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#story tips
secondhandsorrows · 3 months
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Some Vital Scenes to Include in a Romantic Subplot, pt. 1
I’ve been in the plotting stages of a novel I’ve been working on for some time now. It’s not a romance novel, per se, but the romantic aspect is very prevalent… dare I say important. Anyway, so as I was working on my scenes and character arcs, I began to realize that I didn’t have enough fleshed-out about romantic arc, nor deepened the protagonist’s love interest or their connection, for that matter. This led me to devise up some scenes that I felt were crucial to the story if I wanted to keep this romantic angle to it, and now that I’ve most of them arranged, I find now that I’m way more excited about my characters’ love story. 
These tips will be unnumbered because, obviously, the sequence of these events and how they will fall into your storyline will probably be different. Also, you don’t have to use only one scene for every suggestion that will be mentioned, as you can have multiple scenes of flirtations or deep conversations, for example. They usually blend all together into the narrative at this point. Just remember that there should be some relevance to the plot at hand in some of these scenes as to not derail completely from the main narrative or other conflicts.
I was going to post this all at once, but decided it was too long and wanted to split it into two parts to go more in-depth and for easy reading. /-\ Enjoy ~
- The meet-cute, or the meet-ugly:
Ah, yes, the first encounter. Or, as we sometimes like to call it: the meet-cute, or the meet-ugly if you’re feeling a little unconventional or perhaps mischievous. Though we may enjoy setting up our star-crossed characters in a whole range of moments from awkward to swoon-worthy, the initial meeting is what’s important (if your characters haven't already met before the beginning of the story, ofc, but this is useful to have in mind). Let us quickly define the two:
Meet-Cute: A charming and serendipitous first encounter between the characters in question that sets a positive, memorable, and oftentimes romantic tone.
Meet-Ugly: An unconventional, awkward, or disastrous initial meeting that adds a unique twist to the start of the romantic connection, often leading to unexpected chemistry and an added intrigue on whether or not they’ll get together.
You don’t have to nail your characters’ first encounter into a label or bubble such as these two examples, but I like bringing these up for a general idea. 
- Bouts of flirting and/or banter:
Just as the title suggests, these are scenes containing the flirtaious communication between the two characters. These kinds of interactions will, of course, develop over time and deepen the bond or relationship. Playful interactions, gazes, and witty exchanges between the characters can create a lighthearted and flirtatious atmosphere that hints at their growing attraction.
The way they might flirt or tease can reveal their personalities. For example, one character might be more sarcastic, while the other responds with quick wit, or quiet bashfulness. There’s an element of subtlety, as flirting lets the characters express their romantic interest without explicitly stating it (unless one of your characters lacks subtlety in general and prefers to shout their undying love from the rooftops, which would make for an interesting dynamic, but I’m only spit-balling). 
Banter, teasing, and romantic tension underscoring heated debates or loathsome gazes suit just as nicely, especially if you’re writing with enemies-to-lovers or rivalry tropes in mind. But be careful! A little goes a long way: too much all at once can repel any growth for the characters or narrative.
- Initial conflict or struggle:
Depending on your story’s big-picture conflict, the introduction of challenges or obstacles can create tension between the characters, adding depth to their relationship and making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. This might include cultural or class differences, opposing goals or values, history of past heartbreak, personality weaknesses such as stubbornness, or external pressures that threaten to keep the characters apart. Even a nosy family or a disapproving mother can be considered. How the characters navigate and resolve these conflicts contributes significantly to the overall emotional impact of the romance subplot, as well as allowing for some exploration of each character's strengths, weaknesses, and resilience. 
- Shared vulnerability:
This kind of scene involves the characters opening up to each other about their innermost fears, insecurities, past trauma, or personal struggles. Shared vulnerability goes beyond surface-level interactions. It involves characters revealing their authentic selves, exposing their emotional vulnerabilities, and allowing the other person to see them in an honest — and sometimes new — light.
This is a symbolic gesture of commitment we’re talking about, here… something that requires trust. As characters share their fears or past traumas, they are entrusting the other person with sensitive information, fostering a sense of trust and emotional intimacy. It might be scary, it could be out from left field, but they will end up learning something new about themselves, their situation, or about the other person, and thus deepen their connection, little by little.
