Fiction Stories ~ Introduction

My students have found the following organizing tool very helpful in structuring plots: somebody - somewhere - wants something - but - so - finally. However, I often find that it is difficult for students to think creatively about what their character might “want.”

To support them in this step, we study several different short fiction books written in the style I want my students to learn. After reading each book together we discuss what we think was the general goal of each main character. I also guide my students in looking at how the writer demonstrated to us what this character’s goal was, pointing out that the writer rarely actually spells out the character’s desires directly. 4th and 5th grade students are able to explore 5 different types of general character goals. These broad character goals give my students enough structure to be able to create specific plots that are cohesive and create an interesting story.

Five General Character Goals

For 3rd grade I would recommend perhaps limiting your study to the two or three you think your students will find most interesting. In 2nd grade, focusing on just one character goal and reading more example of story plots with this focus is a beneficial way to get started. Of course, there are always those students who have read widely and already have an innate sense of plot, whose creativity is bound to spill over and surprise us.