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09 March 2024

Posted by Sukie & Claire

Junior Writers – Week 9 (The Art of Writing) – Choose Your Own Adventure


Hi Writers!


In this week’s workshop we explored choose your own adventure stories, and had a go at writing our own.


In our check-in, we described our week as a type of Hat:

  • Hamish - a top hat - feels like a long tall neverending week

  • Indy - a trick hat - pranks, funny week

  • Evan - a top hat - because top = no.1! Best week ever. Science week AND red nose day

  • Marissa - top hat - a very long week


In our reading check-in we had a lot of variety again:

  • Indy - Tom Fletcher book The Danger Gang

  • Evan - diary of a wimpy kid

  • Hamish - Big Nate

  • Marissa - The School of Good and Evil


Hamish & Marissa kindly brought in some of their own books. The Fighting Fantasy series of Choose Your Own Adventure books. City of doom, scorpion swamp, house of hell, space assassin, seas of blood. [these are compelling titles for sure]


As a group we chose to read the opening of: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. We discovered a mountain, a warlock sanctuary, a dangerous journey, treasure, creatures in dungeons, magical powers and warty goblin guards. Looking at the opening of this book highlighted how important introductions are in these stories.


We read the synopsis of several Choose Your Own Adventure books: Space and Beyond, Journey Under the Sea, and House of Danger.


Then discussed some main features of these types of story:


  • Written in 2nd person

  • Main character on a quest - what's the goal or mission?

  • Choose a genre - action & adventure, fantasy, mystery?

  • Dangerous locations

  • Dilemas & choices to face. Presenting options

  • Create dead ends in the story - restart


Then it was time to have a go at writing our own. We drew maps of our locations and looked at the CYOA template


  • Evan: A rocket launch

  • Indy: go up snowy mountain

  • Hamish: underwater quest. A coral reef. The talisman of lore

  • Marissa: Mystery. Killer on the loose in a haunted mansion


We had a go at adding choices, twists and turns to our stories. Presenting high stakes options - to create drama in our adventures.


  • Evan: 1. Watch the emergency broadcast. 2. Dont watch it

  • Indy: 1. Go up the mountain. 2 Stay + open a door 

  • Hamish: 1. 1hr of oxygen, dive deeper into the abyss 2. Investigate a tunnel

  • Marissa: 1. In the haunted house a junction, go north 2. Go west


These led on to further dilemmas and challenges as the stories unfolded. The students began some great openings and adventures!



We’re looking forward to seeing everyone next week - our final session of the Spring Term!


Summer Term begins on 20th April 2024


Sign up for free at  https://www.forest-arts.co.uk/event/junior-writers-group-summer-24

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