The Story Map: 4 Sections to Success
Master the foundational "4 Box" planner—Character, Setting, Problem, and Solution—to ensure your stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
The 4 Story Elements
Who is it about?
Don't just name them! Describe what they look like and their personality. Are they brave? Shy? Clumsy? This details helps the reader care about them.
Where and When?
Create a world. Is it a spooky forest at midnight? A busy school playground? Use your 5 senses to describe the sights, sounds, and smells.
What goes wrong?
Every story needs a conflict! Did someone get lost? Was something stolen? A monster attack? This is the "Complication" that drives the action.
How is it fixed?
How does the character solve the problem? Do they find the lost item? Defeat the monster? This is the "Resolution" that brings the story to a close.
Example: "The Lost Key"
Character
Sam, a forgetful but determined young boy who loves mysteries.
Setting
A stormy afternoon at his grandfather's dusty, creaky old antique shop.
Problem
Sam accidentally locks the special safe containing his grandfather's prize medal, and the key falls into a floorboard crack!
Solution
Sam uses a magnet attached to a string to carefully fish the key out, unlocks the safe, and saves the day just before his grandfather returns.
Growth: From Map to Mountain
The Story Map is the perfect start. As students get older (Year 7+), they expand this 4-step process into the 5-step Story Mountain.
| Story Map (Basic) | Story Mountain (Advanced) | |
|---|---|---|
| Character & Setting | becomes | Introduction (Orientation) |
| Problem (The big issue) | expands to | 1. Build-up (Suspense rises) 2. Climax (The peak problem) |
| Solution | refines to | 1. Resolution (Solving it) 2. Ending (Wrap up) |
Top Tips for Parents
Make sure the "Problem" is clear. A story without a problem is just a recount ("I did this, then this"). The problem makes it exciting!
Encourage your child to use "doing" words and adjectives. Instead of "It was hot", try "The sun blazed down."
Related Writing Guides
Ready to Write a Story?
Try our fun narrative prompts and use the Story Planner to map out your next adventure!