The quest for the holy grail of english teacher anchor charts: “The Map of Fiction”

“Okay future leaders of America, we’re moving into fiction today. What is fiction?” Student calls out, “Not real.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Please, remember to raise your hand and try to answer in complete sentences, but you’re exactly right. Okay, then what’s plot in fiction?”

8th graders stare back at you with a vague look, pawing at a distant memory…from just last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Don’t panic! One bright young lady raises her hand and offers, “Isn’t that the thing that looks like a mountain?”Another boy blurts out, “exhibition!” Deep breath in…and exhale, “Yes, exPOSition is part of plot. Good.”

Right now you’re thinking, “guys, you know this!”. But they don’t, or at least they don’t understand the concepts of setting, character motivations, and plot as interrelated components of a story that (grand reveal) are choices made by the author.

Our author dropped these characters into a specific world they designed with distinct and competing motivations that serve to move the plot forward towards some resolution that will illuminate a desired theme or lesson.

Easy right!? Not for young people who may be reluctant readers or have not fully grasped the concept of the author making deliberate choices in the background of a given story.

Imagine your students arrived to class with an entire map of fiction in their heads. This is my dream! I’m currently working on what I call the “map of fiction”.

If students can understand how each component interacts with the others within a story, then they will have a much easier time comprehending a story, analyzing it, discussing it in class, and most importantly appreciating the skill and craft that went into. Who knows, maybe they will be impressed enough to search out other stories by that author. And so begins a genuine love of stories and reading. Can I get an amen?

Stay tuned folks.