A mini saga is a piece of writing which has exactly fifty words, not including the title, which can have up to fifteen words. A mini saga has to tell a story and have a beginning, middle and end. Mini sagas provide an excellent vehicle for a short writing lesson. This is because: • they are easy to read • it is an easy task for the learner to understand • to the learner, writing fifty words does not sound difficult (not at first!) • they focus on accuracy (in the editing stage) • like all creative writing, they have the potential to be very motivating