Once Upon a Time: Making Your Own Story
A girl named Mia had a pet rock. One day, her rock rolled away all by itself! Where did it go? Did it want an adventure? You just made the start of a story happen in your head, right now. That is what writers do all day long.
What You'll Learn
- A story needs a character, a place, and a problem - How to pick a beginning, a middle, and an end - New words that writers use: character, setting, and plot - How to make up your very own short story
Who Is In Your Story?
The people or animals in a story are called characters. A character can be a kid, a dragon, a talking dog, or even a rock with a face! Good characters want something. Mia's rock might want to see the ocean. A character who wants something is easy to write a story about, because you get to decide if they get it.
Where Does It Happen?
The place where a story happens is called the setting. A story can happen in a treehouse, under the sea, on the moon, or in your own backyard. When you tell a story, close your eyes and picture the setting first. Is it sunny? Is it nighttime? Is it snowing? Telling your reader about the setting helps them see the story too.
Beginning, Middle, End</h2>
Every story has three parts. The beginning tells us who the character is and where they are. The middle is where something goes wrong or something exciting happens, this is called the problem. The end tells us how the problem gets fixed. Mia's rock story could go like this: Beginning, Mia has a pet rock. Middle, the rock rolls away into the forest. End, Mia finds the rock stuck in a puddle and brings it home.
Pick any object near you right now, a pencil, a shoe, a spoon. Pretend it comes alive. What does it want? Where does it go? That is the start of your story!
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
In the story about Mia's pet rock, what is the problem in the middle of the story?
Which of these is an example of a setting?
Write Your Tiny Story
Draw or write three boxes on a piece of paper labeled Beginning, Middle, and End. In the first box, draw or write about your character and their setting. In the second box, draw or write the problem. In the third box, draw or write how the problem gets solved. Read your tiny story out loud to a grown-up or a stuffed animal.
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