CREATING A STORY

CREATING A STORY

Based on Fabula for Kids

CONTENT

1. THE BASICS

3. THE STORY

2. KEY ELEMENTS

4. BOOSTING THE NARRATIVE

2.1. Main character

2.2. Antagonist.

5. AN EXAMPLE

2.3. The world

2.4. Something happens

1. THE BASICS

1) FIND THE IDEA2) BUILD THE KEY ELEMENTS 3) INVENT THE BASIS OF THE STORY 4) IMPROVE THE STORY

2. KEY ELEMENTS

One or more MAIN CHARACTERS

The WORLD in which the story unfolds)

SOMETHING HAPPENS! An unforeseen event that kicks off the story.

The ANTAGONIST (the bad guy!)

THE MAIN CHARACTER

• How old are they? Are they older or younger than you?
• What do they look like? What kind of presence do they have? Try to describe them.
• What makes them special? Do they have any particularly extraordinary features? Do they have any particular tastes or habits?
• Are they afraid of something? Is there something that terrifies them or that they just can’t stand?
• What do they want? What’s the most important thing in the world they want or need?
• What are they called? Do they have names?

THE ANTAGONIST

In every story, there is always someone to fight against! maybe the antagonist is just a character who is very different from its rival or an obstacle hindering the main character from achieving their goal.

• How old are they? Are they older or younger than you?
• What do they look like? What kind of presence do they have? Try to describe them.
• What makes them special? Do they have any particularly extraordinary features?
• Do they have any particular tastes or habits?
• Are they afraid of something? Is there something that terrifies them or that they just can’t stand?
• What do they want? What’s the most important thing in the world they want or need?
• What are they called? Do they have names?

THE WORLD

The world is where your adventure takes place. It can be a fairy-tale world or a city in the future, a distant empire or the backyard of your home. You can imagine any time and place.

• Is it special? Why? Is it a normal world, or does it have something extraordinary?
• Where is it? On earth, in space, near or far away?
• Is the story set in the past, present or future?
• What is a typical day there like?
• What habits do the inhabitants of this world have?
• What does an ordinary person do? How do people play, eat, do, etc.?
• Imagine the smallest details in the life of your characters.

• What happens at the beginning? What strange event could happen?
• Is it a positive or a negative event? What is the effect on the characters and the world?
• Is it the antagonist’s fault? Does it have something to do with the villain?
• How does it change the story?

SOMETHING HAPPENS

No story is complete without an unforeseen, triggering event. Everything seems normal, but at a certain point something happens that sets the story in motion.

3. THE STORY

1. ORDINARY WORLD – Once upon a time 2. CALL TO ACTION – And then one day 3. THE THRESHOLD – The adventure begins! 4. FIRST TRIAL – But all of a sudden 5. SECOND TRIAL – But all of a sudden

6. CENTRAL TRIAL – Face off with the Antagonist! 7. OUTCOME –The result is that 8. RELAPSE – But something happens again 9. CONCLUSION – In the end

3.1. Ordinary World – Once upon a time

All stories begin with a normal situation. It’s when we see the main character in their daily life, before the adventure begins.

3.6. Outcome. The result is that

3.4. The trials

3.2. Call to Action – And then one day

How nice would it be if the heroine could simply proceed with her task at hand... but that would be too easy! So boring! It’s important to introduce some obstacles to overcome, trials to slow things down.

The main challenge always has consequences. Some- times the antagonist is defeated and the main characters are rewarded. Other times the antagonist wins, and the hero loses something;

How boring would it be if nothing happened! In fact, at a certain point, something happens that sets the story in motion.

3.7. Relapse. Something happens again

3.3. The Threshold – The adventure begins!

3.5. Central trial. Face off with the antagonist

After the outcome, there is usually a new unforeseen event that changes the situation

Sooner or later, the main character must face the most difficult test. If an enemy is involved, it’s time for a face off. It is usually the most difficult thing the protagonist would ever have to face.

After the unforeseen event, the main character must decide what to do and the real adventure begins.

3.8. Conclusion. In the end

Conflicts are resolved, and a newnormal is established.

4. BOOSTING THE NARRATIVE

At this point, we have the backbone of the story. But we’re just getting started.What is the difference between a soulless story and one that moves us? It’s the details! What makes stories really beautiful and gives them greater depth is the development of the characters and their emotions as the events evolve.

Was it too easy?