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sprinklesdonut15 · 8 months
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Things I Discovered Are Actually Very Helpful For Writing
Make a Mood Board. Literally save a bunch of pictures on Pinterest.
Make a Visual of Your Character(s). Even if you’re bad at drawing. Do it. Make it on one of those cheesy dress up apps. Throw it into ai if you want.
Absolutely Have a Writing Playlist. I literally watch a short video about poetry and it puts me in a writing mood. What would our characters listen to though? Interesting thought.
Write Post It’s. Have a Scratch Paper Doc. Idc just write every tiny thought. Incredibly helpful. Especially if you forget everything like I do real quick.
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Organizing Your Lore: Icebergs
I dunno if anyone has said this before (or if I've said this before)... but I came up with a cool way to organize your info for your story.
Are you like me, and have trouble organizing all the fun info you have about your story that you may or may not implement someday, but still have it and want to record it somehow?
You know those iceberg memes, where it shows interesting facts about a concept or piece of media, ranging from commonly known to quite obscure?
Make an iceberg for your story!!!
Like. Stuff that is abundantly clear in your story or that you plan on incorporating, put at level 1.
Stuff about main or secondary characters that takes a little while to know about or is only subtly implied/briefly mentioned can go in level 2.
Things about minor characters or settings that aren't really mentioned or significant to the story but could be relevant goes in level 3.
Heavy things that are very deep in the story, setting, characterization, etc., but are either never explicitly stated or only known at the end (like things you would consider major spoilers) can go in the deeper levels. The more there is to know, the deeper you make the iceberg go.
These are just examples, and it depends on your story, but I plan on doing this to help me visualize what is important to mention in my story, how it relates to my plot, tidbits I know but have nowhere to put them, things like that!! I hope this helps anyone else who needs a new way to organize their story :)
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pearl-d1ver · 11 months
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dialogue tips!
writer tips on something I struggle with, individuality in dialogue! sometimes I feel like all my characters sound like the same person, all their styles of speaking sound the same so here’s some things you can vary to switch it up! (also ideas for how to characterize through dialogue)
- use of slang, contractions, and curse words
- what filler words + phrases they use and how often (like, um, uh, ah, you know, so, etc.)
- catchphrases/words they use often
- how they get peoples attention to start a story/start talking (do they just start talking, add onto someone else’s thought, etc.)
- tone, tone, tone!! we’ve all heard to use words besides said and this majorly helps for differentiating characters
-  do they speak in complete sentences, do they ramble, do they interrupt people
- manners, basic things like if they say please, thank you, excuse me, pardon, etc. 
- speed/pace
- non-verbal things, do they fidget while they talk, lots of hand gestures, etc
- how often they speak and with which other characters
- do they mumble or talk to themselves
- active vs passive voice
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burgermcdond · 3 months
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TIPS ON WRITING A HORROR BOOK (by me🤫)
disclaimer i am not a professional and this was for an english assignment i did in like 30 mins
quick cw for BRIEF mentions of some more deeper real life topics, nothing major though, and they wont be touched on deeply, just a brief mention. And obviously this will touch on horror themes.
A curious but brave protagonist, who is usually easily scared, alot of times hides under a tough exterior maybe. Ive seen that alot of times writers make the main character quite dumb, and maybe a little unaware of danger, but the main character can honestly be anything, these are just common tropes.
Usually, other characters, especially friends who experience the same as the protagonist, usually at the start of the story no one believes the protagonist when theyre yelling about seeing a ghost or something.
A monster, murderer, or just about any antagonist, as long as it's clear that the character is the "scary" one. Maybe not even scary, just “weird” or “creepy”, even ugly! Or maybe you can make it something else than any of those, surprise the reader maybe, like what if the antagonist is cute? Maybe even sexy? Let your imagination go free, the more creative the better.
A dark and misty setting, usually also related to something old and abandoned, often dirty as well. The main place should have some story, what happened? How did it happen? WHEN did it happen? Who caused it? Its good to start it out as more vague and unveil the story as the story goes.
Plot, come up with a good plot and story, if the story is about a ghost haunting a house, come up with why? Why does the ghost do this? Who is this ghost? What does it do? Ask yourself questions, imagine maybe that youre being interviewed about the story.
