BOOKS
ABOUT
FUN STUFF
EDUCATORS
CONTACT
Part 2 - Character Map
Click for
full screen
Part 3 - Character CHASE
Click for
full screen
Part 4 - StorY time!
Click for
full screen
After the Workshop
You're on your way to drafting a GRRRRREAT story!
Check out the buttons below for ways to level up your story writing.
If You get stuck, trY these things:
Don't know how your character should solve their problem?
Think back to the Character Map. Could your character use any of these to help them tackle their problem in a unique way?
* What do they like to do?
* What are they good at?
* Who do they spend time with? Do they have friends or allies that could help out?
Does your story feel like something's missing?
* Check your story arc. Think of your story like a train track. To get your reader from the beginning to the end, you need to connect all of the pieces of the track, otherwise they won't understand how they got there. Have you included enough information about why your character is facing the problem, why it's such a big deal, and why they can't escape it? Have you explained why things are the way they are at the end?
* Get a second opinion. Ask someone else to read your story. Do they understand what is happening with your character and why? If not, ask them to tell you which part(s) they don't understand. That may be a place where you can add some plot and/or character details to explain a little more.
Does your story feel like it's too short?
First, a warning: when you add to a story, you can make it better, but you can also make it worse. Don't add to your story just to make it longer. You should only add to it if it will help make it more enjoyable to read. A big part of writing interesting stories is knowing what to leave out, too.
If you still need to add some, check these important places to make sure you have everything covered.
* Do we (your readers) know enough about your character to care about what happens to them?
* Do we know enough about your character to understand why this problem is so big, especially for them? For example, getting caught in the rain would be no big deal for me, but it would be bad news for my electric robot pal, Switches.
* Do we get to see your character change after facing their problem? Do we get to read about what they have learned or gained from the change?
Are you stuck on something else?
Ask your teacher to email me about what is tripping you up and I'll see if I can help!
After You Finish Your First Draft, make sure to revise!
Some things to consider while you are revising:
You can hear when your story is ready.
A great way to see if your story is ready is to read it out loud. If any words are out of place (or missing) you'll be able to hear it.
The more eyes on your work, the better!
To help you spot mistakes and see where to improve, it's good to have others read your work and tell you what they think. Other student writers, family, and teachers are all good choices, just make sure they know that you want to make it better and you won't get your feelings hurt if they suggest a change. 😁
Can you spot the impostors?
We spent a lot of time coming up with character and story details. Many of these details will make their way into your draft. But after the story starts to come together, you may realize that some of them don't really belong there anymore.
Keep an eye out for character or event details that don't belong. If a detail helps you show where you're going with your story arc and why it matters, it can stay. Otherwise, it may be better to take that detail out.
