Tall+Tales

What is a Tall Tale?
Throughout history people have told and written stories about their heroes. A tall tale is a special kind of hero story because the heroes of tall tales are 'larger than life'. They are bigger or stronger than real people, even when the tall tale is based on a real person. Tall tale heroes solve problems in funny ways that are hard to believe.

[|Animated Tall Tales]

media type="file" key="JohnHenry1.mov" John Henry Part 2

=How to Write a Tall Tale:= Tall Tales or folk tales have been told throughout history. Every culture has its own way of telling how something develops, how the world was created. Tall Tales are stories that are told to the extreme, like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Each of these stories explain why something happens. Paul Bunyan stories are mostly in the Northwest. He is supposed to be responsible for making the Grand Canyon while fighting with his huge, blue bull named Babe. He also could cut down a tree with one blow. As you can see this story has been told to the extreme. Your __**imagination**__ is needed while making a Tall Tale. You can tell a story about a man going to his mailbox. You can explain how the man looks as he went to his mailbox. Then add something like, "He was going to his mailbox and suddenly the earth swallowed him up," Then the character can start his adventure. Make sure that you use lots of verbs and adjectives. Your verbs and adjectives would explain how big the hole was that swallowed him up. Did steam come out, lava or did it just gulp him up? These are questions that you should ask yourself while writing. You can use anything, even the impossible because when you think about it, that is what a Tall Tale is based on. You can explain that after he was swallowed up and transported to another world, a world that was ruled by trees that could talk.The trees wanted him to save the tree princess. Now you come to your ending. Make sure that you go out with a Bang. Put a __**surprise ending**__. Maybe the man falls in love with the princess. It's whatever you want. When you end, try to leave the reader thinking how ridiculous the situation is. As you write your Tall Tale, be sure you use the following: __**an imagination, an open mind, showing writing, and the ridiculous**__. All these things are necessary while writing your Tall Tale. So pens up and start writing!