I am starting a new creative writing workshop that looks very cool!  If you want to learn more about it go here. 

Lesson number 1:  chose a story I have read and figure out the 5 elements for the story.  I picked Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

Character:  Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny
Setting: bakery, woods, streets, a boxcar, and grandpa's house
Problem: 4 children are on their own
Plot: built a dam, collected and cooked all their own food, saved a dog, Henry got a job working at a man's house, made a refrigerator out of rocks, water and cold air
Solution: They found their grandpa and he took care of them