Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
Choosing themes for your stories or novels consciously gives you the focus you need to develop and enrich your character arcs. Learn more.
Looking for short story ideas that will help you get published? Check out this list of over 100 story ideas to help you write great stories.
Are you a writer or creative looking for unique story setting ideas? Click to see a long list of setting ideas, organized into types of settings.
Language Arts Classroom Poster. Created by The Writing Doctor. Visit "The Write Prescription" dot com.
Looking for short story ideas that will help you get published? Check out this list of over 100 story ideas to help you write great stories.
Some people get so focused on leaving a great first impression that they seem to forget how to act like a decent human being.
Every novel must include these seven key story elements. Get these right and you can write a story readers love.
Help students plan and pre-write a narrative short story by following this blog post. Includes free graphic organizers and step-by-step directions.
What is story conflict? Read examples from novels that show how to use different conflicts in a story to heighten tension and suspense.
Story elements are the five components that make up a story. They are the characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution. These elements keep the story running smoothly and allow the action to develop in a logical way that the reader can follow. Retelling involves students orally reconstructing a story that they have read or has been read to them. A student's retell should include characters, settings, and events in the logical sequence of the story.
Let's talk about the elements of story. What specific elements do succesful stories have in common? And, what elements do you want in your story?
Step-by-step guide on how to write a fantasy novel, along with expert tips. From outlining your story to starting your fantasy novel.
copyright 2008 by Gary L. Pullman The four primary elements of fiction are plot, character, setting, and theme. Associated with most of these is a cluster of related components: plot is divisible into exposition, inciting moment, rising action, turning point, falling action, moment of final suspense, and (depending upon whether the narrative is a comedy or a tragedy) resolution or catastrophe. Of course, all plots are also derived from, and developed upon, conflict. Likewise, setting is not merely a matter of a specific time and place, but it also entails the particular cultural milieu that exists in this particular time and place. Victorian London, for example, is quite different than nineteenth-century Tombstone, Arizona. Similarly, character involves motivation, various personality traits, and, usually, interrelationships among several fictional persons. Only theme is simple, rather than complex, having no subordinate constituents. Since any of these four elements is a potential starting point for a story, a writer may generate an idea for a story by considering plot, character, setting, or theme. Some writers, among them both C. S. Lewis and Stephen King, have been inspired by mental images of characters in specific situations or settings. C. S. Lewis specified the image of a fawn, or satyr, carrying an armload of parcels, as the mental picture that launched The Chronicles of Narnia, and Storm of the Century, King says, began with his imagining a strange man incarcerated in a jail cell. The placement of a character in a particular situation or setting is not a story, of course, but it is (possibly) the beginning of a story that could start by considering an interesting character. It is the starting point from which a series of questions can begin to be asked. The choice of a protagonist or an antagonist can also suggest, or even determine, the story’s counterpart as well. Once William Peter Blatty decided upon a demon—maybe Satan himself—as his story’s antagonist, an exorcist became the most logical choice of a protagonist. (Although The Exorcist is said to be based upon a true story, Blatty, as an author of fiction was free to select a character other than a priest as his protagonist, had he wished to do so; fact does not determine fiction, even when the latter is based upon the former.) Dean Koontz says he begins many of his stories by involving a character in a bizarre situation that compels him or her to react to the incidents that ensue therefrom. Many of Jesus’ parables begin as answers to his disciples’ questions concerning the meaning of the law or of right conduct in regard to particular situations. They are stories told, in other words, to impart wisdom. Their purpose is not primarily to entertain, but to instruct. Therefore, they originate as a means for expressing, in concrete terms, abstract ideas or values. They are theme-driven. The Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the meaning of forgiveness. The Parable of the Good Samaritan shows the meaning of loving one’s neighbor. The Parable of the Mustard Seed shows the meaning of faith. Horror stories, as cautionary tales, also often drive home a theme. Beowulf teaches the destructive and deadly effects of intertribal vengeance. The Shining shows the terrible consequences of self-absorption, self-indulgence, and child and spousal abuse. Cujo is not only about a rabid dog, but also about the devastating effects of adultery upon one’s marriage and family. Sometimes, a setting will suggest a story. It is no accident that many horror stories take place in isolated environments, total institutions, or confining spaces. What other monster but the strange troglodytes could have inhabited the cavern into which, as if into Satan’s maw, the female spelunkers enter in The Descent? What better foe could beachgoers encounter in the finny deep than the gargantuan white shark with which Peter Benchley confronts his readers in Jaws? Likewise, the rain forest in which Special Forces soldiers first encounter the camouflaged extraterrestrial in Predator fairly cries out for such a monster as its antagonist. Edgar Allan Poe’s essay, "The Philosophy of Composition," is the quintessential document, perhaps, alongside Aristotle’s Poetics, for the point of view that it is the plot that matters more than other elements (a point not always conceded by other authorities). Poe argued that a writer should commence not at the beginning of his or her story but, on the contrary, with its end, working backward in determining the sequence of actions and other details that will best lead, inevitably, toward the narrative’s climactic finale, using his own narrative poem The Raven as an example of the process. Many writers share Aristotle’s and Poe’s respect for plotting, so much so that they find themselves at a loss to put pen to paper (or, more commonly, finger to keyboard) until they have plotted the whole tale, from “A” to “Z.” (Others, such as Mark Twain, write the same way that the Who’s “Pinball Wizard” plays his game, blindly, as it were, purely “by inspiration.”) The fact that a writer can generate a story from any of the four primary elements of fiction quadruples his or her opportunities for inspiration. It does more than this, however: it also provides the writer with a way of considering, and deciding, which element he or she wants to emphasize. The author must consider whether the story highlights an individual’s actions in the face of fate (plot); personal limitations, abilities, and will (character); the effects of time, place, and culture on the understanding and development of character and the limitations imposed upon one by his or her environment (setting); or the lesson that the main character learns as a result of his or her experience, as recounted in the story (theme). The choice that the writer makes at this initial point will affect the story as a whole and how the reader understands the tale. In this sense, four possible stories confront the writer, and he or she must choose which of the four to tell. For horror story writers, Poe suggests a solution to this dilemma: pick the element that will best sustain and heighten fear and trembling. After all, that’s what horror is all about.
