Post on 08-Apr-2022
Sequence of writing x 1 week – writing competition
Introduce BBC short story competition
Plan mini saga (short story)
Writing skill
Write mini saga
Edit and submit
This week you are going to write a mini story
around the theme ‘A Wander In The Woods’.
This is a national competition for young writers
presented by the BBC. I would love to submit all
your stories as part of the competition. If your
story is chosen as a winning entry, you can win all
sorts of prizes from the BBC and your story will be
published.
Writing Competition
You’re going to watch a short video to
introduce you to the activity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27TQm3sXXHI
Then we’ll learn more about a mini saga and what you
could write about.
Video
What is a mini saga?
A mini saga is a story told in only 100
words!
This is a very short story so every word
needs to be thought about carefully.
You need to get as much excitement as
possible into only a few lines!
The 3 Golden Rules
1. Be original! Your work can be
inspired by other stories, but add a
twist to make it your own!
2. Keep to the 100-word limit – make
every word count!
3. Remember that mini sagas must
have a beginning, a middle and
an end!
How to take part....
Once you have drafted your mini saga
either by hand or on the computer, you
will then be given a link.
That link will take you to a writing portal.
You then type your story into the
writing portal.
Before you start writing, let’s think of some
ideas to write about...
To help you write your mini saga here are 8 story starters, choose
one to inspire your Wander in the Woods story...
1. There must be a way out...
2. I heard a noise behind me...
3. In the distance, I saw...
4. It was getting dark...
5. I found ...
6. Once upon a time...
7. I arrived at the secret meeting place...
8. I’d escaped...
1. There must be a way out...
You could:
• Be lost or missing
• Be trapped somewhere, like a cave
• Be in a maze
• Have fallen into a hole
• Be in fog
• Be in bad weather
• Be hiding from someone or something
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
2. I heard a noise behind me...
What could it be...? What about...
• An animal
• A monster or mythical creature
• A lost child
• A vehicle
• The weather; the wind or thunder
• An escaped prisoner
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
3. In the distance, I saw...
• A hidden door
• A portal
• A campfire
• A house made of straw
• A cave
• A person or creature
• A missing pet
• A church
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
4. It was getting dark...
You could write about:
• Ghosts or forest spirits
• Setting up camp
• Nocturnal wildlife
• A monster party
• Witches, wizards, goblins and fairies
• How you’d feel in the woods in the dark
• Looking for someone or something
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
5. I found ...
• Treasure
• A pharaoh’s tomb
• A magic object
• A spooky graveyard
• A ticket
• A snowman’s ball
• A spaceship
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
6. Once upon a time...
• Retell a fairy story
• Write a recount
• A day in the life of
• Write your story on any theme
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
7. I arrived at the secret meeting place...
You could be:
• A spy
• In a secret club
• A criminal
• A runaway
• About to solve a crime or mystery
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
8. I’d escaped...
From:
• Homework club
• Prison
• A wild animal
• A witch
• Earth
• Under a lake or waterfall
If you wrote this number down as your favourite story
starter, do you like the ideas? Note down which one is
your favourite!
Planning
You should have a story starter that you like and
an idea of what to write about.
Take a minute to note down any ideas for your mini
saga.
When planning your mini saga think about:
• What is the beginning, middle and end?
• Will the ending have a twist or be humorous?
• Will you write in 1st or 3rd person?