Writing tip nº 5: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF…? (2nd Conditional)

This writing technique proposed by Rodari in his 'The Grammar of Fantasy' uses hypotheses to make up stories.

It's quite easy because you only have to randomly choose a subject and a verb, possibly logically disconnected one from another. 

For example: 

bath / fly

toy / speak

cow / give an interview

mountain / walk

Oklahoma City / is surrounded by the sea

candies / rain

Rollerblades / travel through time

etc.

More ideas:

What would happen if a cow was interviewed by Oprah?

What would happen if you could walk on a rainbow?

What would happen if your school was a boat?

What would happen if you could speak Chinese?

What would happen if all the cars in your city couldn't move?

What would happen if you could pop into your favorite program right through your own TV?

Your students can answer the question using their imaginative skills and create really amusing and fun stories.

The more they can talk about their own lives and experiences the more they will be able to enhance their essays.

Actually, why don't you use this writing tip to create an unusual school bulletin? 

It would be challenging and entertaining!

In the picture: What would happen if a glass elevator got into an Earth orbit?
Illustrator: Ashlyn Anstee


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Writing Tip nº4: THE FAIRY-TALE SALAD

If you've been reading my latest posts about books, you would certainly have  noticed a common theme (imprint?): the fact that some characters of a fairy tale, in some way, land in another one and meet its protagonist, giving birth to new tales or even novels.

It's the case of Hansel and Gretel in Gidwitz's book 'A Tale Dark and Grimm', but also of 'Witch Hazel' who moves from the story of Snow White to Hansel and Gretel.

But he most famous example, I can think of, is certainly the story of the ogre 'Shrek': a worldwide known case of fairy-tale salad.

Chapter twenty of 'The Grammar of Fantasy' by Gianni Rodari talks about this possibility of mixing different fairy tales to create new adventures and new developments of old and well-known stories. 

It's interesting because young readers have to deeply know the characters' inner worlds and the landscapes they move in to do this experiment of literature.

It's a good excuse for an accurate text analysis.

So, let your children think about what could happen if Little Red Riding Hood met Tom Thumb in the wood and if Pinocchio arrived at Granny's house: the Wolf would get every single tooth of his mouth completely destroyed!

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