Session 1 · AUTHOR: Organise
Story map
- 10 minChoose your setting (from your five-senses notes) and a main character with a want and a problem.
- 20 minDraw a story map: setting, character, complication, three rising events, climax, resolution.
- 15 minFirst-line lab: write five different opening lines (action, dialogue, setting, question, surprise). Test them on a partner.
- 5 minChoose your opening and your ending image.
Session 2 · AUTHOR: Organise
Draft
- 5 minReminders: scenes and paragraphs, show don't tell, sensory detail.
- 40 minWrite the first draft. Get to the end, even if parts are rough.
- 5 minMark the moment of highest tension. Is it close to the end?
Getting started
Use the story-mountain planner and aim for 400–600 words.
Stretch
Use a flashback or a second point of view on purpose.
Checkpoint
A complete first draft with a setting, a character with a problem, rising tension and a resolution.
Activities for this week
- First-line lab: How do I make a reader need to read my second sentence?