Really Big or Really Little

Many people have wondered what it would be like to be a different size. There are stories of giants like Paul Bunyan and the one who met his unfortunate end when Jack chopped down his beanstalk. There are also stories of very tiny people, like Thumbelina and the inhabitants of Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels. Maybe you’ve read about Alice who grew larger and smaller by eating cake or drinking from a mysterious bottle. Popular movies have covered this too, including the adventures of the Szalinski family in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.

Here’s your chance to imagine being either enormous or itty-bitty.

This week, we’d like you to write a story in which you spend a day as a really big or a really little person. You get to decide which. Think about what a day would be like if you were a completely different size. What adventures might you have?

Stories like this can tend to get pretty long, so here are some tips to keep it brief:

• Keep the introduction short. You’ll want to spend most of the story on what happens to you as a really big or little person. Don’t spend a lot of time explaining how you got that way. In fact, you can just leave it a mystery if you want.

• Think it through before you start writing. We’d recommend creating an outline. That way you won’t waste time on things that aren’t worth it. Be sure to include a good ending. You don't have to turn in the outline if you choose to use one.

• Limit the action. I’m sure you could think of dozens of interesting things that might happen on your odd-sized day. Pick the three best and limit your story to two or three interesting adventures.

• Include necessary description. Don’t skip over descriptive parts. A good story helps the reader see, hear, and feel. Just don’t spend so much time describing scenes that you don’t have time for the action.

How long should it be?  We don’t want you to worry too much about length. It all depends on what kind of story you are telling. Just be sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end, and keep it under five (5) double-spaced pages.

What if I don’t do it right? Don’t worry about that either. There is no single right way to tell a story. You can’t do it wrong. Your writing coach is there to help and will suggest ways to improve your work. Just tell the story any way you’d like. You’ll have two chances to make changes to improve the story before we’re through.

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