Write Your Own Story Tips & Prompts

Write Your Own Story Tips + 12 Bonus Prompts — Writing stories offer kids a powerful, effective way to express ideas and emotions. Whether it’s a comedy, mystery, or a story with a happy ending, any story can go in many different directions – that’s the fun part.

Kids have the chance to be creative, making up their own fanciful worlds and lands. Other students may choose to create a story in a familiar setting, grounding their stories with characters to who they relate closely.

No matter the directions kids take, writing stories allows kids to practice their understanding of others, solve complex problems, and write creatively. Writing stories also helps them build their critical thinking and writing skills for the future.

For many kids, starting their story can be the toughest part. So, we’ve put together some helpful tips to help kids write your own story.

Write Your Own Story: 5 Helpful Tips for Kids

Tip #1 – Take Action!

Many children’s stories start off with “There once was…” or “Once upon a time.” Instead, encourage kids to take action immediately in their story. Dive in right in the middle of some action. It’s a fun way to make readers instantly curious about what’s happening. Perhaps the story begins during a conversation or immediately shows off a key aspect of the main character’s personality. Not only does starting with action draw in readers, but kids may also find it’s easier to keep writing a story once an event is already happening.

Tip #2 – Develop Personalities

Characters in the stories must have some personality traits that make them stand out, and then kids write about behaviors that reflect the identity of each character. For example, a laidback character may love staying up late and sleeping in, while a responsible character may go to bed earlier and get up at dawn.

Tip #3 – Add Adjectives

As students start writing their own stories, encourage them to go into great detail with lots of adjectives. Sometimes kids may find it tough to give word pictures of settings or characters, using vague language instead. They can start by liberally adding in as many adjectives as possible to describe their characters and settings, and later any extraneous details can always be taken out. It’s tough to have a captivating story if there aren’t interesting descriptions and details.

Tip #4 – Move the Story Toward a Climax

Stories need to move towards a climax or event. There’s usually a problem or crisis that needs to be resolved before the story ends. Help kids determine which details in their stories help move the plot forward, and which elements of their story lack a purpose in moving the story along. For students who have a tough time finding direction or determining the central climax, creating a story outline may help. Outlining a list of the story’s main events that lead up to the action can make it easier for kids to determine which plot points they must hit to get to the climax.

Tip #5 – Bring the Ending Full Circle To end the study, students need to bring the story full circle. They can explain how the problem was resolved or talk about what happened after the climax. A great way to end a story is to bring it full-circle from the beginning. Have kids look back to the beginning of their stories and make note of the settings and key details. They can be brought back again in a new way to help conclude the story so readers get a sense of closure. If students need some inspiration, have them read the final sentences in their favorite stories.

12 Write Your Own Story Prompts

Sometimes just coming up with the idea for a story can be tough for kids. Here’s a list of some great write your own story prompts students can use to get them started writing their own stories.

Write about a family that took a road trip, got lost, and ended up enjoying a brand new adventure.
Three friends have the ability to travel forward in time. Write a story about what the world looks like when they arrive.
A kid who loves science suddenly develops superpowers and helps fight crime around the city at night. Write about one of his nighttime crime-fighting adventures.
You find a message in a bottle on a beach. It gives you directions. Write a story about what happens when you follow those directions.
Your main character meets a fairy who gives him or her a gift. What is the gift and how does the character use it?
Write a story that takes place on a farm with animals that talk.
Create a story about traveling to outer space and discovering a new galaxy or planet.
Your main character is walking through the story and a tree starts talking. What happens next?
Someone stole a hippo from the zoo. Write a story about how your main character tracks down the thief.
You grow a sunflower so tall that it reaches the sky. One day you decide to climb it. Write a story about what you discover at the top.
Write a story about a kid who moves to a new neighborhood and attends a new school.
Your main character goes outside and finds a sleeping dragon. Write a story about the dragon, why it’s there, how it looks, whether it’s friendly. What happens next?