Being an author

If I am writing a non-fiction story I need to:

• Research my facts.

• Make sure I acknowledge any sources of information I’ve used.

• Represent real-life people honestly and fairly.

• Use topic-specific vocabulary.

Illustrations should help the reader to make predictions about the text.

If I use pictures from the Internet, they should be attributed to the original owner.

• True

• False

Creative Commons is an organisation which helps me source images I can legally use.

• True

• False

If I am writing a fiction story, I should use plenty of descriptive language to show not tell.

• True

• False

If I need ideas for a story I can:

• Take inspiration from books I have read and enjoyed and use ideas in a creative way so they are not completely like someone else’s work.

• Copy another text entirely and say it’s by me.

• Copy the pictures but write a different story.

• Mix it up by copying some and using some of my own.

If I am writing for 10-year-olds I need to make sure that:

• The language is suitable.

• It is not too scary and dark.

• It has a clear beginning, middle and end.

• My characters are lively and interesting.

I can use my story to teach a message:

• It if isn’t harmful in anyway.

• If it is not offensive.

• If it does not target a particular group of people.

• If it helps to spread awareness about an important issue that affects everyone, and it is completely factual.

Dialogue is:

• Thoughts that the character has, which only the reader can hear.

• A conversation between two or more characters normally shown by speech marks.

• The part of the story where the narrator is describing the scene.

• The part of the text that says who is doing the talking.

Writing a character profile can help us decide the way they act, think, and talk in the story.

• True

• False

If my characters or events are influenced by people/events I know:

• I should make it obvious that it’s about someone or a situation.

• I should exaggerate people’s behaviour to upset them or make it more funny.

• I should ask for permission and do it in a non-offensive way.

• I should give them the chance to give me feedback.