Outside the Box

Get students engaged in reading and writing with story prompts that are a bit outside the box

Outside the Box is the latest Stories Without End book, a collection of science-fiction and fantasy stories without endings, leaving students to write their own, drawing on their own creativity. Even the most reluctant writer will find themselves sucked in with this deceptively simple method of getting students to write! 

Why sci-fi and fantasy? These genres allow us to grapple with topical and important issues but indirectly and imaginatively. Science fiction shows us places we may go, while fantasy shows us the places we wish we could! Readers grapple with ideas they may have never considered before. And the unfinished stories let them put their own endings on them, exploring worlds they had never dreamed of, while considering themes that touch our real life. This highly flexible, unfinished story model is perfect for teaching reading, creative writing, and discussion. It's easy to use as a one-time treat or integrate into a larger creative writing unit. Taylor is already using these stories in his classroom to great success!

In addition to the short story prompts, Part II of the book includes unfinished stories paired with finished stories. Students can treat the longer finished stories as models for their own endings. Or use them as stories in their own right.