Features of a good story

In a nutshell

Unforgettable characters, strong beginnings and powerful endings are what makes a great story! In this summary, you will learn how to create a plot for a story as well as creating settings and characters.

Plot

A plot is a series of events - every story needs one. Lots of stories follow a story mountain, which allows you to see the story in a visual way. The mountain has different levels to tell a key part of the story. This helps the story follow a structure to make it good.

1.	Opening	This is the beginning of the mountain. Here you might introduce the hero of the story and the setting.
2.	Build up	Here is the part where you decide what will happen to your character. Add some problems or a mystery to solve.
3.	Climax	This is the peak of the mountain where the character has to face a major problem. How will they survive? This is the most exciting part of the story.
4.	Resolution	How does your character deal with the problem that they are facing? It is a good idea to make your resolution unusual and different.
5.	Ending/conclusion	We have gone around the mountain and come back to the bottom where everything is resolved. However, just because it is the end doesn't mean your story ends here. You could add an unexpected twist.

Setting

A setting in a story is when and where a story takes place. This will have a huge impact on the story. You can create a setting by using lots of adjectives. Try to use your words to create a picture for the readers.

Example

Imagine your character is in a castle. You will need to think about what kind of castle they are in. You will also need to think about:

Where the castle is. Is it in a forest or on an island?
What the castle looks like. Is it modern or old and crumbling?

You can also talk about the weather. The setting can give readers a clue on what your story will be about.

Character

A character is not always just a person. Characters can be animals or figures. You could write about characters you already know from a movie or book, or you can completely make up your own characters. When creating a character, have a think about their:

Name
Appearance - what they look like. This could be the colour of their hair or eyes.
Where they live
The type of person they are. Are they kind or vengeful?

When creating a character, use lots of descriptive language. This will help your character come to life!