YA author and middle school teacher Matthew Landis breaks down the elements of a story to help you build and write your own. This episode features LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech and lots of taco puns.

Stories Are Like Tacos Episode 1: Elements of a great story

Where I break down the elements of a story to help you build and write your own. Teachers can download a free Word Doc of this activity here that follows the video.

Middle school teacher and YA author Matthew Landis talks about planning and building the story's most crucial structure: THE PLOT. This (3) Step guide includes answering THE BIG THREE-Who, What, How-and turning it into a 1-sentence summary; diagramming that on a traditional story plot; and expanding the plot via a short synopsis, usually 2-4 pages.
YA author and middle school teacher Matthew Landis breaks down (2) theme building strategies: Identify the theme you're trying to communicate and build scenes that SHOW rather than tell through the plot. This episode features A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness and contains ZERO taco puns.

Stories Are Like Tacos E3: building your theme

Where I talk break down (2) strategies to build theme into your story: Identify what theme you want to communicate and then strategically plan scenes where you SHOW instead of TELL via the plot. Worksheets can be found here that follow this video.  

Stories Are Like Tacos E2: building your plot

Where I talk break down THREE STEPS to building your plot: 1) Answering The Big Three (Who, What, How) to create a 1-sentence summary, 2) adding that to a plot diagram, and 3) writing a short synopsis. Worksheets for this episode can be found here. 

I sat down with myself to talk about myself.
The trailer for the never-made biopic short of my life.

Teaching and Writing

THe Teacher

I sat down with myself to talk about myself about writing

A never-made trailer for my biopic short.