Year 9 Mini-sagas

A mini-saga is:
- a short piece of writing containing exactly 50
words, plus a title of up to 15 words. However, the
title requirement is not always enforced and
sometimes eliminated altogether. Mini sagas are
alternately known as microstories and ultra-shorts.
The idea was originally made up by writer Brian
Aldiss and the newspaper The Daily Telegraph,
which has held several minisaga competitions.
(Wikipedia)
Harry Potter lives with his aunt, uncles and cousin
because he is an orphan. He is made to live under the
stairs. Then a giant called Hagrid tells him he is a
wizard and is to go to Hogwarts School. He has
lessons in magic and learns to play a game called
Quidditch.  Harry’s best friends are Hermione
Granger and Ron Weasley. Harry tries to find the
Philosopher’s Stone but is stopped by a three headed
dog called Fluffy. Hermione helps him work out a way
of getting past the dog. In the end, he defeats the
evil wizard Voldemort.

100 word summary

Life’s dull for orphan Harry Potter who lives under the
stairs with his aunt, uncle and cousin Dudley Dursley.
Enter Hagrid the giant with the news: “You’re a wizard,
Harry!” Whisked off to Hogwarts School of Magic, Harry
meets know-all Hermione Grainger and reliable Ron
Weasley. Here he learns about spells, potions and
Quidditch, a game played on broomsticks. Its’ not all fun
and flying though, as Harry outwits his potion master,
Severus Snape, dodges a three headed dog and confronts
his evil nemesis, Voldemort. Aided by loyal friends
Hermione and Ron, Harry triumphs and Voldemort
disappears defeated.  For now.

100 word mini saga

Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter lives with his
aunt, uncles and cousin
because he is an orphan. He is
made to live under the stairs.
Then a giant called Hagrid
tells him he is a wizard and is
to go to Hogwarts School. He
has lessons in magic and
learns to play a game called
Quidditch.  Harry’s best
friends are Hermione Granger
and Ron Weasley. Harry tries
to find the Philosopher’s
Stone but is stopped by a
three headed dog called
Fluffy. Hermione helps him
work out a way of getting past
the dog. In the end, he
defeats the evil wizard
Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the
Mini-sagas Philosopher’s Stone
should: Life’s dull for orphan Harry
• Have a Potter who lives under the
beginning, stairs with his aunt, uncle and
cousin Dudley Dursley. Enter
middle and Hagrid the giant with the news:
end “You’re a wizard, Harry!”
• Be in the Whisked off to Hogwarts School
of Magic, Harry meets know-all
style of the Hermione Grainger and reliable
novel Ron Weasley. Here he learns
• Be exactly about spells, potions and
Quidditch, a game played on
100 words broomsticks. Its’ not all fun and
flying though, as Harry outwits
his potion master, Severus
Snape, dodges a three headed
dog and confronts his evil
nemesis, Voldemort. Aided by
loyal friends Hermione and Ron,
Harry triumphs and Voldemort
disappears defeated.  For now.
Start by summarising the novel you have read.

Make sure it has a beginning, middle and end.

Count the words.

Check style – appropriate vocabulary and tone.

Interesting to read. Does it make sense as a story?

Cut down (or build up) to 100 words.

Peer assess for all of the above.

Writing your own

The beginning and middle
"I accept," he whispered.
"Good," said the General, "then you are
reprieved."
"Executions begin at dawn, your job is to fit the
nooses and push the condemned off the scaffold
edge."
"Will I wear a hood?"

An original (50 word) mini-saga

with a twist
The ending
"No," said the General gently, "but your father
and your brother will be blindfolded."

*The ending
My 6'6" neighbour is gardening when Mother sees
him.
"He's naked," she whispers.
"He's a nudist," I whisper back. "Always gardens
at sunset."
Sweat streaks his copper skin: the sky is the
colour of pumpkins. Mother looks rattled.
I give her two sherries.

And another
Within days she's taking walks at sunset.

And the twist

Listen to the story ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’. Think
about the middle and the twist at the end.

The beginning: Kind and sympathetic Mary waits

for her irritable and bad-tempered husband to
come home.
The middle:

The twist:

A story with ‘a twist in the

tale’
* Plan your story working out the twist.
* Write it in as few words as you can.
* Edit for style – precise and imaginative
sentences and vocabulary.
* Cut down to exactly 100 words.

Write your own