Narelle Oliver: Hands-on Writing Workshop: Writing narrative from non-fiction sources (animal hunting stories)

Session description:

This session follows on from or includes a 30 minute version of Narelle’s Creation of a Picture Book Demonstration which introduces her hunting stories: The Hunt, High Above the Sea, and Home.

Before Narelle conducts this workshop, students are required to do some simple research into a hunting animal, its habitat and a variety of three prey. A template is provided to assist with the organisation of this information. In the workshop, students are initially immersed in hunting animal images, concepts, and descriptive language through a nature documentary video/DVD.

Narelle provides a ten step plot for a satisfying and logical hunting story. Students are taken plot step at a time, writing a paragraph for each plot point, using the animals and settings they have researched. In creating each paragraph, writing skills and concepts listed below are discussed and demonstrated. Significant attention is given to the introductory paragraph which describes the hunter in its microhabitat, using strategies to help students imagine the details of this scene, with all their senses.

Topics:

Using information and concepts presented in non-fiction sources to create an exciting authentic hunting story. A writer’s bag of skills: attention to five senses in description, effective similes, effective movement words, use of short sentences and sound effects, attention to detail rather than generalisations. Using the logic and accuracy of real pheonomena in the natural world to create effective plots. Boredom busters: Using variety and building suspense. Writing confidently: taking out unnecessary clutter words.