Who or what is the antagonist-the person or thing that attempts to keep the main character from their goal? This first question might sound obvious, but getting students to clearly state what their character wants goes a long way towards helping them to figure out the direction of their story. Who is your main character and what do they want? Click here for a free printable PDF of these questions. You might also use class time to answer these questions so that students can brainstorm together and ask you questions when they arise-and so that you can push them to think deeper when they want to answer superficially. I usually have students complete these questions after they have gotten inspired and have a good idea of their topic. I have found that they are quite effective in pushing students to structure their work so that a reader wants to read what they write. Over the years, I have developed some questions for teaching plot.
It’s not enough to simply explain the required pieces or share a diagram with students-they need to understand how to integrate the elements into their own work. So when I assign creative writing to my classes, I want to make sure that they understand the concept of plot.īut teaching plot isn’t always easy. This means that I will go to great lengths to help my students write the most compelling pieces they can. The more fun I have reading their work, the more willing I am to assign writing assignments, and the more opportunity they get to improve their writing.