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How To Create A Story

cartoon owl reading a book illustrating an article for writers about how to create a story.Don’t know how to create a story?  This exercise will take you through the process step by step.

Before we start you need to know exactly what a story is.

In the interests of keeping it simple a story is what happens to a character. Think about it…

THE STORY

By way of example, this is the story of what happened to a character I just made up.

I called her Sadie. Sadie is unfairly treated by her boss and comes home from work to a row with her boyfriend.

She wakes up the next morning after a really bad dream and decides to leave everything and go on a one-woman boat trip around the world.

She discovers hidden talents along the way before returning home and starting a brand new career as a wilderness survival guru.

THE PLOT

A plot is how it happens:  Sadie sneaks along to the local harbor, and steals a boat. The boat’s owner chases her. She escapes from him and is attacked by pirates.

She survives by shooting them with a harpoon gun left by the owner. She loses all her food which falls overboard during a hurricane and she has to learn to catch fish using her old tights etc. etc.

EXERCISE TO CREATE YOUR STORY

Remember – an idea not written is worth the paper it was written on. We all have ideas but not everyone can turn them into a story.

So the exercise below is designed to help you get your story started. Think of the exercises as the warm up routines you might do before you play a sport.  Ready?

YOUR CHARACTERS

Before you create your story you are going to create ten characters. It sounds a lot but it is not difficult if you simply relax and follow the process I outline on this and the other pages. You will find out how to create your characters here.

YOUR PLOT

Next you are going to invent your plot. Remember that as I said above, a plot is how the story happens. Plot provides the mechanics of the story. You can find out how to create a plot here.

Good luck and remember…

 ‘You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.’

Jack London

white owl with daffodils illustrating an article for writers about how to create a story.

 

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