A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Today, you will have a chance to write a narrative based on the above picture. You can find this picture in our workspace in FirstClass. Please save this picture in your MyPictures folder of your computer so it will be easy to upload to your blog. The rest of this post has instructions for you to follow. Please remember the key elements of narrative writing:

*Focuses a clear, well-defined incident or series of related events.
*Develops plot, character, and setting with specific detail.
*Orders events clearly.
*Uses description and dialogue as appropriate to develop setting and character.
*Shows events rather than just telling about them.
*Establishes and maintains a tone and point of view.
*Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization, such as chronological order, flashback, or flash-forward.
*Uses transitional words and phrases to maintain coherence and establish sequence within and between paragraphs.

The above picture tells a story. I want you to first brainstorm words and ideas about the image before you begin writing. Your story can tell what leads up to this picture or it can narrate the events that follow. Write from one character's point of view, his/her feelings, and thoughts.

A planning tool you may find useful is the Time Line Tool, which is also linked to on a document in our FirstClass workspace. You can use it to sketch out the sequence of events for your narrative. After you've done your planning, sign in to your blog and title this new post, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." Upload the above photo from your computer onto this new post and begin your narrative. When you are done, proofread your post before you publish it. Then, you may read and leave constructive comments on other people's stories.

This lesson was adapted and revised for our class from a lesson found on ReadWriteThink. I hope you like it!