Tragedy, horror stories always involve something tragic, small or big. There is usually also drama or conflicts, also a lot of disloyalty and betrayals, such as when the protagonist's friends don't believe him and leave him alone with ghosts for example, or maybe one of the side characters see something, but the protagonist doesnt believe them.
Surprising scenes that the reader can easily guess are quite basic and ordinary in horror books, like for example the protagonist opening a door slowly and a monster coming out and attacking them, also if it involves a murderer chase scenes are quite common, hiding scene where the protag and their friends are hiding from a monster, the basic tropes are endless, but also be sure to add uniqueness, some never done before or rare things, maybe mix and mash these basic and rare scenes?
Chilling writing, make the reader sink into the story and feel what the protagonist and other characters feel. Write it in detail with alot of adjectives, maybe it reminds them of something that happened when they were a child, or their friend, family, anything, since it explores the character on a more deeper level.
Interesting adjectives, of course, everyone always uses "scary" or "horrifying," but expand a little, it's pretty boring if the same adjectives are used all the time, you can even search for good adjectives on Google, my favorites are distressing, dismal, ghastly, chilling, blood-curdling, and haunting/hauntingly, but those are just a few examples from a wide range of adjectives, and as i explained, the less of those more common in horror tropes the better, maybe the ghost is…enticing?
In horror stories, the book progresses to be more and more distressing, keeping the reader interested, but more in a more thrill seeking way, like how alot of people try out bungee jumping, or more on a darker note, like how people do drugs, seeking the thrill. Also if your book is more on the disgusting morbid horror side, the readers might be more morbidly curious, like how when you read a trigger/content warning for something, but youre still curious, and on a darker note, morbid curiosity and maybe even thrill seeking make people go on the dark web, or watching gore. Humans are and will forever be curious animals.
If you want your horror book to be REALLY dark, you can include darker and more traumatic topics, such as murder, torture, bullying, rape, violence, mental illnesses, harassment, assault and so on. Remember to handle things properly, not make them seem in a positive light or romanticise these topics, dark fiction is fine as long as its handled well and done properly, remember do some research, or if you yourself have experienced something, you can take inspiration from it and write your feelings for the protagonist or any character, it also keeps readers interested and empathetic, some may even relate if they've experienced something.
Symbolism, not really a “must have” but its great to add symbolism, since as we know it there are people who WILL read the book like it depends on their life, its great to do research of what something could mean before adding it, also if you wanna go even MORE deeper you can make the characters have names that mean something, like their personality, their trauma, what will happen, etc.
Speaking of this, you can add things and scenes to the story that traumatize or damage the character, and if you're going to make the book long or have many series, how this has affected the character? Have they healed? How long has it been? Have they gotten help? Like on the last part, remember to do research, or write from your own experience.
The story usually ends with a good ending, where they defeat the evil or something, but it's also good to write stories that end badly, or don't end? Maybe the monster comes back? If you're making a multi-series book, maybe you can end the first book a bit uncertain or a cliff-hanger, making readers bite their nails thinking and even making theories on "what happens next?”
Some of my favorite additions on horror media, not must haves.
Sometimes writers make readers empathize and sympathize with the monster, murderer, or any antagonist of the book. Usually, the villain has a reason to be evil and do what he does, no one is born crazy, except if you're writing some horror sci-fi, then it might work. This doesn't have to be clear right away, and if you're making a multi-series book, maybe it can be revealed later in the story, or maybe theres small hints and mentions of it scattered everywhere and the reader has to basically piece it together like a puzzle piece?
Another thing I like but isn't necessary in horror books is when the protagonist is actually the bad guy, and when the book is written so that the reader doesn't know what's going on, they're just told what's happening as if they were there,
Also i love it when writers add other characters' thoughts, what are they thinking, what are they plotting or what do they know or feel. It explores other characters more deeply other than the protagonist, making them more meaningful and more interesting, easier to relate or attach to. I kind of hate it how usually in horror books side characters are just plain npcs with only a few traits.
(sorry if the writing is bad english aint my first language🙏🙏😭)
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kimtsunoyaiba · 2 years
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Koyoharu Gotouge’s interview in The Shonen Jump Guide to Making Manga.
