Author’s Craft Section
What to do:
1. Identify the 3 most powerful crafts your author used in BOTH books.
2. Choose the 5 total best examples from both books
3. Write a paragraph explaining the 3 crafts and how they helped make the story better. Each craft should be explained in its own sentence.
4. For each craft:
- Use a heading introducing the craft
- Give each example (total of 5)
- For each example, state why the author used this craft (purpose) and how it made the book better.
MODEL:
Catherine Forde’s Unique Style of Writing
Throughout both Fat Boy Swim and Firestarter Catherine Forde used amazing imagery to create mood and help the reader visualize the settings and events in the story. It was easy to picture how the characters felt. You could see it as a movie taking place in your head wanting to help them in every situation. She also used great dialogue and dialect to create authentic, life-like characters who added to the mood of the story. Their accents and word choices were how people would actually talk to each other. This helped it ring true as if the people were people you know. Her use of italics throughout both books helped to emphasize and portray the characters’ thoughts. She used italics to show thoughtshots throughout the stories. I really liked this technique as it made it seem as you were walking in the character’s shoes and could feel the same anger, happiness, etc. It brought the emotion of the situation to life. Catherine Forde knows how to relate her books to teens.
Imagery
“Inside, Jimmy didn’t feel like Smelly Kelly, Fat Boy Fat. Of course not. He was just – a teenager. Normal in every way. Apart from his size. His bedroom was a pit. His feet stank. He hated getting up on school mornings. If any of his classmates scratched away a layer or two of fat they’d find a teenage heart like theirs beating for Britney or Kylie or Pink or Beyonce.” – Fat Boy Swim
- This clear description of how the main character felt makes the reader understand and feel the anguish the character is going through because he is unaccepted by his peers for being fat. It helped me to picture the scene exactly as it happened.
“He only shuffled half a dozen steps, each one making his thick flesh judder. The impact of his foot hitting the ground had him wheezing like an old accordion.” – Fat Boy Swim
- I could see his large body and feel how hard it was for him to take each step.
“Jimmy just about managed a grunt of agreement, although he didn’t see how he could look ahead to next month on this, the longest walk. He didn’t think he’d even make it to the next block! Deep within the flesh of his thighs, which chafed, sweaty-raw against each other, untried muscles quivered in spasm.” –Fat Boy Swim
- These amazing examples of imagery of the physical effects of Jimmy’s obesity makes the reader almost feel the pain of being fat while exercising without having to experience it. This description makes the reader identify with the character.
Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better
Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better
Dialogue
“Oi, boobsy. Move your fat butt! We’re under pressure here.” –Fat Boy Swim
- Her use of dialect and word choice make the dialogue believable. It also creates a mood of sadness or pity for the reader while he is being harassed by his teammates.
“Sir, Kelly needs all the showers on. He’s only wettin’ one of his bum cheeks.”
“You missed a spot, fatso…”
”I didn’t know there were red-haired whales...”
-Fat Boy Swim
- The word choice paints an authentic picture of adolescents making fun of another student. It also makes the reader feel terribly sad for the main character and begin to route him on.
‘“Heard this one? What d’you get if you cross a pig with a set of swimming trunks?”’
Victor’s hand gestured toward Jimmy. “A pig, right?”’ –Fat Boy Swim
- The mood created by this dialogue changes drastically. The author’s ability to write believable, description dialogue changes the mood from excitement over Jimmy’s win to sadness thinking he may never escape the torment from his peers.
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Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better
Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better
Italics
“That’s for sure, fatso.” – Fat Boy Swim
- Shows the character’s thought about how others dislike him and makes the reader feel sorry for the character. He is aware of what others think of him
“I fat, not deaf.” – Fat Boy Swim
- Shows the character’s thoughts when people are making fun of him in a quiet voice near him. It adds to the mood of pity the reader has for the character. I can identify with this emotion as I have heard people say things they didn’t know anyone could listen to.
“Oi! I made all this. I’m not totally useless.” – Fat Boy Swim
- Shows emphasis to show the reader how important his cooking is and how much people like it. – Finally, something he feels he is good at. I was so happy he had an outlet.
Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better
Example from second book
- reason for use of craft and how it helped make the book better