,
because to this very day they are afraid of cats.
Now, write your own story.

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Adventure story

6 Elements of a Good Adventure Story

From J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel trilogy Lord of the Rings to J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter series, many adventure books follow a similar
formula; the hero’s journey, first identified by literary professor and author
Joseph Campbell, is the most popular narrative structure of an adventure
novel. The main components include:

1. A hero: The main character of an action-adventure story will most

often start out as an ordinary person before they embark on their
adventure.
2. A quest: The protagonist will be presented with a problem they
need to solve. This quest will ignite the plot with a series of events
that create the storyline.
3. An unfamiliar environment : The protagonist’s journey will take
them from their familiar, everyday surroundings to a new,
unfamiliar environment. This unfamiliar terrain will create
conflict, like character versus nature or character versus the
supernatural. Being in a strange land will create greater risks for the
main character that increase tension.
4. A villain: As a protagonist is on their journey, there are almost
always bad guys in pursuit. Antagonists increase the stakes for the
main character and heighten the tension.
5. An element of risk: A character faces peril throughout an adventure
story. Their quest forces them to make decisions that put their lives,
or the lives of others, at risk.
6. A transformation: Throughout their journey, the main character
goes through a metamorphosis from ordinary person to hero

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 MYTH

Features of a myth

1. Characters include gods, goddesses and heroes, and weird creatures

(monsters).
2. Setting: Think of an island that you give an imaginary name, or it can
be a real island that actually exists.
3. Myths usually include mysterious events.
4. Myths sometimes teach lessons about life.
5. “dualities” Myths include dualities, fights between bad and good,
night and day, sea and mountain , a fight between two gods.
Ten Characteristics of a Myth

1. A myth is a story that is, or was considered, a true explanation of the

natural world and how it came to be.

2. Characters are often non-human and are typically gods, goddesses,

supernatural beings or mystical “fist people.”

3. Setting is typically ancient, or prior to the time when actual records were
kept. Myths are typically set in a world very similar to our own, but with
supernatural monsters or areas.

4. The plot of a myth may take place between a supernatural world and our
present day world. Myths do this to highlight the basic human behaviors that
are essential in any setting.

5. Myths possess events that bend or break natural laws. This is often
done to magnify the “super-naturalness” of the mythical world.

6. Promotes “Social Action”—myths try to tell people how to act and live.
Core values such as individualism, family and community are often instilled
in mythical heroes.

7. Myths have sense of mystery, or the unknown.

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8. Dualities (or complete opposites such as night/day, good/evil) often play
important roles in the plot of a myth.

9. Myths often have an emphasis on language… Mythical heroes are

often sophisticated storytellers.

10. Myths are often metaphoric—that is, myths are created to comment or
analyze a real world event. Real world questions that myths often attempt to
answer are:
 Why are we here?
 Who are we?
 Why are we living? What is our purpose?

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 Folktales

Folktale features

Characterization
 Characters are flat.
 Usually very good or very bad with most characteristics exaggerated.
 The hero and heroine are usually young.
 The heroine is usually fair, kind, charitable, and caring.
 The hero is usually honorable, courageous, unselfish, and caring.
 Both usually have special abilities or powers.
Setting
 Place is described easily and briefly (humble cottage, magic kingdom)
that fits the typical geography of the culture or it is not mentioned but
assumed.
 Time is in the past (usually long-ago) imbedded within the history of
the culture.
 Time is fantasy time (Once upon a time sets the stage and They lived
happily ever after closes the tale.) any time or any place, timeless or
placeless, or long long ago.
Plot
 Very simple, though interesting.
 Thought provoking to didactic.
 Is full of action and follows specific and simple patterns. The plot
starts right out with fast moving action that grabs the listeners interest
and keeps it. Conflicts are usually resolved with great deeds or acts of
human kindness related to good and bad/evil.
Theme
 Usually universal truths, lessons, and values related to people, their
actions, and/or material goods that is valued by the group that creates
the folktale.
 Often the tales tell what happens to those who do not obey the groups
traditions.
1. Problems of young adults
2. Security
3. Fear of leaving home
4. Fear of not having children
5. Fear of not being loved or giving love

