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Creative Writing Introduction

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Creative Writing Introduction

Explore what makes stories work, then plan and begin an original short story. There may be more than one good creative answer; use the clues in each prompt and make your choices clear.

Story ingredients

A compelling story often brings together character, setting, conflict and plot. Use these tools to build a story that makes a reader want to continue.

1.Which option best explains plot?

The sequence of events in a story
The place and time a story happens
The people or creatures in a story
The problem a character faces

2.At an ice rink, Grace arrives for the final practice before a skating showcase. The lights suddenly go out, and a locked equipment cupboard begins to rattle. Identify one character, the setting and the conflict in this story opening.

3.Choose the strongest sensory detail for building an icy, suspenseful mood.

The rink was large.
Cold air prickled Layla’s cheeks as a sharp scrape echoed across the ice.
Layla was at the rink with Dylan.
The practice began at six o’clock.

4.Match each story term to its meaning: character, setting, conflict, plot.

Character
Setting
Conflict
Plot

Where and when a story happens
The sequence of events
A problem or challenge
A person or creature in a story

Make choices as a writer

A writer controls the reader’s experience through precise words, viewpoint and carefully arranged events.

5.Rewrite this plain sentence to make it more vivid and suspenseful: “Dylan opened the door.” Include at least one sensory detail.

6.Which sentence is written in first person?

Grace crept towards the cupboard.
I crept towards the cupboard.
Grace and Layla crept towards the cupboard.
The cupboard stood beside the rink.

7.Put these events into a logical order by writing the letters: A. Grace finds a frightened kitten inside. B. The lights go out. C. Grace hears a rattle from the cupboard. D. Grace asks Dylan to help unlock it.

8.A story has an ice-rink setting and a character, but nothing goes wrong or changes. Which important ingredient is missing to give the character a challenge?

Build your opening

Plan a short story set at an ice rink. Give your character a goal, introduce a problem and make the reader curious.

9.Invent a character for an ice-rink story. Give them a name, one distinctive personality trait and a goal for the day.

10.Plan a conflict that could interrupt your character’s goal at the rink. Make it specific enough to drive a story.

11.Write the first three sentences of your story. Establish the ice-rink setting, introduce your character and end with a detail or question that makes the reader want to continue.