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01 March 2025

Posted by Frankie

Junior & Young Writers: Week 7 - Greek Hero Stories [the 12 labours of Hercules]

Hi Writers,
Continuing our Greek mythology theme this week, we explored the legendary tales of Greek heroes.
To start, the group checked in by describing their week using a chore and a reward. Some memorable examples included making the bed as a chore after a sleepover, with the reward being everyone finally going home. Another was school as the chore, with sleep as the much-needed reward.
We then warmed up with a game of Buzzy Bees, which we adapted to fit our theme, renaming it Greek Gods and Goddesses. Afterward, we discussed the Twelve Labours of Hercules, which led into our first writing exercise:
Create a list of twelve impossible chores.
  • Make them as difficult and outlandish as you can.
  • Add problems—supernatural/superhuman.
  • Who or what is hindering your hero? How?
  • Can you think of any solutions?
  • What qualities does your hero need to succeed?
  • Is anyone helping them?
  • What happens once the chores are completed—if they ever are?
Using these prompts, the group created stories and poems about a hero tackling their twelve tasks. Another option was to interview Hercules after his famous labours—what was it like? How did he feel?
Here are some of the fun ideas that emerged:
  • Indie wrote a story where her bedroom was flooded with lava, and Hercules had to come to the rescue.
  • Juno crafted a tale where all the zodiac signs gathered at Stonehenge to prepare for their own heroic challenges.
  • Eddy and Evan each devised their own lists of impossible chores.
  • Henry J. imagined himself and his Pokémon partner venturing through the jungle in search of a monster to slay.
  • Henry R. trapped his hero in prison, assigning them twelve gruelling tasks to earn their freedom.
  • William recruited Hercules to help clean his room—only this wasn’t an ordinary mess; it was filled with scorpion soldier ants and fire-breathing lizards!
In our second group, the check-in continued with more creative responses. One person described hoovering while trying to listen to music—an impossible task—while another said their reward for finishing homework was getting to watch a whole three minutes of TV!
For our warm-up activity, the group invented ancient languages and practiced having conversations using their new dialects. Then, after reviewing Hercules’ Twelve Labours, we dove back into writing.
Here are some fab ideas from the second session:
  • Leo devised a list of truly impossible tasks.
  • Chloe created a character who had to complete a series of challenges before they could marry.
  • Sonny created a humorous list of chores, including capturing a spider with infinite legs using just a cup and a piece of paper.
  • Ava's list of chores never ended—every time one was completed, another was added.
  • Berry’s list, in stark contrast, ended in death…
  • Daisy took inspiration from a book she was reading, continuing the main character’s story as they awoke to find themselves assigned tasks by the Gods.
  • Catherine came up with a hilarious challenge: stealing a three-headed chihuahua from an old lady!
Both groups showcased an incredible range of imagination, proving that even the most dreaded chores can become the foundation of epic adventures.

Keep reading, keep writing.
:)

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