Story Map

Writing out a story can be kind of hard without a plan in mind. At least, it is for me. I can't write a story unless I have it somewhat mapped out.1

Beginning: When I start writing, I start getting into the characters. Whatever the situation you put them in is, start out by drawing the reader in. Usually the easiest way to do this is by starting with an emotional response. Say the character is in a dark alleyway. Start out with the feeling of being in the dark alleyway. Tell us what their reaction to the place is and tell us what's running through their mind.2

Middle: Pull the story forward with your ideas. Delve into some background history. Tell us who they are. Go into their past. What have they done in their life? You don't need to list everything, but give us some basic idea as to how they lived. Tell us why they're there. Move forward as the character mulls over past events or something. Tell us what lead up to this event.3

Moving on. As the story progresses, give us a clue as to what ther character is thinking as the events play out. Are they happy? Are they sad? Are they worried? Give us some reasons why they feel the way they do. Remember, emotion can make or break a story so make sure you've got detail.4

Ending: This is probably the easiest part. Let the story flow. After finishing the middle, see where your characters are. Maybe end with some final thoughts from your main character. Or maybe even end with your character doing something. I'll use a favorite example of mine. Say you wrote a story about Jane and her cat. Say Jane's cat died. Maybe you could have Jane thinking about 'oh, I will always miss this cat' or something along those lines. Or maybe you want Jane placing flowers on her cat's grave. The choice is yours.5