I teach a creative writing class. I love it. Now I'm at home, separated from my students. For a moment, will you be my surrogate writing class?
Here is your mission, should you choose to accept it: Write a short story in 6 steps!
If you have littles at home, you can do this too. Just consider this an exercise in imagination and help them to tell you a story!
Are they big enough to draw, but not write? Have them draw their characters and host a puppet show!
Can they write? Great! Write, write, write! Get to work on handwriting skills and talk about basic story elements.
Are you an adult and you just like to write? This could be fun for you too!
Answer these questions, step-by-step, and at the end you should have the makings of a short story worth telling. Good luck!
Step One: Introduction
Two people step out of a building. Who are they? What are their names?
Step Two: Setting
What does the building look like?
Step Three: Rising Action
Where are the two people going? Are they going to the same place?
Step Four: Character Development
How do these two people know each other? Why were they in the building together?
Step Five: Conflict
Something happens. Now the two people cannot reach their destination(s). What do they do?
Step Six: Resolution
Do they reach their destination in the end? After you decide this, the two characters have to say goodbye to each other. What do they say?
Feel free to be as detailed as you want with each step. This could be worked on over days, or one imaginative afternoon, depending on your situation and the age of the person "writing." I hope you enjoy this creative writing activity!
And I would love, love, love to see pictures of drawings and puppets, or read stories, if you and your family gave this a shot! You can always connect with me through social media, or email me directly with your stories and pictures at authorjacquelynholmes@gmail.com .
Happy writing, friends!