Planning your story like an author

English · Writing Composition · ages 10-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which of these is a specific authorial technique for character development you could name from a mentor text?
- The book was interesting
- Showing, not telling
- The chapter had ten pages
Which of these shows a character's fear instead of telling it?
- Tom's hands shook at the door.
- Tom was scared.
- Tom felt very frightened inside.
A good way to plan a setting is to copy the exact words an author used.
Circle one: True False
Priya read a story where the author showed a brave character by having her step forward when others stepped back. Priya wants to plan her own brave character. What should she do?
- Plan an action that shows her character being brave, like the mentor text did
- Copy the exact sentence from the book
- Just write 'the character is brave' in her plan
In a mentor text, an author describes a forest through creaking branches, damp moss, and a cold wind. Which technique is this?
- Showing character through dialogue
- Telling the reader directly what to feel
- Building setting with sensory details
Which planning note best borrows a 'showing' technique for a nervous character?
- 'Character is nervous'
- 'Character: taps foot, avoids eye contact, quiet voice'
- 'Character appears in scene 2'
Zara studied a mentor text where the author built a spooky setting with cold air, flickering light, and creaking floors. For her own beach setting, Zara plans warm sand, salty air, and crashing waves. Is Zara correctly applying the technique?
Circle one: True False
Ben plans his character by writing 'She is kind.' He read a mentor text where kindness was shown through the character sharing her lunch with a hungry classmate. What is missing from Ben's plan?
- A longer sentence
- The character's name
- An action or moment that shows kindness, like the mentor text did

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Planning your story like an author W1-mt_j6ENpc8--_-s1

Showing, not telling · A specific technique names what the author did, like showing feelings through actions, not a general opinion.
Tom's hands shook at the door. · Showing uses actions and details, like shaking hands, instead of naming the feeling directly.
False · You borrow the technique, like using sound and smell, not the exact words. Your setting should be your own.
Plan an action that shows her character being brave, like the mentor text did · Planning means borrowing the technique, showing bravery through action, not copying words or just stating the trait.
Building setting with sensory details · The author uses sound, touch, and temperature to build the setting, a sensory-detail technique.
'Character: taps foot, avoids eye contact, quiet voice' · This note shows nervousness through specific actions, the technique borrowed from a mentor text, instead of naming the feeling.
True · Zara adapted the sensory-detail technique to fit her own setting instead of copying the spooky details exactly.
An action or moment that shows kindness, like the mentor text did · Ben names the trait but has not planned an action to show it. Borrowing the technique means planning a specific moment.