STORY WRITING

Objectives:
To understand how to write a story
To talk about the important parts of a story.
To think about settings and characters in stories.
To think about story plans-openings, events and
resolutions
To draft a story with my partner- thinking about
characters-settings-events and resolutions.
 Settings for stories

• What is a setting?
A setting is where a story takes place.

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Characters……
Two or three characters are usually enough for a short
story. Here's how to make the characters sound real:
Try to show how
they feel using
Give them suitable names. adjectives and
For example:
Pirates: Captain Peg-Leg, Scar-faced Bill, Sly Sam, One- adverbs, for
eyed Pete example:
Astronauts: Commander Ben Lewis, Assistant
Commander Buzz Owens, Captain Tilly Jones
tired, excitedly,
grateful, angrily,
Don't just use your friend's names in a story! happy, sadly,
Describe what they look like and how they move. curious,
For example: worriedly,
A wizened old man shuffling about the house in
slippers.
relieved,
A giant, hairy, orange caterpillar creeping slowly along. nervously
A ten year old girl, rather small for her age, skipped
merrily along the street, her long fair hair flying in the
wind.
 Characters:

Look carefully at these characters. Can you write a short description

of any 1 of them. Remember! If I close my eyes, I should be able to
see a clear picture of them in my mind.

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 How do I start a good story?

There are three different ways to start a story:

Dialogue: "Sharks!" shouted the ship's look out, "hundreds of

them!"
"They seem to be heading our way," cried the Captain.

Action: An ear splitting whistle made all the pirates leap to

attention. At once they ran in different directions, bumping into
one another, scrambling over untidy piles of ropes and tarpaulin,
sliding down rickety ladders, all trying to be the first in the queue
for lunch.
Description: The sea glistened like a sparkling, silver mirror. Waves
lapped gently at the sides of the Saucy Sue as she sailed silently
along in the cool, refreshing breeze, her Jolly Roger flag fluttering
limply. Seagulls circled overhead, calling to each other. No-one
would guess what terrible adventure lay ahead for Captain Peg-Leg
and his crew of daring pirates.
 Writing a good story

These question words are important when writing stories.

• who, what, how, where, when, and why

• The tiny bird hopped quickly across the garden,

picked up the bread, and immediately flew off to
a safe place to eat it.

Now you try with these pictures:

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 Use these ways to improve your writing!
•Alliteration (words starting with the same letter) - e.g. dark, dank, dreary forest;
•crowded, cobbled streets
•Rhyme - e.g. hustle and bustle; a rumbling and a tumbling
•Patterning - e.g. in the highest branches of the furthest tree; travelling faster and
faster
•Onomatopoeia (words that sound like the thing they describe)- e.g. jingling, jangling,
tinkling coins.
• Similes compare one thing to another and are introduced by the words 'like' or 'as',
e.g. The wet mud was sticky like fudge cake.
•Metaphors compare one thing with another, but are not introduced by 'like' or 'as',
e.g. The wet mud was sticky fudge cake.
•Similes :
•The storm was as violent as a ranting bull.
•The wind was like a roaring lion shaking its mane.
•To change the similes to metaphors, take out the words as and like:
•The storm was a ranting bull.
•The wind was a roaring lion shaking its mane.
 What should I include in a good story?
Events
• An interesting story will contain several events.

A strong exciting plot has an unexpected event, a

crisis, or a problem, which needs to be sorted out
by the end of a story. Stories can contain more
than one problem. Plans could go wrong:
• There could be an accident.
• Someone or something could get lost.
• A machine could break down.
• Something important could get stolen.
 Story Endings

•Explain the result of the events or show how the problem

was solved. (But don't end with everyone going home for tea
or someone waking up to find it was all a dream - that's
boring!)

Endings usually bring the story round 'full circle'. For example,

Start: "Meet Max: an 11-year-old with wild, curly hair, a

penchant for adventure, and a vivid imagination. Little did he
know that today would be unlike any other."
•Ending: "As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a
warm, orange glow over the adventure-filled day, Max realized
that sometimes, the greatest treasures aren't gold or gems but
the memories and friends you make along the way."
 Story endings
The final sentence is as important as the
opening sentence. It usually sums up the
story's theme or message.

•It had been the best day of my life.

•I'll never forget her.
•If only he hadn't been so selfish.
•She realised taking part is much more
important than winning.
•It just goes to show, crime really doesn't
pay.
•They were richer than they could ever
have dreamt.
 Storyboards
What are Story boards help you to plan a story
storyboards? without writing it all out.
Opening? Setting? Characters?

Problem…. How it is solved… Ending….

 Now you are going to plan a great story

• Checklist:
• Title- think of a great title for your story.
• Setting- where will the story take place?
• Characters- who will be in the story?
• What problem will they have?
• How will they solve the problem?
• How will the story end?
 Assignment
• Time Travel Adventure: Write a story about a student who
stumbles upon a time machine and finds himself in a
different time period. What adventures and challenges
does he face?
• School Days: Share the experiences of a student in a
unique or strange school, such as a school for wizards,
superheroes, or talking animals.
• Eco-Adventure: Write about a group of friends on a
mission to save the environment from a serious threat,
such as pollution or deforestation.
• My hero- Write about a person in your life who has been a
source of inspiration and support in your journey.

Word limit- 120-150 words

 Assignment 2 (Any ONE)
1.There’s a large, ancient tree in your
neighbourhood that everyone avoids. One
day, you decide to explore it and find a
secret hidden inside. What is it, and how
does it change your life?
2.During a field trip to a museum, you and
your friends stumble upon a hidden exhibit
that no one else seems to notice. What’s in
the exhibit, and why is it a secret?
Word limit- 120-150 words