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 6. Reflect basic values and concerns of different cultures
7. Good and evil
8. Right and wrong
9. Justice and injustice
10.Happiness, kindness, friendship, loyalty
11.Good triumphant over evil
12.Love and loyalty
13.Love and loyalty can transform ...
14.Discuss basic values of people
Style
 Descriptions are quick and to the point with little description and
detail.
 Plausability story is possible but not probable.
 A promise - father promises to send one daughter, if set free; promises
first son, if spin gold;
 Number three - father has three daughters and three sons, and three
weeks to return
 Magic Supernatural beings, objects (mirror, beans, golden objects)
spells, enchantments,
 Magical transformations, Character transformed by a spell and only
the love or loyalty of another character can break the spell Ugly
person casts a spell on ... Spell is broken and turns into a ...

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 Fairy Tales

Common Elements of Fairy Tales

1. A fairy tale usually begins with "Once upon a time...�

2. Fairy tales are set in the past- usually a long time ago.
3. Fairy Tales have fantasy, supernatural, or make-believe aspects.
4. They usually have clearly defined good characters vs. evil characters.
5. Royalty is usually present in a fairy tale, such as a beautiful
princess/handsome prince, castle, etc..
6. Involves magic elements, which may be magical people, animals, or
objects. Magic may be positive or negative. (examples: giants, elves, talking
animals, witches, or fairies)
7. Focus the plot on a problem or conflict that needs to be solved.

(Problem/Solution)
8. May include objects, people, or events in threes. For example, it may take
three tries to solve the problem.
9. Fairy tales usually have happy endings � �they all lived happily ever
after,� which is usually based on the resolution of the conflict or problem.
10. Fairy tales usually teach a lesson, have an underlying theme or
demonstrate values important to a culture.

Rapunzel (collected by the Brothers Grimm)

Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no
avail, wished for a child. Finally, the woman came to believe that the good
Lord would fulfill her wish. Through the small rear window of these

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people's house they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with the
most beautiful flowers and herbs. The garden was surrounded by a high
wall, and no one dared enter, because it belonged to a sorceress who
possessed great power and was feared by everyone. One day the woman was
standing at this window, and she saw a bed planted with the most beautiful
rapunzel. It looked so fresh and green that she longed for some. It was her
greatest desire to eat some of the rapunzel.
This desire increased with every day, and not knowing how to get any, she
became miserably ill. Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What ails
you, dear wife?" "Oh," she answered, "if I do not get some rapunzel from the
garden behind our house, I shall die." The man, who loved her dearly,
thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must get her some of the
rapunzel, whatever the cost." So just as it was getting dark, he climbed over
the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily dug up a handful of
rapunzel, and took it to his wife. She immediately made a salad from it,
which she devoured eagerly. It tasted so very good to her that by the next
day her desire for more had grown threefold.
Rapunzel (collected by the Brothers Grimm) Once upon a time there was a
man and a woman who had long, but to no avail, wished for a child. Finally,
the woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish.
Through the small rear window of these people's house they could see into a
splendid garden that was filled with the most beautiful flowers and herbs.
The garden was surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared enter, because
it belonged to a sorceress who possessed great power and was feared by
everyone.
One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw a bed planted
with the most beautiful Rapunzel. It looked so fresh and green that she
longed for some. It was her greatest desire to eat some of the rapunzel. This
desire increased with every day, and not knowing how to get any, she
became miserably ill. Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What ails
you, dear wife?" "Oh," she answered, "if I do not get some Rapunzel from
the garden behind our house, I shall die." The man, who loved her dearly,
thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must get her some of the
rapunzel, whatever the cost." So just as it was getting dark, he climbed over
the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily dug up a handful of
rapunzel, and took it to his wife.
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She immediately made a salad from it, which she devoured eagerly. It tasted
so very good to her that by the next day her desire for more had grown
threefold. 27 If she were to have any peace, the man would have to climb
into the garden once again. Thus, he set forth once again just as it was
getting dark. But no sooner than he had climbed over the wall than, to his
horror, he saw the sorceress standing there before him. "How can you dare,"
she asked with an angry look, "to climb into my garden and like a thief to
steal my Rapunzel? You will pay for this." "Oh," he answered, "Let mercy
overrule justice. I came to do this out of necessity. My wife saw your
Rapunzel from our window, and such a longing came over her, that she
would die, if she did not get some to eat." The sorceress's anger abated
somewhat, and she said, "If things are as you say, I will allow you to take as
much Rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must give me the
child that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take
care of it like a mother." In his fear the man agreed to everything.
When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the little girl
Rapunzel, and took her away. Rapunzel became the most beautiful child
under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the sorceress locked her in a
tower that stood in a forest and that had neither a door nor a stairway, but
only a tiny little window at the very top. When the sorceress wanted to enter,
she stood below and called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair to
me. Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. When she heard
the 28 sorceress's voice, she untied her braids, wound them around a window
hook, let her hair fall twenty yards to the ground, and the sorceress climbed
up it. A few years later it happened that a king's son was riding through the
forest. As he approached the tower, he heard a song so beautiful that he
stopped to listen. It was Rapunzel, who was passing the time by singing with
her sweet voice.
The prince wanted to climb up to her, and looked for a door in the tower, but
none was to be found. He rode home, but the song had so touched his heart
that he returned to the forest every day and listened to it. One time, as he
was thus standing behind a tree, he saw the sorceress approach, and heard
her say: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair. Then Rapunzel let down
her strands of hair, and the sorceress climbed up them to her. "If that is the
ladder into the tower, then sometime I will try my luck." And the next day,
just as it was beginning to get dark, he went to the tower and called out:

