Beatrix Potter: "There is something delicious about
writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take
you."
You have probably read and told many stories. But have you
ever sat down with a pencil and paper (or a computer and a keyboard) and
written your own story?
It is fun to make up a story and tell it to family and
friends. That is considered oral storytelling. For example, a lot of folk or
fairy tales started as stories that were told out loud through generations and
slowly changed through years. This is where we get stories like Snow White,
King Arthur, Johnny Appleseed. Sometimes bedtime stories are told from parent
to child and the child growing up and telling their child! Do you have a funny
or dramatic story you like to tell? Have you considered writing it down?
The first part of writing a story is brainstorming. There
are many ways to do this. One way is to story map. A story map is a tool that
helps you understand the parts of a story. It shows you the characters (who is
in the story), the setting (where and when the story happens), the plot (what
happens in the story), the problem (what goes wrong), and the solution (how the
problem is fixed).
There are different kinds of story maps. Some are simple and
just show the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Others are more detailed
and help you look at things like how the characters change or what the main
idea of the story is.
Make an outline to plan out your story. Identify the main
ideas you want to cover and list the details under each one. Is there a
conflict? Arrange these points in the order you want to present them. This
helps organize your thoughts and ensures your writing flows smoothly.
Write your opening! Hook in your readers with a cool idea or
an interesting setting. Add dialogue that adds to the story as your characters
interact. Include sensory elements- let your readers know what is happening
around the characters. Are they inside a house or are they in a spaceship? Write
an ending that resolves your story's conflict. Your readers want to know. Before
you finish try reading out loud. It is a good way to help notice grammar
errors. Make sure to edit your work. Nobody gets a story perfectly right the
first time they write it, not even famous authors!
