Y05W04WR The New Student and the Unexpected Event

Part 1

How to Write

Narrative – Short story

A short story draws a reader into a character’s world and carries them through an experience that changes something. It is written for an audience who wants to be engaged and moved — not just informed. The tone is vivid and personal, making the reader feel present in the moment and curious about what comes next.

  • Ideas & content: Give your character a clear situation and a problem or tension that matters. Include specific details rather than general descriptions, and make sure something genuinely changes by the end.
  • Structure & cohesion: Move from orientation to complication to resolution. Use paragraph breaks to shift scenes or time, and connect moments with time words and action to keep the story moving forward.
  • Voice & audience: Find a consistent narrative voice that brings the reader close to the character’s experience. Show feelings through actions and reactions — not just by stating them.
  • Language choices: Choose strong verbs and sensory detail. Use dialogue to reveal character. Vary sentence length — shorter sentences create tension, longer ones build atmosphere.
  • Conventions: New speaker, new line — every time. Use speech marks correctly. Keep your tense consistent throughout.

Common pitfalls: Starting too slowly with too much backstory — get into the situation quickly and let detail emerge naturally. Telling the reader how a character feels instead of showing it through what the character does.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a story about the new student’s arrival and the unexpected event that follows.

Stimulus: A new student arrives at your school mid-year. Everyone assumes they will be shy and quiet. Within a week, something unexpected happens that changes what the whole class thinks about them — and about themselves.

Task Analysis: This is a story about surprise. The new student seems quiet at first, but then something shows everyone they were wrong. Show what you all thought, then show what actually happens. Make the surprise real.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • Who is the new student? — give them a name
  • What everyone thinks at first — shy? Quiet? Nervous?
  • What happens that surprises everyone — what does the student do?
  • How it changes things — what is different after?

Opening strategy

Start with the first day the new student arrives. Show what everyone thinks when they see them. Make it clear what the class expects.

Show, don’t tell details

When the surprise happens, show it through what the student does and says. Let the reader feel the shock along with the class. Use specific actions, not just ‘they did something amazing.‘

Resolution & change

End by showing how the class feels differently now. What do they understand that they did not know before?