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Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair. The hair fell down, and the prince
climbed up. 29 At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as
she had never seen before came in to her. However, the prince began talking
to her in a very friendly manner, telling her that his heart had been so
touched by her singing that he could have no peace until he had seen her in
person. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would
take him as her husband, she thought, "He would rather have me than would
old Frau Gothel." She said yes and placed her hand into his. She said, "I
would go with you gladly, but I do not know how to get down.
Every time that you come, bring a strand of silk, from which I will weave a
ladder. When it is finished, I will climb down, and you can take me away on
your horse." They arranged that he would come to her every evening, for the
old woman came by day. The sorceress did not notice what was happening
until one day Rapunzel said to her, "Frau Gothel, tell me why it is that you
are more difficult to pull up than is the young prince, who will be arriving
any moment now?" "You godless child," cried the sorceress. "What am I
hearing from you? I thought I had removed you from the whole world, but
you have deceived me nonetheless." In her anger she grabbed Rapunzel's
beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left hand, grasped a pair of
scissors with her right hand, and snip snap, cut it off. And she was so
unmerciful that she took Rapunzel into a wilderness where she suffered
greatly. On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the
sorceress tied the cut-off hair to the hook at the top of the tower, and when
the prince called out: 30 Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair. …she let
down the hair. The prince climbed up, but above, instead of his beloved
Rapunzel, he found the sorceress, who peered at him with poisonous and
evil looks. "Aha!" she cried scornfully. "You have come for your Mistress
Darling, but that beautiful bird is no longer sitting in her nest, nor is she
singing any more. The cat got her, and will scratch your eyes out as well.
You have lost Rapunzel. You will never see her again." The prince was
overcome with grief, and in his despair, he threw himself from the tower.
He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell poked out his eyes.
Blind, he wandered about in the forest, eating nothing but grass and roots,
and doing nothing but weeping and wailing over the loss of his beloved
wife. Thus, he wandered about miserably for some years, finally happening
into the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably with the twins that she

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had given birth to. He heard a voice and thought it was familiar. He
advanced toward it, and as he approached, Rapunzel recognized him, and
crying, threw her arms around his neck. Two of her tears fell into his eyes,
and they became clear once again, and he could see as well as before. He led
her into his kingdom, where he was received with joy, and for a long time
they lived happily and satisfied.

