Grammaropolis
The Writing Company · The Mayor hosting

Write a Story Practice

1 Learn Start here
2 Assess Take the quiz
3 Practice Try it out
4 Create Make your own
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The Mayor portrait

The Mayor says

Before you write your own, let us sharpen your eye. A writer who can spot the sentence that shows, and tell it from the one that only reports, can build either on purpose.

Three ways to sharpen your eye before you write your own. No grades here, just practice.

Shows or tells?

Send each sentence to where it belongs.

Match the move to the sentence

Tap a craft move on the left, then the sentence that uses it on the right.

The move

The sentence

Finish the plan

Here is the Mayor's story plan for the shelter season, with one answer missing. Which note belongs in the blank?

  • Who? Me, Priya at the front desk, and a boxer mix named Biscuit.
  • What do I want to do? Get Biscuit adopted for good and off the return board.
  • What happens when I try?  
  • How does it end? Mr. Okafor takes him after Priya walks him through what the dog needs, and the name never goes back up.