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One story.
Three different
jobs.
Help students develop ideas, bring them to life in words, and polish their writing with this practical Story Ninja toolkit.
15-second visual overview · Watch on Vimeo · Read the overview as a PDF
A simple way to begin
Write like
a rock star.
A musician starts with a great song, brings it to life through performance, and makes sure sour notes don’t distract the audience. Writers have three jobs too: have fun coming up with a story (create content), make pictures with words (deliver content), and remove distractions so readers can enjoy the story (edit content).
Play the overview and introduce the three jobs. Then try one stage at a time, returning to the same story as students build confidence. Keep the audience in mind throughout.
For younger writers: Begin with talking, drawing, or adult scribing. Older students can develop longer scenes and explain their choices.
Keep your audience in mind at every stage.
01 · It’s all about story
Compose (create your content)
Start with the story you want to tell and the feeling you want to create. Give students time to imagine before worrying about sentences or spelling.
A problem worth telling.
- Choose a character and a place. Decide who will hear or read the story.
- Give the character a problem. What makes it worse? How might it be solved?
- Tell a partner the beginning, middle, and end. Ask what made them curious.
Discuss: What do you want your audience to feel?
02 · Make pictures with words
Perform (deliver your content)
Now put the story into words. A first draft can be messy: the goal is to help a reader picture what is happening.
Tell it. Then write it.
- Tell a partner one moment from the story as if it really happened.
- Write that moment in your own voice. Keep moving when a word or spelling slows you down.
- Choose one action or detail to make the scene clearer in the reader’s mind.
Discuss: Which words help your reader see the scene?
03 · Make it clear for your reader.
Hit the Right Notes (edit your content)
Choose a piece to share. First revise anything confusing; then check spelling, punctuation, and other details that could distract the reader.
Look again with fresh eyes.
- Return to the writing after a break and read it aloud quietly to yourself.
- Find a few places to clarify or improve. Start with meaning, order, and word choices.
- Use the Editing Moves sheet to check the final draft before sharing it.
Discuss: Will this make sense to someone reading it for the first time?
Everything in one place
A toolkit to
keep coming back to.
Choose the resources you need for your classroom. The guides explain the approach; the illustrated Moves sheets give students reminders they can use as they work.
Print the notebook cover for your students’ writing journals.
Classroom writing workshops · Led by Sigmund
Bring these ideas
into your classroom.
If classroom workshops are part of your school’s author visit, explore the lessons Sigmund can lead with your students. Have a particular writing goal in mind? Get in touch ahead of the visit so he can tailor a workshop to your class.
More ideas for your classroom
Keep the
ideas coming.
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next step.
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