This document provides guidance on how to write short stories for ages 7-11. It discusses including key elements like settings, characters, events, and resolutions. Settings describe where the story takes place. Characters should have 2-4 characters with descriptions. Stories should include interesting events like accidents or theft, and endings should resolve problems or tie back to the beginning. Writers are encouraged to use literary devices like alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, similes and metaphors to improve their writing. Finally, the document recommends planning the story using a storyboard before writing.

1. How to story write
Ages 7-11

2. Learning objectives:
To think about story writing
Talk about the important parts of
your story
Think about the settings and the
characters
To think about your story plans
and openings
Settings, events and resolutions

3. Thinking about settings
What is a setting?
A setting is where the story takes place. It could be
anywhere, for example maybe a cottage, haunted
house or even the park.

4. Characters
Two- four characters are enough for a short
story here’s how to make them sound real.
For example
Pirate names: scared face bob, red beard,
The horrible buccaneer of the east.
Don’t use your friends names In the story!
Use your imagination use names that people
don’t use often ,think of funny names if your
doing a humour story.
Describe what they look like, who they are,
how they move and maybe how they talk.
Show how they feel
using adverbs and
adjectives.
For example
Tired, angry, excitedly,
happily, sadly, curiously

5. Pick 2 of these characters and write 3 or 4
sentences about them.

7. Writing an excellent story!
These question words are very
important when writing stories
Who, what, how, where, when and why
The little girl ran quickly to the shop to get some
bread, at 7 am so her mum can make toast.

8. Use these ways to improve your writing
Alliteration- (2 or more words that start with the same letter )-
e.g scary spiders.
Rhyme- rumble and tumble
Onomatopoeia- (words that sound like the thing they describe)-
e.g jangling, tinkling coins
Similies- they compare one thing to another and are introduced
as like or as e.g the wet mud was sticky like fudge cake
Metaphors- compare one thing to another but are not introduced
by like or as e.g the wet mud was sticky fudge cake.

9. What should I include in a good
story?
events
An interesting story will contain events
A strong exciting plot has an unexpected event, a crisis, or
a problem, which needs to be sorted out by the end of the
story. Stories can contain more than one problem. Plans
could go wrong:
There could be an accident
Something or someone could get lost
A machine could break down
Something important could get stolen

10. Story endings
Explain the result of the events or show how the problem was
solved.
(but don’t end with everyone going home for dinner or someone
waking up to find it was all a dream –that’s boring!)
Endings usually bring the story round full circle for example:
Start: three scruffy pirates sat gloomily around a table in the lord
nelson pub, staring down into their empty beer glasses. One by
one they emptied out their pockets. It seemed they all had run out
of money.
End: the pirate gang made their way down the quay to their
favourite pub to celebrate their success. They had earned enough
money now to buy a whole years worth of beer- and have change.

11. Story endings
The final sentence is as important as the opening sentence. It
usually sums up the stories theme or message.
It had been the best day of my life.
I’ll never forget her.
If only he hadn’t been so selfish.
She realised taking part is much more important than winning.
It just goes to show, crime really doesn’t pay.
They were richer than they could ever have dreamed.

12. Story board?
Storyboards help you to plan a story
without writing it all out
Opening? Setting? Characters?
Problem…
How it is
solved…
Ending…

13. Now you are going to plan a
great story!
Checklist:
Title for your story
Setting where will it take place?
Characters who will be in your story?
What problem will they have?
How will they solve the problem?
How will the story end?