A Moving & Learning Activity
One word a day. A little movement. A story that grows all month.
Choose one word with at least four letters each day for 30 days.
Do the movement assigned to each letter in your word. Use the movement key.
Use your word in a sentence that continues your story.
Read your story out loud, or send it to a friend, a grandparent or your class. Sharing is optional. The movement and the writing are the whole game.
Make it work for you: Modify or replace any movement for your space, ability or school rules. Try wall push-ups, marching instead of jumping, or standing movements instead of floor exercises.
30-Day Story Challenge
Do the move for every letter in your word of the day.
Take breaks when you need them. Modify or replace any movement for your space, ability or school rules.
A Moving & Learning Activity
Build a short story in one sitting. Pick, move, write, repeat.
Choose a word with at least four letters.
Do the movement assigned to each letter. Use the movement key.
Use the word in a sentence that continues your story.
Pick a new word and keep the story going.
Make it work for you: Modify or replace any movement for your space, ability or school rules. Try wall push-ups, marching instead of jumping, or standing movements instead of floor exercises.
30-Minute Story Challenge
Do the move for every letter, then write your sentence.
Take breaks when you need them. Modify or replace any movement for your space, ability or school rules.
A Story Challenge Guide
Know what to focus on next, without having your story written for you. Every story moves through five simple stops.
Sometimes called the exposition.
Who is the story about? · Where are they? · What is normal life like? · What do they want, and why does it matter?
Sometimes called the inciting incident.
What happens that starts the real story? · Is it a problem, a surprise or a discovery? · Why can't they just ignore it?
Sometimes called the rising action.
What does the character try? · What goes wrong? · Who helps, and who gets in the way? · How does it get harder?
Sometimes called the climax.
What is the hardest choice? · What could they lose? · What do they decide to do? · Does the plan work?
Sometimes called the resolution.
How is the problem solved? · What did the character learn? · How are they different now? · What last line will the reader remember?
Two Ways To Pace It
| Story stop | In 30 minutes | Over 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| Meet The Story | First 5 minutes | Days 1 to 5 |
| Something Changes | Next 5 minutes | Days 6 to 10 |
| The Problem Grows | Next 10 minutes | Days 11 to 20 |
| The Biggest Moment | Next 5 minutes | Days 21 to 25 |
| Show What Changed | Final 5 minutes | Days 26 to 30 |
Story Roadmap · Part 2
Same five stops, four kinds of story. Pick one to steer your ideas, or mix them.
Someone must reach a place, find something, or finish a hard task.
What are they after? · Why do they need it? · What blocks the way? · What do they find on the journey?
Something strange has happened, and the character wants the answer.
What is missing or unexplained? · What is the first clue? · Which clue is misleading? · What is the truth?
Something is wrong, and the character has to fix it.
Who is affected? · Why does the first fix fail? · What do they learn from it? · What finally works?
A character starts one way and ends another.
What do they believe at first? · What challenges that belief? · What mistake do they make? · What do they understand by the end?
A simple hero's path. The Quest can follow six easy steps: Ordinary life → A challenge appears → Into the unknown → Obstacles and helpers → The hardest test → Home again, changed. That's enough. You don't need seventeen steps to tell a great story.
Story Roadmap · Part 3
Every writer gets stuck. When you do, pick one of these and keep the story moving. You still decide how it plays out.
Story Roadmap · Part 4
The roadmap moves the plot along. These moves make the words better. Pick one and try it on your next sentence.