Instructions
Every great story needs a plan! This worksheet will help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, and write your very own amazing adventure. Follow the steps from Part 1 to Part 4 to build your story from the ground up.
Part 1: Let's Brainstorm!
A story needs a character, a setting, and a problem. Choose one idea from each box below, or invent your own!
| Character (Who?) | Setting (Where/When?) | Problem (What goes wrong?) |
|---|---|---|
| A clumsy wizard | A castle in the clouds | A magical map is lost |
| A brave young librarian | A mysterious, hidden library | A book has come to life |
| A robot who loves to bake | A futuristic city on Mars | The recipe for the galaxy's best cake is stolen |
My Choices:
Character: _________________________________________________________________
Setting: ____________________________________________________________________
Problem: ___________________________________________________________________
Part 2: Plan Your Story
Now let's add some detail. Use the boxes below to plan the key parts of your story.
My Main Character
Describe your character. What is their name? What do they look like? What is their personality (brave, shy, funny)?
My Setting
Describe the setting. What does it look, sound, and feel like?
Story Outline
Think about what will happen in your story. What happens at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end?
BEGINNING: Introduce your character and setting. What is life normally like for them?
MIDDLE: The problem happens! What does your character do? What challenges do they face?
END: How is the problem solved? How does the story finish? Is there a lesson learned?
Part 3: Time to Write!
Use your plan from Part 2 to write your full story here. Don't forget to use exciting adjectives and describe what your character sees, hears, and feels.
Part 4: Writer's Checklist
Read through your story one last time and check off these boxes. Good writers always edit their work!
- My story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- I have described my character and the setting.
- I used interesting describing words (like "sparkling," "gloomy," or "enormous").
- I started sentences with a capital letter.
- I ended my sentences with a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!).
- I checked my spelling.
Answer Key
Note to Educator: As creative writing is subjective, this answer key provides guidance on what a complete response should include rather than specific "correct" answers.
Part 1: Let's Brainstorm!
The student should have selected one option from each column (or created their own) and written them on the lines provided. For example:
- Character: A robot who loves to bake
- Setting: A futuristic city on Mars
- Problem: The recipe for the galaxy's best cake is stolen
Part 2: Plan Your Story
- My Main Character: The student should have written a few sentences describing their chosen character. A good answer includes a name, a physical description, and a personality trait. (Example: "My character is named Zorp. He is a shiny chrome robot with glowing blue eyes. He is very friendly and loves to bake, but he gets worried easily.")
- My Setting: The response should use descriptive words to paint a picture of the time and place. (Example: "The story takes place in Neo-Olympus, a city on Mars with glass domes and flying cars. The air smells like cinnamon from Zorp's bakery.")
- Story Outline:
- BEGINNING: The student should describe a normal day for the character before the problem starts. (Example: "Zorp is happily baking Martian muffins in his popular bakery.")
- MIDDLE: The student must state the problem and at least one action the character takes. (Example: "He discovers his secret recipe book is gone! He follows a trail of flour crumbs through the city to find the thief.")
- END: The response should explain how the problem is solved and what the final outcome is. (Example: "He finds a rival baker, Blitz, who stole the recipe. Zorp teaches Blitz how to bake, and they decide to become partners. Everyone in the city gets to enjoy delicious cake.")
Part 3: Time to Write!
The student should have written a short story that follows the plan created in Part 2. A complete story will expand on the ideas from the planner boxes and form a cohesive narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
Part 4: Writer's Checklist
This section is for self-assessment. The student should have read through their story and mentally (or physically) checked off each item to ensure they have edited their work for key story elements and basic grammar.