Microstories

We have been using Storyathon.com to have a go at writing microstories. These are stories that are exactly 100 words long- not a word more, or a word less.

WE also use the One Hundred Word Challenge, 100wc.net, to also write microstories, although their word count criteria is a little bit more flexible.

Microstories force the writer to think long and hard about which words they actually need. It is challengung to open with a hook and finish with a plot twist, in just 100 words.

Here are a few of our examples. The prompt was "IT wasn't me" ...

Compound Sentences

We have been practising making compound sentences using either a comma, or a conjunction to join the two ideas together. We wrote about a mystical, mythical, made up creature, and planned what ideas we wanted to join together into one sentence.

We also practised organising our ideas into a logical sequence, and arranging these into different paragraphs.

Here's one example.

Samcu’s belong to the lizard family. They have prickly, scaly skin and toxic, oozing sores. The sores dribble out a poisonous fungus that they rub onto the bark of the Quinzal tree.

Their habitat is the hottest place on earth. They crawl around in the sands of the Sahara desert. 50 degrees heat is when they move around unprotected from the midday sun.

They eat scorpions. The scorpion sting has no effect on them. A samcu will cover themselves in sand and wait. They breathe through a snorkel that they raise up from their burrow to breathe. When they feel the vibration of a scorpion on the sand above, they spring out and attack it from behind. Their sharp, pincer teeth squeeze the scorpion around the throat until it can breathe no more.

Samcus protect themselves with their oozing, pussy venom. The smell is so vile, all other creatures will move away, leaving the samcu to live in peace.

Samcus lay a thousand eggs on top of the Saharan sand. The eggs bake hard and crusty in the baking heat. Swallows fly down and devour the eggs. When they defecate, the eggs are dropped in the poo. The liquid in the poo dissolves the egg shell and gives the baby samcu enough nutrients for them to begin to grow. Only a handful of the thousands of eggs will ever make it to adulthood.

Samcu’s would survive a nuclear war. Like cockroaches, samcu’s would rule the world as the only survivors. Let’s hope that never happens.

We also used some online drawing programmes to draw our creature.

                                            Autodraw

                                                                   Harmony

Writing - Point Of View

Through Animal Eyes

We have been working on writing from a point of view. 

We wrote as if we were an animal. 

All animals would have a different point of view in any given 

situation. The tiger stalking and sneaking up in it's prey has 

a different point of view to the deer, who is cautious 

and on guard at all times.

We wanted the reader to feel what the animal is feeling. 

We wanted to carefully set the scene.

We wanted to share what the animal was sensing.

We wanted to provide a purpose to what the animal is doing.

We wanted to use strong, specific adjectives to highlight the types of action.

We wanted to write in present tense. The action is happening now.

The Eagle

Wind ruffles my feathers, as I scan the dusty, dry horizon. Rising warm air currents make circling the skies easy. My stomach growls, begging for food. I haven’t seen anything larger than a mouse in days.

Vultures up ahead have it easy. Animals are dropping in this oppressive heat like flies, exhausted, and hungry for food. Vultures always have it easy; never having to kill their next meal, always having it handed to them, like on a plate.


A scurry in the dust to the right. I turn for a better view, cocking my head to one side, focusing my keen eye on any movement. I fluff my tail feathers out, slowing my progress. I sweep around for another look.

There! A long way from shelter, heading for the dried river bed. A hare, limping, dragging a hind leg.

I pull my wings in closer to my body. My smooth, sweeping  glide turns into an accelerated nose dive. At the last split second I thrust my talons out, ripping and tearing at the flesh of my victim, my next meal.

Get New Zealand Writing...

We have received a parcel from Carisbrook School in Caversham, Dunedin. It was part of a promotion set up by Warehouse Stationery called Get New Zealand Writing. The parcel included messages written on postcards and posters.

We sent them our thoughts and messages as well. We wrote some metaphors about ourselves on the back of a postcard. The postcards fit together to share a message. 

Here are some of our metaphors we wrote about ourselves...

Pyper is a rubber band waiting to be stretched.
Albie is an Olympic athlete running through the race of life.
Epeli is a dog that is always there when you need help.
Reno is a calculator waiting for its next equation.
Alyssa is a breeze blowing people away.
Lavenitani is an actress waiting for a role in a dramatic movie.
Jaymee is a bottle ready to be flipped.

Our message says, "Talk to people who help you see the world differently."