Mini-Sagas
A mini saga is a piece of writing which has exactly fifty words, not including the title, which can have up to fifteen words. A mini saga has to tell a story and have a beginning, middle and end. It cannot just be a description of something.
The first mini sagas appeared in 1982 in The Sunday Telegraph, an English newspaper. The Sunday Telegraph announced the idea of the mini saga and held a competition for the best ones.
Why use mini sagas?
Mini sagas provide an excellent vehicle for a short writing lesson. This is because:
they are easy to read
it is an easy task for the learner to understand
to the learner, writing fifty words does not sound difficult (not at first!)
they focus on accuracy (in the editing stage)
like all creative writing, they have the potential to be very motivating
How to write a mini-saga?
1. Start by thinking of a story that you have written or would like to write, or think of a well-known story, or something that you have read.
2. Get a written version of the story - write it down, or print it off the Internet.
3. Shorten your story. Take out any words that are not absolutely necessary. How many words are there?
4. Now shorten your story again. How many words are there? At this point you may need to change words or sentences to make exactly 50 words.
Ideas for mini-sagas :
Newspaper Articles
First Experiences
Legends
Great Failures
Urban Legends
Accidents
Nursery Rhymes
Disasters
Songs
Memorable Days
Poems in Prose
Police Reports
Crimes Witnessed
Cartoons
Fables
Holiday Incidents
Puzzle Stories
Travel Incidents
Anecdotes
Horror Stories
Great Adventures
Love Stories
Read a mini-saga below:
German Shepherd
They went for a walk and left their baby sleeping. The dog used to stay home and look after things. When they came back, the dog was soaked in blood. The husband shot the dog dead. In the baby''s room … a dead body on the floor and the baby sleeping.
Marcelo Elias (Brazil)