Story Ideas - Characters, Settings, Objects and Interesting Words Helpsheet

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Story Writing Ideas

Don't know what to write a story about?
Sometimes the hardest part of story writing is thinking of ideas and finding a starting point. Helping children generate ideas for stories can be a fun and exciting way to foster their creativity.


Here are some ideas to get those creative juices flowing.

  1. Brainstorm Together:
    Sit down with your child and have a casual brainstorming session. Encourage them to share any thoughts that come to mind, even if they seem silly or unrelated. Sometimes, the most imaginative stories emerge from unexpected ideas.
  2. Inspiration from Everyday Life:
    Encourage your child to draw inspiration from their own experiences. Ask questions about exciting or memorable events in their lives, and discuss how they can turn those moments into a captivating story. Personal connections often make stories more engaging.
  3. Picture Prompts:
    Provide a selection of interesting or whimsical pictures. These could be images from magazines, online sources, or even drawings. Ask your child to choose a picture that sparks their imagination and build a story around it.
  4. Character Creation:
    Help your child develop interesting characters by discussing their personalities, quirks, and backgrounds. Once they have a character in mind, the story can revolve around the adventures and challenges their character faces.
  5. Change the Perspective:
    Explore different perspectives for storytelling. For instance, suggest they write a story from the viewpoint of an animal, an inanimate object, or even from the past or future. Changing perspectives can open up new and exciting possibilities.
  6. Mix and Match:
    Combine unrelated elements to create a unique story. For example, ask your child to choose a setting, a character, and a problem from different categories. Then, challenge them to weave these elements together into a cohesive and interesting narrative.
  7. What If Scenarios:
    Encourage your child to think about "What if" scenarios. What if they could fly? What if animals could talk? What if they discovered a magical portal in their backyard? These imaginative scenarios can lead to creative and fantastical stories.
  8. Story Cubes or Dice:
    Use story cubes or dice with pictures or words on each side. Have your child roll the dice and create a story based on the images or words that come up. It adds an element of randomness and can spark unexpected ideas.

Remember, the goal is to make the process enjoyable and to nurture children's creativity. Celebrate their ideas, no matter how wild or unconventional, and encourage them to let their imagination run wild when crafting their stories.


Free Story Ideas HelpSheet For Children

This helpsheet will give children ideas for characters, settings, objects and interesting words. All of these story ideas will help KS1 and KS2 children get started when planning and writing a story. It will also encourage children to write more interesting stories.

Download Your Free Story Ideas Helpsheet


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