Observing and describing in Storm Boy 6: Describing action

Find a quiet spot near people and go into observer mode. Look for something happening that you could turn into an action scene. Naturally you’ll need to use your imagination and exaggerate events to make it spectacular - if a genuine crisis is happening we're not suggesting you just sit there and observe! If you like what you come up with, write it down.

Ever heard of the term ‘cliffhanger’? It’s when a story ends suddenly at a tense or unanswered point in the story. It encourages the reader to read the next chapter (or keep watching if it’s a television show). The term ‘cliffhanger’ came about when there were movie serials—often it would literally be a character hanging off the cliff! You’d have to come back to the cinema next time to see how they were saved.

The next time you’re reading a chapter book, especially one with a lot of action, look at how the writer creates ‘cliffhangers’ to keep you reading.

All hope was lost, and our hero was about to fall to their death, when suddenly...

Storm Boy by Colin Thiele is a classic Australian story that follows friendship between Storm Boy and a pelican he raised called Mr Percival. The book concentrates on other relationships too - his dad Hide-Away Tom, their friend Fingerbone Bill, three rescued pelicans and the wild coastal environment where they live and enjoy a solitary life.

The story has been turned into a play, a film (twice!), and even a video game. The images you see in this course are from the first film version of the story.