1. First,
take out a sheet of notebook paper.
Then,
fold it in half horizontally.
Finally,
Begin writing below the fold.
2. 1. Create a character
with a specific occupation. It
can be anything—the one
you had last summer, a job
you plan on having when you
grow up, the job you dream of,
or one you just think is funny
or interesting.
3. 2. Make the character the
best at this occupation. If he
or she has co-workers, they
admire her. Give an example
of something she can do that
the others can’t, something she
can do very quickly, or
something she can do easily
that others find hard. Make
her skill impossible to achieve
in real life.
4. 3. Describe your character
in an extreme way—she chews
a wad of gum the size of a
pinecone, or has fingers as
long as knitting needles. (This
doesn’t have to relate to the
character’s occupation, but it
can.)
5. 4. Above the fold, put in a
setting. You don’t have to
include your character in it, just
describe it. Exaggerate
everything about it—if it’s hot,
it’s the hottest day of the year.
If there’s a storm, the thunder
should shake the ground. Give it
a specific date and time that
your reader will recognize, such
as a holiday, or “the last
6. 5. Go back to your
character. Give her an
obstacle relating to her
occupation. It can be a
person, weather, or simply a
strange twist of fate. Make
the problem seem
impossible to solve.
7. 6. In plain, simple
language, have your character
discuss the problem with a
friend (or enemy) in two or more
lines of dialogue. Write at least
one word in a way that shows a
specific manner of speaking,
such as Ah for I. (You still have
to use apostrophes,
capitalization, etc.)
8. 7. Have your character,
against all odds, solve the
problem in a way that shows
grace, courage, intelligence,
or imagination. Conclude the
story.