By Christine Frazier of Better Novel Project. By Christian Frazier of Better Novel Project.
If you’re an avid reader like we are, odds are you have spent a moment or two dreaming of writing a book of your own. Together, let’s build a community where we can help one another ach…
50+ storytelling ideas for kids. You'll find story starters, activities, tips, and more!
Storytelling is a wonderful way to build creativity and imagination in your students. How can storytelling activities be beneficial in the classroom? There are so many ways! inspires purposeful talkingraises enthusiasm for reading textsinitiates writingenhances communityimproves writingengages students Want to see how each of these activities work? Watch the Storytelling Activities video on my YouTube
Read 50 Best Fantasy Story Ideas and Writing Prompts and short story ideas. Great Fantasy Story Ideas to Help you Brainstorm your own Fantasy Tale.
Do You Need Some Ideas For Your Short Fantasy Story? Are You Doing Some Creative Writing Work At Home? Completing An Assignment? Here Are 30 New Fantasy Prompts
When tons of academic assignments jump into the pocket all at once, even the most devoted and self-organized student can get confused. Academic overload and pressure to succeed are among the top…
Start writing a novel with a process, support, and the accountability of community. Learn more to get going with a sound process.
Use these short story ideas with a twist to encourage your middle-schoolers to think outside the box… and to be as creative as they can!
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Leanna Russell talked about her recent large-scale project Fantasy Scene: modeling & texturing approaches, background creation, lighting, and mood.
If you’re an avid reader like we are, odds are you have spent a moment or two dreaming of writing a book of your own. Together, let’s build a community where we can help one another ach…
If you’re an avid reader like we are, odds are you have spent a moment or two dreaming of writing a book of your own. Together, let’s build a community where we can help one another ach…
As much as I love royals, witches, rebels and assassins, there are other jobs out there for your fantasy heroes!
Steal these for your writing unit!
The Eledris Blog is an archive of resources about worldbuilding, writing, art, and game dev. As I work on my world, I share my experience and knowledge in the form of easy to understand guides.
After successfully using the Christmas Roll a story someone has asked for a different one to use everyday. So here it is: Download: Roll a story Great for: Warming up during a circle time. Warming up during one to one sessions. Using imagination to tell a story. Working out how to solve a problem. Understanding emotions […]
Heroes in conflict is a complex theme that could make or break your story. Here are 7 good ideas to try – and 3 pitfalls to avoid!
Will your story have ninjas? Will it be set in outer space? Will you secretly be royal? Find out with our plot twist generator!
Here are 100 story ideas you can steal right now: An alien species that lands on earth but is only detectable through literature. A builder who specialises in magical doors, extensions, and passages.
Time to start binging some documentaries, I guess.
They aren't fact-checked, but they ARE entertaining as hell.
America is not the whole world. Now I have nothing against Americans or even America as a whole but you have to admit, there are a lot of stories that make it a not so safe place for anyone who does not bleed red and blue. I am not saying all Americans are like this
Enjoy this FREE Roll-a-Story Writing Activity from MsJordanReads to kick-start your back-to-school writing fun! Students will love creating story starters using the mix-and-match story elements from the chart! (All you nice is a dice!) Download this free resource and for a fun, back-to-school activity! :) Happy Teaching!
Structuring your story can frighten some writers and confuse others, but it doesn't have to be so - here is a simple way to look at story structure.
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Plot twist ideas! As with all plot twists, make sure these don't come out of nowhere.
Get 100 dark academia writing prompts here, and check out our free guide to writing dark academia novels to learn what to do with your idea. A cursed painting in the university gallery comes to life at night. The characters within it seek the help of a talented art history major to break the spell. They work together
