Descriptosaurus: Action & Adventure

Alison Wilcox

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781317510994
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Descriptosaurus: Action & Adventure builds on the vocabulary and descriptive phrases introduced in the original bestselling Descriptosaurus and, within the context of adventure stories, develops the structure and use of the words and phrases to promote colourful cinematic writing. This essential guide will enable children to take their writing to the next level, combine their descriptions of setting and character and show how the two interact. Children can then experiment with their own adventure stories, armed with the skills, techniques and vocabulary necessary to describe their action scenes in a way that allows the reader to feel the characters' fear and excitement, and visualise the action within the setting.

This new system also provides a contextualised alternative to grammar textbooks and will assist children in acquiring, understanding and applying the grammar they will need to improve their writing, both creative and technical.

Part 1

The race

	1
	Hooks to build interest and tension

Note: Apart from aiding the flow of your writing, this chapter can also be used to stimulate quick, brainstorming activities to get your creative juices flowing by asking the questions – Why? How? When? Where? Who? What happened next? It is amazing how many stories can be created as a result of these quick activities.

OPENINGS

They realised that somehow their old life had ended and a new one was about to begin.

He would remember this moment later. When everything was normal and everyone in the room was still unaware of the approaching danger.

Although he had no idea what it meant, he could sense that it was dangerous, that it was a warning. Warning him to get away while he still could.

He could sense the danger prickling down his spine, the impending disaster. He was overwhelmed by the strange feeling that he alone could prevent it.

It was days later that he would remember that moment.

He listened carefully to the voice on the other end of the phone, but he had no idea how important this information was soon to become.

They were nervous days while he waited for the knock on the door, for the phone to ring, but they didn’t come. Not then.

He knew he...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Key elements
• Part 1 The race
• 1 Hooks to build interest and tension
• 2 The journey
• 3 Routes
• 4 Moving closer to the destination
• 5 Secret passages and tunnels
• Part 2 The chase
• 6 Followed
• 7 Hiding
• 8 Pursued
• 9 Trapped
• Part 3 The villain
• 10 Meeting the villain
• 11 Interaction with and reaction to the villain
• 12 Captured
• Part 4 Survival
• 13 Fire, explosions, earthquakes and volcanoes
• 14 In the water
• 15 Deserts
• 16 Snow, ice and avalanches
• Appendix
• Plot planning sheet
• Hero planning sheet
• Villain planning sheet
• The race
• The chase
• Survival