April Jones Prince, Children's Book Author
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What Happens When You Wonder 'What If...?'

Writing is fun! When we switch up a familiar story, it frees us to play with setting, characterization, and language in ways that are engaging and even silly—ways that get our writing juices flowing!

This presentation explores how writers generate story ideas by wondering "What If....?," and then planning, researching, and writing to see what unfolds. In particular, we'll discuss what fractured fairy tales are and how we can take established stories and infuse them with a different setting, type of character, and/or voice to create something new and exciting. I take students through the process I used to write Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates and share strategies for finding sources of inspiration and playing with language. We'll also discuss the important roles of beginning-middle-end, and the equally important role of revising, revising, revising to create a vibrant, cohesive story. (I reveal many, many drafts of my text to show that writers at all stages persevere to make their stories the best they can be. Writing is rewriting, mateys!)


If time allows, I engage the students in completing a group organizer in preparation for writing a fractured fairy tale of their own. The program lasts about 45 minutes, which includes time for questions.

This presentation is best for grades 1-6. It supports Common Core Writing Standards 3 and 4 and Reading Literature Standards 4 and 6. 
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  • Home
  • Books
    • You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer!
    • Snowy Race
    • 101 Trucks
    • Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates
    • 101 Dinosaurs
    • What Do Wheels Do All Day?
    • Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing
    • Who Was Mark Twain?
    • Who Was Frederick Douglass?
    • Jackie Robinson: He Led the Way
    • Dig In!
    • Dive In!
    • Valentine Friends
    • Meet Our Flag, Old Glory
  • In-Person Visits
    • You Are a Juicy Writer
    • From Idea to Picture Book >
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Historical Fiction version
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Fractured Fairy Tale version
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • What Happens When You Wonder 'What If...?'
    • Working With Wheels
    • Ideas! Words! Action!
    • Write What You Know
    • Be a Detail Detective
    • Share Your Story
  • Virtual Visits
    • You Are a Juicy Writer
    • From Idea to Picture Book
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • Landlubbers' Literacy Night
    • Free Virtual Mini-Visits >
      • Free Virtual Visit Inquiry
    • + Online Read-Alouds
  • For Teachers
  • For Kids
  • Literacy Resources
  • About
  • Contact