Making Up Stories

Core Idea

You do not have to read a book to tell a story -- you can make one up yourself. All you need is a character, something that happens to them, and how it turns out. Making up stories lets you use your imagination and practice all the things you have learned from the stories you have heard.

How It's Best Learned

Start by making up a story about a favorite toy or pet. Give your character a name and a problem to solve. A grown-up can write down your story as you tell it, or you can draw the pictures. Try making up stories with a friend by taking turns adding new parts.

Common Misconceptions

• Thinking your story has to be long or complicated; even a few sentences can be a story if it has a character and something that happens.
• Believing you need to know how to write to make up a story; you can tell stories out loud or draw them in pictures.
• Assuming your story has to make perfect sense; made-up stories can be as wild and imaginative as you want.

Explainer

You can make up your own stories! You do not have to read a book to be a storyteller. When you make up a story, you are using your imagination and showing that you understand how stories work. Every story you read teaches you something about stories, and now you can use those ideas to create your own.

What makes a story? You need a character (who is in the story?), something that happens (what is the adventure or problem?), and how it turns out (what is the ending?). That is it! You do not need anything else. Your character might be a real person, an animal, a toy, or something totally made up. The thing that happens could be a problem to solve, an adventure, a silly situation, or anything you imagine.

Here is something wonderful: your story does not have to be long. A few sentences can be a perfect story. "Once there was a rabbit who wanted to find the perfect carrot. The rabbit searched everywhere. Finally, the rabbit found a carrot and was so happy!" That is a real story! You do not need pages and pages and pages.

You also do not have to know how to write to make up a story. You can tell your story out loud, and a grown-up can write down the words you say. Or you can draw your story as pictures. Or you can tell it to a friend. All of these ways count!

And here is the best part: your made-up story can be as wild and imaginative as you want. Your character can do things that are impossible in real life. A fish could fly. A pencil could talk. Your story could go backward or be completely silly. Imagination is what makes made-up stories so fun. Do not worry about making perfect sense -- make it interesting!