Now, write your own story.

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70
 A historical fiction sample
“My Lady.” Neferura, my body servant, bowed low before me.“What’s
wrong? How did the battle go?”Neferura bit her lip. “We were defeated.
Mark Antony is storming around the palace, demanding to see you. He was
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furious that the legions he took out defected before the battle.”I sighed and
closed my eyes. First we had lost at Actium, now Mark’s legions had
defected…he was not going to be happy. I picked at an imaginary crumb on
my sheath, pondering what to do. What would Mark do to me if I answered
his summons? Was he so far gone that he’d kill me for abandoning him at
Actium?

“Neferura, you will go back to Mark and tell him I’m already dead.”She
gasped. “My Lady, he would never kill you out of rage. You have enthralled
him.”“I have no idea what he’ll do in this state; he may very well kill me.
Now go tell him I’m dead. That’s an order.”

She bowed, then ran out of my mausoleum. Ever since we came back from
the battle at Actium, I had hidden in my half-finished mausoleum. No one
would ever think of finding the Pharaoh in her own tomb. It was the perfect
hiding place.My crypt was illuminated by a single lamp and the flickering
on the painted walls made it seem even creepier. I usually had Neferura or a
slave with me, but now I was completely alone. It was so silent that I could
hear every breath I took and every set of footsteps nearing the tomb sent my
heart fluttering with fear. Was Mark going to take his anger out on me? He
couldn’t kill me, though. He loved me.

“What is it?”A pale, flushed Neferura returned. I looked closely at her eyes
and saw that she had been crying. What had Mark done to her?“My Lady,
Mark…he…stabbed himself.”“No!” I screamed. “He can’t do that! Who will
protect me now?”Neferura just stood there.“He’s still alive, but he’s dying
quickly.”“Get some slaves and bring him here. I need to see him before he
dies.”Neferura ran like the Khatyu demons were chasing after her. I waited
only five minutes in agonized silence before slaves bearing a litter rushed in.
As soon as the curtains were pulled back, the metallic stench of blood filled
my crypt.The source of that horrible smell, Mark, stumbled out of the litter
toward me, bleeding copiously from a self-inflicted wound to his stomach.
How could he leave me now, when Octavian was ready to capture me and
take over Egypt? I felt hot tears rolling down my cheek.“Don’t cry
Cleopatra, not over me.” He reached up and brushed away the tears that ran

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down my face. “You’re so beautiful.”Gods, what an idiot. I wasn’t crying
over him dying! I was crying because I was losing my key to power in
Egypt. Of course I wasn’t going to tell him that; I would humour Mark for
the last time.“How can I not cry? The love of my life is leaving me.”“We’ll
see each other again in whichever heaven we go to.” He smiled, then
grimaced. “Neferura, bring me a goblet of wine. I am the incarnation of
Dionysus; I need my god’s wonderful creation before I die.”

Neferura hurried over to my stash of food in one of the antechambers and

came back with a goblet of good Roman wine. Mark took it in his shaking
hand, then downed it in a few gulps. He sat up, grimacing the whole time
and we hugged.It was a fierce hug, the kind when you don’t know if you’ll
ever see the other person again. Mark smelled like blood and judging by the
stickiness in my stomach area, I was now covered in his blood. Lovely.

He looked at me for a few seconds, then kissed me. I could taste the blood
on his lips; why did he have to stab himself to commit suicide? Couldn’t he
have used poison? Finally, I felt him go limp in my arms. Thank the gods!
mnI unceremoniously dropped his body on the floor, then stood up. Neferura
didn’t look shocked in the least; she knew I never really cared about him.
She looked at my sheath and saw the blood, then ran back to the
antechamber to get me a new one. I scrambled to get my blood-soaked one
off and as soon as I did, I draped it over Mark’s body. The affair Mark and I
had ended as soon as he died. It was time to get a new man.

After all, Octavian was coming.

Now, write your own story.

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