How to Plan a Short Story

Learn how to build your own exciting story from start to finish using a simple planning map. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Meet your hero. On a piece of paper, write down who your main character is. What is their name? What is one thing they really want? Maybe they want a pet dragon or to find a lost treasure.
2. Pick your setting. Decide where your story happens. Is it in a deep, dark forest, a school on the moon, or your own backyard? Draw a quick picture of this place so you can see it in your mind.
3. Create the problem. Every story needs a challenge. Write down what is standing in your hero's way. If they want a dragon, maybe the dragon is hiding in a cave that is too high to reach.
4. Map out the events. Use sticky notes to write one event per note. Put them in order: the start, the middle where they try to solve the problem, and the end where they succeed or learn something new.