THE FAB FIVE RECIPE
Story Writing: Spin Me A Yarn
OBJECTIVES



Learn the definition of character, plot, setting, theme, point o f view
Identify each element in a story
Learn how all five elements create a story
WHAT IS THE FAB FIVE RECIPE (OR PATTERN)?
We're going to use two metaphors to explain this concept. One metaphor is a recipe,
since you might be more familiar with cooking than weaving!
But first, we have to learn the ingredients:
 Theme: the main idea(s) of a story: the writer’s purpose for telling this story,
teaching us about human nature and life in general (main idea, maxim, moral,
message, concept, subject, thread, proverb, pattern, and philosophy)
 Point of view: the perspective from which the story is told; the character’s
or the characters’ angle on events. (perspective, angle, lens, outlook,
viewpoint, frame of reference, slant, standpoint, orientation, stance,
vantagepoint, and position)
 Plot: The events and actions that occur in a story (action, story line,
narrative, events, incidents, sequence, and structure)
 Setting: The time and place a story occurs (atmosphere, environment,
location, scene, context, background, time period, era, backdrop)
 Character: an individual -- human, creature, or object -- who appears and
acts in a story. (person, individual, protagonist, hero, villain, actor)
Now let's put it together! The recipe (or pattern) is as follows:
1. Add a cup of character, or, make a choke tie of character.
2. Put in a plentiful piece of plot, or, use the warping paddle to wind in some
plot.
3. Sift in some setting, or, sley in some setting.
4. Throw in a thimbleful of theme, or tromp as writ some theme.
5. Put in a pinch of point of view, and pop it in the oven! Or, check your ppi
(weft picks) of point of view, and then take your tapestry off the loom!
There you have it, the Fab Five Recipe and Pattern! (If you're not sure about those
weaving terms, Wikipedia may be able to help!) Sounds pretty easy, huh?
Well -- yes and no. The ingredients and methods are easy to remember; it's how to
combine them in just the right mix, brew, broth, or stew, the right rug, quilt, carpet,
or tapestry that's the challenge!
Keep in mind that story writing isn't as simple as following a rote recipe; the key is
putting in the right amount of your kind of sugar, your kind of spice, and your kind
of other flavorings that make your concoction a truly appetizing, aromatic, and
ambrosial dish! Likewise, a weaver will improvise upon a pattern of rectangles and
squares, vertical and horizontal lines, and combinations of colors. The pattern is the
guide but not the final product. You as a writer will continue to learn ways to
improvise on the basic Fab Five Pattern for as long as you spin yarns.
And that's where this lesson comes in -- to help you learn how to
use character and plot in fun and exciting ways.
TRY IT YOURSELF
Are you familiar with the tale of Rumpelstiltskin? Take a moment to read the
story and then try to answer the questions below.
Identify each of the Fab Five Elements in Rumpelstiltskin: PLOT, THEME,
SETTING, POINT OF VIEW, CHARACTER
1. The poor miller's daughter is this element of the Fab Five.
2. Spinning straw into gold and figuring out Rumpelstiltskin's name are both
part of this Fab Five element.
3. The desire for something precious could be part of this Fab Five element.
4. The perspective of the miller's daughter is part of this Fab Five element.
5. A room in the palace of a long-ago kingdom is part of this Fab Five element.
Answers are on the last page.
THE STORY MACHINE
The weaver's loom is a simple machine powered by the weaver's hands and the
treadle. Want to create a story? It's easy -- just feed the machine elements of the Fab
Five Pattern! You can play this game alone or with a partner, such as your mentor, a
friend or family member, or a fellow writer.
STEP ONE
First we need some elements. Let's have two characters, one setting, and one theme.
You can think up your own, or check the list on the last page to get some ideas!
STEP TWO
You are the creative machine full of imagination. You have to mix the four parts into
your mind's machine and make them all work together. Your job is to write the first
paragraph (200 words) of an exciting story where a character (or characters)
must deal with a big problem.
2