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sluggishdawn · 2 years
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story and plot ideas (simple)
the easiest way to put it is to just say that all of my stories come from a what if question. for example, the click, which is one i am writing right now (shameless self promotion i know) was born from me asking all of my friends one day "what would you do if everyone else disappeared and we were the only people left?" the answers i got from that helped me to create a story. they gave me new pathways, ideas and insights that i probably wouldn't have thought of otherwise. it probably also helps that my characters are based on the people i asked, but since i always base my characters on real people it wasn't much of a part of the what if process for me.
<3 sluggishdawn
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Making this post on an old blog instead of my main for obvious reasons.
Buuuut I need to here some honest feedback.
I have an OC storyline that I’m working on. A group of 18-21yos gets kidnapped and through this they follow the leader of the group of kidnappers, the MC (Let’s call him H for now) to his gigantic, professionally built, hidden away treehouse in the woods, to escape their kidnappers.
Along the way theres conflict of course.
I’m gonna be blunt. Every single character in this story is white with blonde hair. The MC is blonde haired, blue eyed, and white. The only person who isn’t white is one of the main group characters whose Asian. That’s it. Everyone else is the same.
Should I add more diversity? It doesn’t seem right to not have any POC characters and EVERY other character including MC being white, blonde, blue eyed except for one.
Should I add a new character or make one of the pre-existing non-white?
I take criticism. Be blunt
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writers-hoarding · 2 years
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Tips for ending your story
requested by @automated-players
An ending is more often than not where things are resolved, a solution to a big problem, a conclusion to an adventure.
One of the best ways to find an ending for your story is to follow the pattern of you how you got writing it. What was your main characters goal? what did you do to prevent or help them get there? now that its over, how was the goal reached? what did the goal accomplish? what are some after effects?
whats really great about having a satisfying ending is that when youre the writer, you get to make it to your liking. maybe you want it to end happily, give the character what they want and have them say their final thoughts on things before closing things or maybe you want to end things tragically by having their efforts all be for nothing and end with them losing.
no matter what it is here are some tips that might help you write your ending to your story!
figure out what kind of ending you want! there are many different kinds of endings, resolved, unresolved, unexpected, ambiguous and so on. In order to bring a story to close you should first have an idea of how you want it to end.
Theres an article here that goes over 6 types of endings!
A good way to build up to an ending is to have tension built up throughout your story. If you have tension built between characters over the course of the story you can better come up with an idea for how to resolve things or leave things unresolved if you prefer.
Draft a few ideas that could be a possible ending to your story! you can try out a few different ways to end things until you've figured out which one satisfies you the most and change details as you see fit. having a general base idea for an ending is a great way to getting started to writing the closing chapter.
I found another article that goes over these quite well and adds onto them too!
hopefully, even though this was a bit short, this helps you come up with an ending! good luck writers! (i would love to read what you guys come up with btw i love hearing about other's wip!)
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Story writing tip/ (excuse for me to rant)
Know what your ending is going to be. Of course you can tweak things, but know what it's going to be - and you can even write the story backwards if you so wish.
I have seen so many stories (and I'm talking huge series stuff, things that have been adapted into animes and movies) where the author has no idea how they're going to end the thing.
And some if not all these things happen:
Author starts hating their story, gets bored with it
Author starts hating their characters
Author stops caring about the main character
Leading into:
"I don't know how to get from A to B, so to continue the story, I'm going to kill this character off to make some content."
Any humorous moments in the story leave - even the most serious stories have a few moments of humor - but it can completely lose this and become nothing but a hollow, sad feeling for the readers, almost like it's all purpose+less.
And in some really bad cases: "Fuck it - let's just kill everyone so the MC suffers."
And not to mention the killing cliche: You don't need to kill off a character to create the same shock value or pain. Say they're a sorcerer, someone who values their powers above all else , and they come to a dilemma - give up those powers, or let their friends die. A character who values their strength and fighting abilities, and loses them to disability. A painter who loses their eyesight. These things create a lot more plot to work with - how will they cope? How will the main character help them cope? How will this affect the main character in the long run? Think about these things if you are lost, before deciding to kill them off.
