Contributor: Kristen Gardiner. Lesson ID: 10562
When you are sick, don't you want it to end? If something is making you sad or upset, don't you want it to be over with? So do storybook characters! Learn how to solve "their" problems in your story!
What are some things that hurt that a bandage can't fix? It's time to learn to solve the big problems you created!
You have had your share of cuts and scrapes that were covered with one of these, right?
When you get hurt, a bandage (and sometimes a hug) is usually all it takes to make everything better. Sometimes, however, bandages just aren't enough.
Welcome to the sixth and final lesson on writing The Fictional Narrative. If you missed, or need to review, the previous lessons, you can find them under Related Lessons in the right-hand sidebar.
If you made it this far, way to go! You're almost done with your story book.
Your dwarf was in a bad situation when you left him. Remember, a story structure is like a roller coaster or a sliding board. It takes a while to get to the top; then you're stuck up there for a bit, but getting down (although sometimes a little scary) is the quickest part. Now, it's time to get your dwarf out of his mess and back down on the ground where he belongs.
Unfortunately, there isn't a standard, bandage-like fix for every story (just like they can't fix all the things that hurt). However, much like a bandage, the faster you pull it off, the easier it is to do. You already spent your time building up to the problem. Your poor dwarf can't take a slow, painful ride to the bottom.
Once the Evil Queen gives Snow White the poisoned apple, and Snow While falls asleep, the Dwarfs have no idea what to do. They don't even know about the prince, so they spend their time by her side — Until one day, the prince, who had been looking for Snow White, was able to wake her with a single kiss.
Settle down for a few minutes to watch the end scene of the movie:
Snow White And the Seven Dwarfs _ A Happy Ending from Noah Kiiko:
Wrap things up nicely and neatly in your story, too!
First, go back and study your climax, or major problem. If you recall in our example, Sleepy is in a great big mess because he is in a fight with Lola (the girl he loves) and his best friend, Grumpy.
Well, it is fiction, so brainstorm your options. Here are some ideas:
Discuss with your teacher or parent some other ideas for fixing the situation.
Now, think of some things the other characters may do to help solve the problem. It isn't all Sleepy's fault, after all.
Once you have some ideas on how to problem solve in fiction, it's time to start making your dwarf's life easier.
You are absolutely right!
It's time to grab your blank paper and colored pencils!
Let's begin with a circle that says "Solution" in the middle:
Next, think of all the things your character can do to help solve the problem. Write them down in purple, and draw a red box around them. Then, draw a line to connect the boxes to the circle.
Your page should look something like this:
Great! Now, write down all of the things the other characters can do to help resolve the problem. Use blue to write the solutions this time, and draw green triangles around them. Then, connect your triangles back to the main circle.
Your page should look something like this:
Now, you have to sort through your ideas to see which one works best in your story. You will also need to include three lines of dialogue in your resolution to make it more realistic. Dialogue is when you write down the words that someone speaks.
For example,
After thinking about it for a while, I grabbed my pillow and went downstairs to find Grumpy. I walked up to him and held out the pillow.
"Here," I said. "I want you to have this."
"No," Grumpy said grumpily. "It's yours, and I'm sorry I tried to take it."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Happy opened the door. It was Lola.
"Look what I have!" she said excitedly.
She held up two brand-new, matching pillows: one for me, and one for Grumpy. I am the luckiest dwarf in the world!
Read over the passage a few times.
Look at each line of dialogue and make a list:
"Here," I said. "I want you to have this."
Let's look at the next line of dialogue:
"No," Grumpy said grumpily. "It's yours and I'm sorry I tried to take it."
Finally, Lola's quote is just a little bit different from the others:
"Look what I have!" she said excitedly.
Wow, you just accomplished a lot! Take a minute to let it all soak in.
Then move on to the Got It? section for more practice and your rough draft!