The Visitor #003
Monthly story starters, writing ideas, and part-works for teaching writing at KS12.
Hi friends,
This week I am sharing a more sci fi story starter, 'The Visitor'. Inspired by the sort of b-movie openings I have always loved, and taking its launch point from the familiar setting of a class residential it hopefully has enough familiar about it to be relatable to young writers, but offers them a range of new directions they can go to based on the hooks in the first paragraphs I've given them. I hope you and they enjoy it. Hit reply or comment to let me know!
Have a great week,
Ant
✍️ Featured Story Starters
The Visitor
The curved and glistening fangs bit down hard on Jessica's hand, as too late, she saw the impossibly dark shape pounce from the soggy undergrowth. It was not just black, it was like the absence of light, as if the daylight pushing through the trees refused to touch it. She knew there must be more than just the mouth, but in her fear and shock all she could focus on were the fangs: glistening and needle sharp. Instantly she abandoned all intention of collecting her ball, as blind instinct yanked her arm back from the dense foliage. She winced, first as the teeth released, and then grazed her skin as she withdrew, and then her stumbling, tumbling backwards, to eventually land hard on her backside.
Above her the darkness stepped forward from the bushes. It was out of the shade, in plain sight, but somehow still not in the light. The next moment should have been given to getting up; should have been used to turn and run; should have been spent sprinting as fast as she could back to the camp. This was not to be. Jessica froze as her mind struggled to interpret the sight her eyes served her brain. Like a field scientist surveying wildlife to catalogue new discoveries, she searched her knowledge for some reference, something it was similar to, some family it could belong to. It was utterly unlike anything she had seen or heard about in school. Then it spoke.
Read the complete opening and support material on the website
✍️ Featured Resource
Video Setting: Garden Before Dawn
This video is a ten minute writing aid for classroom use. It is a recording of the sights and sounds in this place, no more no less. This is my garden just before dawn. The birds are in full song and the light is pushing through the bushes and trees. It is an amazing thing to hear, and would make a really interesting setting for part of an adventure story if the characters were out early to find or do something.
Quick Idea: The Forever Bus
You get on the bus home from school, but you find that the other passengers have been magically trapped on the bus for years. How will you get off again? If you stayed, what would you see?
📚 Hitting the Books…
“as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.”
Grit is an interesting and for many divisive take on the importance of perseverance and positivity on success. It builds on books like ‘Mindset’ and ‘The Power of Habit’ largely with Duckworth’s own research, much of which is US based and references the most famous examples over the average guy. In this way there is little relatable content in that part.
The later chapters are very education based, and in that part I found real value. Little of it feels like revelation, but does reinforce from a new angle what most educators already knew; that stickability and enthusiasm born of passion for your work will trump natural talent every time.
The book goes on to suggest ways to foster this, and so for that bank of useful insights I really enjoyed it. It is less clear on the definite pathway to personal grittiness, which would have been a welcome conclusion, rather than the positive cheerleading that it substitutes.
Check out Grit | Captured with Readwise
❤️ This Week's Favourites
A few links to interesting content I've been thinking about recently.
🔧Tool: Drafts (iOS and MacOS App)
Drafts is a great capture tool for getting text down quickly and deciding afterwards where ot send it. This is its key unique feature, you don’t waste time up front deciding what the text will be for, you just get it down. Drafts has a wide range of apps and tools it can send to and work with, as well as a solid tagging and status system to allow you to keep and organise your notes in Drafts itself. Macro design to allow you to make your own actions is strong, and the library of existing actions is a constantly growing resource of actions others have made and refined already. If you want to send to social, drop into an email, start a report or file in a note taking tool, you can do it all from Drafts. Type or dictate, and fine tune the interface to your own preference.
🧰 Kit: iPad
The iPad is a fantastic device both for educators to teach from and for students to use to access the curriculum. iPads are robust, with great battery life and screen quality. iOS is such a pleasure to use that an iPad in a 1:1 situation is hard to beat.
🎞 Video: TED Ed Talk: How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner
📜 ICYMI:
A few things from previous newsletters that I thought you might appreciate reminding about :-)
✍️ Story: Sam's Midnight Adventure
✍️ Idea: Ancient Ruin
🎞 Video: Pebbly River Bed Setting
📚 Book: On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft
🔧Tool: Bear (iOS App)
🧰 Kit: Microsoft Surface Pro
What else can I share with you…
🎞️ Featured Course: OneNote Course on SkillShare!
I've published a number of courses on SkillShare! Take a look at 'How to Organise EVERYTHING in OneNote'. It's my complete guide to the awesome organisation and teaching app that I use to organise everything in my life.
You can get two weeks free access to view this and any of their other courses https://geni.us/everythingonenotess
📒 Disclaimer
Some product links in this newsletter are affiliate links which means if you buy something I may get a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, but this does allow me to keep running this project.
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