You ever get to a point watching an anime or show, reading a book or series, where it feels like the author has just ... given up? All of the sudden these beloved, complicated characters become one dimensional assholes to be killed off screen, or even the "actually they're a villain now" twist - but none of their actions before ever indicated that they could be a villain. You can have a surprise plot twist like this, but to make it authentic and crazy, you have to drop at least SOME subtle details along the way. Keep people theorizing over even the tiniest of details. For instance, in Frozen, Hans wasn't even going to be the villain - it was sort of a last minute decision, and you can tell.
Of course, this doesn't mean there's no good stories that haven't worked without knowing their ending, and it's not something you can always avoid - often, if I have a story idea, I write down bullet points, but I never start working on it till I actually have a definite goal in mind. Wait a few months. See if the ideas still stick and want to be a story - and if they don't, you can add those ideas to another story, making the other story even more complex and detailed. One of my biggest ongoing projects has always had an ending, but I've combined 100's of mini stories into the same universe. Write down your ideas, nothing goes to waste.
For example, The author of the hugely successful story One Piece, has always had his ending in mind - but he has added tons of characters and stories along the way, which tweaks the ending, but he still knows where it's all going, even after 20+ years. He has a passion for his characters and his story, and that's why it's worked, why it's still going and still drawing huge crowds in.
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secondhandsorrows · 4 months
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Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists
Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~
Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.
What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 
Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.
Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 
What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 
Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 
Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 
Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.
We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.
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lifestorypages · 5 months
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1.Catharsis and Healing
2.Creating Connections
3.Inspiring Others
4.Fostering Empathy
5.Legacy and Connection Across Generations
6.Validation and Recognition
7.Cultivating Gratitude
In the act of sharing a memoir, happiness unfolds on multiple levels. From personal healing to fostering connections and leaving a lasting legacy, the joy found in sharing a life story is a gift that keeps on giving. It is an affirmation of the shared human experience, a celebration of resilience, and a testament to the transformative power of storytelling. So, if you have a memoir within you, consider sharing it—you may find that the happiness it brings is immeasurable.
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ichverdurstehier · 6 months
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What are some good apps for typing out stories? It's a smut story. Keep notes app has a character limit of 19,881 characters, including spaces. Is Google docs secure, or will it snitch on me to the cops?
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blue-eyed-author · 6 months
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Some of my writer’s block cures:
Handwrite. (If you already are, write in a different coloured pen.)
Write outside or at a different location.
Read.
Look up some writing prompts.
Take a break. Do something different. Comeback to it later.
Write something else. (A different WIP, a poem, a quick short story, etc.)
Find inspiring writing music playlists on YouTube. (Themed music, POV playlists, ambient music, etc.)
Do some character or story prompts/questions to get a better idea of who or what you’re writing.
Word sprints. Set a timer and write as much as you can. Not a lot of time to overthink things.
Set your own goals and deadlines.
Write another scene from your WIP. (You don’t have to write in order.) Write a scene you want to write, or the ending. (You can change it or scrap it if it doesn’t fit into your story later.)
Write a scene for your WIP that you will never post/add to your story. A prologue, a different P.O.V., how your characters would react in a situation that’s not in your story, a flashback, etc.
Write down a bunch of ideas. Things that could happen, thing that will never happen, good things, bad things.
Change the weather (in the story of course.)
Feel free to add your own.
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how to write creepy stories
over describe things
under describe things
short sentences in rapid succession build tension
single sentence paragraphs build dread
uncanny valley = things that aren't normal almost getting it right
third person limited view
limited expressions
rot, mold, damage, age, static, flickering, espsecially in places it shouldn't be
limited sights for your mc - blindness, darkness, fog
being alone - the more people there are, the less scary it is
intimate knowledge, but only on one side
your reader's imagination will scare them more than anything you could ever write. you don't have to offer a perfectly concrete explanation for everything at the end. in fact, doing so may detract from your story.
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digibrewz · 7 months
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Empowering minds, one lesson at a time👩‍🏫
Need fresh inspiration for your classroom?
On this World Teacher’s Day📝, sharing some incredible story engagement ideas for teachers because your impact reaches far beyond your classroom.✏️🙌
What’s your go-to strategy? Share your genius below👇
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