Focus on developing the theme by having one or both characters learn a
lesson about life or about themselves.
Set up a problem so that one or both of the characters must struggle with
some force or situation that helps them learn this lesson
For example, let's say your two characters are a cowboy and an Olympic
swimmer, and you picked nighttime in the Grand Canyon as your setting,
and loyalty as your theme. Now you must invent a problem. You decide that the
reason both characters are at the Grand Canyon is that the cowboy's horse has died
while the Olympic swimmer has lost her hiking tour group (note: she's in Arizona
for Olympic trials), and it's too dark to hike out of the Canyon to the top.
Now you can write an exciting first paragraph that sets the scene for this problem,
leaving your readers wondering, Will the cowboy (character #1) learn about loyalty
(theme) as he survives with the Olympic swimmer (character #2) in the Grand
Canyon wilderness at night (setting)?
STEP THREE
Begin writing the first paragraph (200 words) of your story that uses these three
Fab Five elements. If you're feeling inspired, keep going! You can also pick a third
character and introduce him or her to the story in the next paragraph. Note: don't
wrap up the story in one paragraph. A paragraph is too short to tell a complex story
with such diverse characters!
If you are playing with a partner, talk about the ways a story could begin with these
three of the Fab Five. Then pick four new elements and discuss how you might use
these instead. On the third try, each of you should not talk after picking elements.
Instead each of you should write your own first paragraph of a new story and then
share to see how different your ideas can be!
STEP FOUR
Share the beginning of your story with your friends, a mentor, a teacher, or your
parents!
SIX SIGNPOSTS OF SETTING
Let's dig deeper into setting the scene! Setting is the actual physical location of a
story, for example: a park, a space station, a character's home, or the ocean floor. It
is the broader location of the world and the time period in a story.
The Six Signposts of Setting include: location and region, geography and topography,
season, time period, time of day, and time span.
Signposts are guides to the reader of how to understand the space of the story —the
rich intersection of many physical and intangible elements. An excellent story
integrates the compelling details of many of the six signposts. Even if you set your
3
story in the future, in an imaginary country, or in a speculative world, such as
another planet, you will need to develop all the signposts of setting. Great settings
do not interfere with the narrative—they actually enhance character and plot. The
details are part of the action and narration. Setting, character, and plot integrate as a
tight unit, a triangle of influences constantly affecting one another.
We'll see if you’re up to the challenge of using these multiple signposts in your story
in the next activity! Stay tuned.
4
Character (Pick 2)


























Team Mascot
Vulcanologist
Ice Sculptor
Pet Detective
Soccer Player
Rodeo Clown
Actor/Actress
Animal Dentist
Movie Stunt Person
Ballerina
Babysitter
Spy
Park Ranger
Teacher
Bus Driver
Rollercoaster
Operator
Lifeguard
Doctor
Cartoonist
Paleontologist
Meteorologist
Hair stylist
Psychiatrist
Ornithologist
Environmental
protection agent
Snake charmer
Setting (Pick 1)





















Swimming pool, deep
end
Bus
Grocery Store, Produce
Section
Circus
North Pole
Principal’s office
Theme park
A busy city intersection
A desert
TV Studio
Your neighborhood
The beach, 4th of July
The top of the Empire
State Building, New York
City
Laundromat
Downtown, a dark alley
A bakery that only
makes cupcakes
Park full of poison oak
and ivy
Custodian’s closet
Library
Ski Slope
Amazon Rainforest
Theme (Pick 1)




















Honesty
What comes around,
goes around
The unfairness of life
sometimes
Self-confidence
Jealousy
Courage
Patience
True Love
Empathy
Trust
Good things come to
those who wait
To make friends you
have to be one
Don’t rock the boat
What glitters isn’t
always gold
The grass is greener on
the other side
You don’t know what
you’ve got until you let
it go
Betrayal
Discrimination
Respect
Independence
Answers
1. CHARACTER
2. PLOT
3. THEME
4. POINT OF VIEW
5. SETTING
5