Writing your rough draft – version 2

1. Introduction (This paragraph is only for introduction. No action needs to take place yet. The purpose here is to paint a picture of a scene and draw the reader into that scene. It is our entrance into the world of the story.)
Introduce your characters and setting.

  • a) Introduce your Main Character
  • b) Tell who the Main character lived with. (Friend Character)
  • c) Tell where they lived. Describe the place, the type of house, size, color, what it’s made of, what it’s near or surrounded by, how comfortable it is or isn’t. Try to use your words to make the reader imagine it exactly the way you do.
  • d) Give the Main Character some special ability or trait, something that can help solve a problem later in the story. (For example, very good at singing or dancing or coloring, or very strong or clever.) Imagine how the MC might creatively use this ability to solve problems. See if you can come up with something original and unique to this story.

    2. Departure (This paragraph creates the impetus for the journey around which our story centers. Here we go from an ordinary day to finding out that this day is extraordinary. Here the story takes off.)
    Give the Main Character a reason to go out on the adventure.

  • a) Something happens to make this errand necessary. Tell what happened on this certain day that made them realize it was necessary for one of them to go on an important journey. It should start out like an ordinary day. Then that ordinary day is interrupted by some unexpected occurrence, something of vital importance.
  • b) Create a new character that the Main Character is going to see. We’ll call this the Destination Character.
  • c) Your Friend Character will send your Main Character on this special errand someplace far away. Why did the Main Character have to go? Why couldn’t the Friend go?
  • d) Tell where your Main character has to go and why. How will this solve whatever problem has happened or is about to happen because of the unexpected occurrence? Make it clear that it has to happen that day.
  • e) What does the friend tell the Main character not to do on the way? It is better not to tell why. Let the reader anticipate what might happen.

    3. Travel (This may take several paragraphs and will carry us all the way from the preparation for the journey to reaching the forbidden place. The trick here is to not make it obvious that the MC has reached the forbidden place until the last moment. So when the MC stops for whatever reason, we know that it happens to be right near that place, but the reader doesn’t know yet until something makes the MC run into that place.)
    Describe the Main Character getting ready and leaving. What makes the Main Character do the thing he or she is not supposed to do.

  • a) Describe what the Main Character wears.
  • b) Describe what if anything, the Main Character will bring for supplies.
  • c) Make sure that the Main Character says goodbye to the friend.
  • d) Describe the travel. Is the Main Character walking, running, flying, slithering, hopping or swimming?
  • e) Your Main Character will reach a place along the way where there will be some troublemaker. This person will play some trick to get your Main Character to do what he or she is not supposed to do. Describe the place where they meet and what the troublemaker does.
  • f) Why does the Main Character fall for the trick?

    4. Problem (Here, the Main Character gets into trouble. We are not going to solve the problem yet, but just give the reader a sense that the Main Character is really in serious trouble. We introduce the Trouble-maker of the story and tell what this character intends to do to the Main Character The Trouble-maker doesn’t actually do it though).
    Describe the trouble your Main Character gets into.

  • a) Remember that our stories are Non-violent and Original. Something scary might happen, but we won’t have our characters hurting each other. It is the anticipation of danger that makes it exciting not the gratuitous violence. That just makes it gory.
  • b) Remember that we want the Main Character to be able to use his or her special skill to get out of trouble, so make sure that the problem doesn’t take that away. (For example, if the Main Character’s skill is singing, you wouldn’t make him lose his voice because then he couldn’t sing to get out of trouble. Or if the Trouble-maker knows about the Main Character’s special ability and has purposely done something to hinder that, then you must figure out a way for the Main Character to get it back just in time. Maybe with help from another victim of the trouble maker. This kind of thing must be well planned out ahead of time to work well in your story.)
  • c) Does the Main Character get caught in a trap? Does a monster come? Maybe the Main Character gets turned into something.

    5. Solution (Now the Main Character must figure out a way to use that special ability. If something is preventing the Main Character from using the special skill, then help may be required to free that up. The thing to remember here is that the Main Character must be smarter than the Trouble-maker. It may help to brainstorm a list of ways that a special skill might be used to solve a problem)
    Describe how the Main Character solves the problem.

  • a) Remember that we don’t use violence or weapons to solve problems.
  • b) Describe how the Main Character uses the special skill to solve the problem or to get out of trouble.
  • 1. Maybe the Main Character uses that special skill to call for help.
  • 2. The Main Character uses the skill to create a way out.
  • 3. Using the special skill makes the Monster or troublemaker become friendly or sleepy.
  • 4. Maybe the special skill solves a problem that the Trouble-maker has, therefore making the Trouble-maker have a change or heart.
  • 5. The Trouble-maker may think he or she has better skill and one will challenge the other to a contest.
  • 6. The special skill might frighten, confuse or annoy the Trouble-maker.
  • 7. The Main Character may trick the Trouble-maker into thinking that the special skill can solve a problem or gain him or her some kind of wealth or power. This could create an opportunity to get away.
  • c) Remember, the Main Character is only trying to get away from the Trouble-maker in order to finish the errand. It is not necessary to defeat the Trouble-maker.

    6. Safe (At last, we are ready to close the story. The Main Character must finish the errand and return home safely. Don’t try to create another adventure for the trip home. Just get the Main Character home as quickly as possible.)
    Describe the Main Character finally reaching the destination safely.

  • a) Here you can close the story. Tell how the Main Character felt when he or she finally reached the destination.
  • b) What was the Destination Character doing when the Main Character arrived?
  • c) Does the Destination Character help the Main Character gets home quickly?
  • d) When the Main Character gets home, does he pr she tell the Friend the story of what happened on the way?
  • e) Does the Friend suspect and figure it out?
  • f) What lesson did the Main Character learn?