How to Write a Story: A Guide for English Learners
Writing a story can be a fun and creative way to improve your English skills. Whether you are writing a short story, a biography, or a magical tale, following a structure can help make your story clear and engaging. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you write a great story.
1. Choose Your Genre
A genre is the type of story you want to write. Here are some common genres:
- Magical: A story with magic, spells, or supernatural events.
- Example: There was a boy who had a magic pen that could draw real things. One day, he tried to make a snake, and it became real.
- Action: A story full of adventure and excitement.
- Example: The hero jumped from the moving train just before it exploded.
- Biography: A story about someone’s life.
- Example: Mr. Mubeen was a good teacher. He recorded hundreds of lectures.
- Autobiography: A story about your own life.
- Example: One day, I asked my dad to buy me a remote-control car, but he bought me a bicycle instead.
2. Create a Strong Beginning
Your story should have an interesting beginning to grab the reader’s attention. You can start with:
- A question: Have you ever seen a doll move on its own?
- A description: The old doll sat on the shelf, its glass eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
- An action: Sara rang the bell, but nobody opened the door.
3. Use the WH Technique
To develop your story, answer these questions:
- Who is in the story?
- What is happening?
- Where is the story set?
- When does it take place?
- Why is this happening?
- How does it end?
Example: Sara, who is a police officer, came home after 15 days. She rang the bell, but nobody answered. It was hot, and she was sweating. She called her parents, but no one picked up. She opened fire on the lock and entered. Inside, she heard terrifying sounds. A woman in a white gown was sitting on a chair. Sara tried to escape, but the woman caught her and killed her.
4. Use Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences help make your story interesting:
- Universal Truth: If you heat water, it boils.
- Future Possibility: If you respect your parents, your children will respect you.
- Future Action: If you are coming, I will make a cup of tea.
5. Use Past Tense for Storytelling
Most stories are written in the past tense. Here are some important structures:
- was/were + (noun/adjective/verb-ing)
- The forest was very big.
- had + (noun/verb-3rd form)
- I had a gun.
- would/could/might + (verb-1st form)
- I could not see the tiger.
- 2nd form of verb
- I went to a forest.
Example: I went to a forest. The forest was very big. There was a tiger in the cave. I could not see it. I had a gun. The tiger had a horrible face. I had been waiting for the right time to shoot. Finally, I pulled the trigger.
6. Write an Engaging Ending
The ending should solve the problem or leave a mystery for the reader to think about.
- Happy Ending: The boy used his magic pen to fix everything.
- Tragic Ending: Sara never came back home.
- Suspenseful Ending: Nobody knows what happened to the missing family.
Final Tips:
- Keep your sentences simple and clear.
- Use past tense for storytelling.
- Follow a logical sequence: beginning → middle → end.
- Practice writing regularly to improve.
Now, it’s your turn! Choose a genre and start writing your own story. Happy writing!