by Jan McDonald - St. Cloud Times

EXTENDING THE STORYA. Compare and contrast the fantasy of war and the reality of war as seen throughJonathan’s eyes.Fantasy of WarReality of WarB. Avi uses a unique form for his story where the action takes place over a 24 hour period.Keep an hour by hour account of one of your own days. It could be a particular school daythat everyone agrees on, or a day remembered as a special occasion. After the writing isfinished, go over your word choice and voice to do your best to recreate that special day.The goal is for a reader to feel as if he/she is experiencing your day.C. Writing ideas can come from anywhere...“One day, while driving to my home-- which was then in New Jersey--I noticed a sign by the sideof the road. The sign told about a tiny little battle--the sign said "skirmish" --that had taken placeright at that spot during our Revolutionary War. Nothing important happened, just a little bit ofwar.But I started to think about that little battle, and how, though little, it must have made a majorimpact on some people. After all, the sign said a few people died. It was thinking about that eventthat helped me to create this book.” -AviThe next time you drive through your own town, pay attention to any little thing - a sign, aposter, an event, a building, a news article - that might be a springboard for a story. Now write thatstory.25