You can use the following hints in the order you prefer, and you don’t have to use them all: if you don’t like one, you can skip it.

Do they get enough help?

Have you already added characters who can lend a hand? The hero always meets a character who helps him. The antagonist may have helpers, too.

Make life difficult for your characters. Make the obstacles even more difficult!

Have you thought of a plot twist?

Who do they care for?

Why does the antagonist behave like that?

Everyone thinks a certain thing is about to happen... but you can surprise them! Adding an element of surprise makes stories compel- ling

Do the heroes have friends? Parents? A girlfriend or boy- friend? All characters have someone they love!

Why are the bad guys so bad? Do they resemble the heroes in some way? Sometimes the antagonist is not that bad; maybe they are simply misunderstood.

What do they learn?

Is there a moment of despair?

Have you thought about the characters’ background?

Have you thought about having the main character experience a moment of despair? We have our characters fall because when they get back up, they are stronger and more mindful.

How do they change at the end of the story?

All characters have a past, even if we don’t tell it. Their previous experiences can determine their actions

Who tells the story?

A story always has a narrator. It can be one of the story’s characters, a witness, or someone who heard it from others. The story can be told as if it happened in the past .

Does the main character have faults?

Flaws endear us to characters, and sometimes it is their weaknesses that help them win their challenges.

5. AN EXAMPLE

AN IDEA: A child gets lost in the forest and meets an evil witch”

KEY ELEMENTS

• MAIN CHARACTER: Hänsel

• ANTAGONIST: The witch

• THE WORLD

• SOMETHING HAPPENS

The structure

The adventure begins!

Once upon a timeHänsel lives with his parents in a house near the forest. His family is poor, and they have little to eat.

He eats some bread and drops crumbs on the path.

But all of a sudden

And then one day

He is distracted and gets lost. Dad returns home, and Hänsel is left alone in the forest.

Hänsel goes out to the forest with his Dad.

But all of a sudden

Hänsel tries to return home following the crumbs of his piece of bread. However, the birds have eaten them, and so he can’t find the way.

The structure

But something happens again

Face off with the antagonist!While walking, he finds a house with a kind old woman living in it. The house is made of marzi- pan; he is very hungry and starts eating the delicious sweets. The old woman, however, turns out to be a witch who imprisons him and wants to eat him.

He has to find his way home. He asks for help from a duck who shows him the way.

In the end

He goes back to his parents, who are delighted to see him again. They all live together on the riches that Hänsel found.

The result is that

Hänsel manages to throw theWitch into the oven intended for him, and he escapes, taking the precious stones he found in the gingerbread house and a lot of sweets with him.

NOW WE ARE GOING TO BOOST THE NARRATIVE

Do they get enough help?

Who do they care for?

Why does the antagonist behave like that?

Was it too easy?

Have you thought of a plot twist?

BOOSTING THE STORY

Have you thought about the characters’ backgrounds?

Who tells the story?

Is there a moment of despair?

Does the main character have faults?

What do they learn?

THE STORY

Face off with the antagonist! They got lost in the forest. While walking, they found a house with a kind old woman living in it. The house was made of marzipan; Hänsel and Gretel were very hungry and started eating the delicious sweets. The old woman, however, turned out to be a witch who imprisoned them and wanted to eat Hänsel and used Gretel as a servant. The result was that Hänsel was about to be eaten, but Gretel cleverly managed to throw the Witch into the oven intended for her brother. They ran away and took the precious stones they found in the gingerbread house and a lot of sweets with them. But something happens again They still had to find their way home. They asked for help from a duck who showed them the way home and helped them cross a raging river. In the end They went back to Dad, who was delighted to see them again. The Stepmother was gone, and they all lived together with the treasure that Hänsel and Gretel found in the witch’s house.

Once upon a timeHänsel and Gretel lived with their parents in a house near the forest. Their family was poor, and they had little to eat.And then one day They were so poor that the Stepmother decided to abandon them in the forest. The adventure begins! Hänsel, however, understood her intentions and collected shiny pebbles, which he wanted to use to leave a trace. But all of a sudden Dad took them to the forest and left them, but thanks to Hänsel’s pebbles, they managed to return home safe and sound. But all of a sudden A few days later, Dad took them back to the forest again. This time they were taken by surprise and had nothing with which to trace their path. Hänsel crumbled a piece of bread, but birds ate all the crumbs, and the two children were unable to return

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!!!