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Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Pumpkin Legend

  1. Prewriting:
    1. Read some legend literature, especially The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. (I do NOT recommend this live-action movie, however!!!) Check out McBroom Tells the Truth by Sid Fleischman and read it, also. Discuss nursery rhymes (Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-eater) and fairy tales (Cinderella) that include pumpkins.
    2. Discuss the elements of legend literature.
    3. Use the narrative elements to jot down ideas to use when writing a legend. Somewhere in your legend, a pumpkin must be included. The pumpkin may be a main character, a prop (as it is in Cinderella and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow), or part of the setting (as in "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-eater").
    4. Once you have your characters, setting, theme, and the problem and solution for the plot chosen, create a story board. A story board is similar to a comic strip; it shows the main events in a story, and includes pictures to show the characters and their setting. Colors should be used to show the mood/tone of the story events, and to help add visual detail.
  2. Drafting:
    1. Write a short story that follows your story board, but gives more detail and description.
    2. When writing, remember these general rules for paragraphing:
      • Start a new paragraph when a new character begins speaking, even if the last character only said a few words!
      • Start a new paragraph when the setting changes (for example, the characters move from inside the house to the front yard).
      • Start a new paragraph when a new event occurs (for example, the characters finished swimming in the pond, and are now beginning to fish in it).
      • Probably, each of your scenes in your story board should be at least one paragraph, and possibly several.
    3. Focus on getting the ideas across; we will work on spelling corrections and refining the story later.
  3. Revising:
    1. Read your pumpkin legend aloud. What words sound weak or strange? Change them to use better, more interesting words.
    2. Read your pumpkin legend to see if it helps the reader use their five senses to really understand your topic. Check for words and phrases that describe sights, smells, textures, sounds, and tastes associated with your topic. If you don't have any, or only one or two, try to add some "sense" words to your legend.
    3. Have you put emotion into your legend? Legends are meant to express "larger than life" characters, with big personalities.
    4. Can you identify the problem, problem-solving events, and a solution in your story?
    5. Does your story have a definite beginning (describes the setting and introduces the characters)?
    6. Does your legend have an interesting middle (events occur that are specific, in the right order, and are important to the story)? For example, do not spend several paragraphs describing what the character was eating for supper, unless that is important to understanding or solving the problem.
    7. Does your legend have a definite end (the problem is solved, or at least resolved for better or worse)? NEVER write the words "The End"...that is only for bad fairytale writers. The reader should know that they have reached the end of your story just by the way you have written about the solution events.
    8. Do you have dialogue in your legend? If not, try to add some. For example, instead of writing Sue told Todd to watch out for the big dinosaur. you could write "Todd, look out!" Sue screamed, as the four-story tall Tyrannosaurus Rex lumbered toward the pair of adventurers.
  4. Editing:
    1. Check your legend's conventions. Look for correct capitalization, spelling, and punctuation. Remember to use quotation marks to show a character's exact words.
    2. Make sure that you have followed the paragraphing rules mentioned in the Drafting section, and that each paragraph is indented on the first line.
  5. Final Copy:
    1. Choose a way to visually present your legend. Options might include handwriting it, typing it on a computer, or making a book that has illustrations as well as the text you have written.
    2. Be sure that you copy your legend carefully and neatly, so that it is easy to read and enjoy!
  6. Presenting:
    1. Read your legend aloud to an audience, or record it on tape with sound effects such as clanking chains or the sound of a fan for the wind.
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