Storyline activities focus on the events of the novel. For example, you can write down your predictions for the upcoming chapter in the novel. Compare your predictions with the events as you move through the story. Once you reach the end of the novel, write an alternative ending or a short story that continues the plot. If you have trouble with recalling events, draw a time line as you read the novel.
With thematic activities, you can closely examine the broader ideas presented in the novel. For example, write a brief essay that compares the novel’s themes to themes in another novel, poem, painting or movie. Find as many connections between the works as possible. Alternatively, look for thematic connections between the novel’s contents and its title. If the title doesn’t seem to match the book, try to develop a more suitable title.
There are various ways to interact with a diverse cast of characters in a novel. Choose your favorite character and draw a time line that follows his development. If the novel isn’t presented through the perspective of your favorite character, choose a scene that he appears in and rewrite the event from his point of view. You can also keep a diary that tracks the possible emotions and thoughts of that particular character.
Activities that involve the setting allow you picture the action more clearly or distort the given images. For example, you can draw a map of the novel’s setting. Use clues from the text to make the map as accurate as possible. If you found the setting dull, you can write a short story that parodies the novel, placing the characters in a new setting. Allow the story to unfold in the Old West or outer space.