Children often say they "have no ideas". Usually what they have is no character yet. Once a character wants something and has a problem, ideas start arriving on their own. This is the same approach we use at the start of our StoryCraft workshop.

  • Ages: 7–11
  • Time: 30 minutes
  • Skill: Character creation and story openings

What you need

  • Paper or a notebook
  • Pencils or coloured pens
  • Optional: magazines to cut pictures from

Step by step

  1. Draw the character. Ask your child to draw a person, animal or creature: realistic or completely made up.
  2. Give them a name and age. Write the name, age and where they live next to the drawing.
  3. Add a goal. What does this character want more than anything? To find something, win something, escape something?
  4. Add a flaw. What gets in their way from inside? They are scared of the dark, impatient, or always forget things.
  5. Add a secret. What does nobody else know about them? This is often where the story hides.
  6. Write the first three sentences. Start with the character doing something, not with "Once upon a time". For example: "Zara had exactly four minutes to find the key."

Make it easier or harder

  • Easier: skip the secret, and let your child tell the story aloud while you write.
  • Harder: add a second character who wants the opposite thing.

What your child learns

Goals, flaws and secrets are the building blocks of every story, from picture books to films. Children who learn them early write with more purpose, and stop running out of ideas.

This activity is a taste of our free StoryCraft workshop (ages 7–10). For year-round writing, see Creative Writing for ages 8–10.

Frequently asked questions

What age is this activity for?
Ages 7 to 11. Younger children can draw and tell the story aloud while an adult writes it down.

What if my child says they have no ideas?
Start with the drawing. Ideas usually come once the character has a name and a goal.

More free activities for kids