What inspires you?

Think of your favourite story. Do you know where the author got the idea for this story? Many authors use their own lived experiences as inspiration for their writing.

Access the following video, “Like Science Fiction? You Should Try Indigenous Stories.” In this short video, Drew Hayden Taylor, a science fiction writer from Curve Lake First Nations, shares some of his sources of inspiration, based on Indigenous stories.

• Let’s reflect on the video together. Consider the following questions: How might this make you think differently about the stories that we are told and the ones we tell, and who or where do the ideas come from?
• Where else might we see the influence of Indigenous stories? Where does your own inspiration come from?

Test Your Skills

Think fast

In this next activity, you are going to need to think fast! We will be doing a brainstorming sprint to help you generate many different story ideas in a short amount of time.

Before we start:

• Start by grabbing a piece of paper
• Then, fold it in half
• After that, fold it in half a second time
• Finally, fold it in half a third time

You should have eight sections on each side of your page. If you don’t have access to paper, you can record your brainstorming in an audio clip or digitally.

For each of the eight sections, you will have one minute to draw and/or write a story idea. Try to come up with a different idea each time. The timer will tell you when it is time to move on to the next section.

Get ready, get set, go!

The best idea wins

Review the eight story ideas you have included on your page. Is there one that stands out to you as the best? Are there pieces of other ideas you might combine into one great idea? Write and/or draw your very best idea at the end of your document or on the back of the page.

Let me tell you a story…

Now that you have selected your story idea, it’s time to begin the writing process. Think about how you might introduce the story. How will you hook or engage your reader? From the very first line, you want your reader to be so interested in the story that they feel they must keep reading. Here are a few story starter ideas:

• begin with a question
• describe the setting
• start with a surprising sound
• explain a strange or mysterious situation
• reveal the ending

In your journal, begin creating a draft of the first paragraph of your story. As you write, you may find it helpful to read each line out loud.

Feedback

Share your opening paragraph with a partner, if possible. Think about the following:

• Does the paragraph make sense?
• Is the idea clear?
• Can this idea be developed into a full story with a beginning, middle, and end?
• What needs to be added or changed to improve the idea?

Answer these questions in your journal and use them to revise your writing.

The plot thickens…

With a strong opening, you can begin thinking about the rest of your story. Who are the main characters? What challenges will your characters face? How does it end? Is there a solution to the problem? Use one of the following ideas to map out where your story will go next:

• do another brainstorming sprint
• use a graphic organizer
• take jot notes
• create a mind map
• create a storyboard

When you are finished mapping out your story, if you are able, meet with your peer-editing partner again. Does your story still make sense? What questions need to be answered? What are your next steps?

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.