Every studio · With Krea
How to write a story
A story writing course for kids 6 to 13. Your kid learns the shape of a story and fills three boxes on paper: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Five short films, about 5 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of writing and drawing.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 5 films, about 5 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of making
- Host
- Krea
- You need
- Paper, pencil
- Status
- Coming soon. Kids vote in the app for the courses they want first.
The intro film
Krea's 45-second intro film is coming soon. Here's what Krea says in it.
Transcript
Hi, I'm Krea! Want to know the secret shape of every story?
Three boxes.
Box one: someone wants something.
Box two: something gets in the way, and it gets worse.
Box three: how it ends. Do they get it? Do they change?
That's it. Movies use it. Comics use it. Games use it too.
You'll draw three boxes on one page.
You'll draw a picture in each and write one line under it.
Then you'll tell your story out loud to someone.
If they get confused, you'll find the box that needs fixing.
Grab one sheet of paper and a pencil.
Let's tell a story.
The 5 lessons
Lesson 1. Somebody wants something
Every story starts with someone who wants something.
- Pick your hero
- Write what they want in one line
- Write who or what is in the way
Where: Paper
Lesson 2. Box one: the beginning
Show who your hero is, where they are, and what they want.
- Draw three boxes on your page
- Draw the hero and the place in box one
- Write one line under it
Where: Paper
Lesson 3. Box two: trouble
In the middle, the problem gets bigger.
- Draw the biggest problem in box two
- Make it worse than you first planned
- Write one line under it
Where: Paper
Lesson 4. Box three: the ending
The ending shows how the problem turns out.
- Decide: does your hero get it?
- Draw the last moment in box three
- Write one line under it
Where: Paper
Lesson 5. Tell it out loud
Tell your story to someone and fix the box that confuses them.
- Tell the story using your three boxes
- Ask what they didn't understand
- Redraw or rewrite that one box
Where: Paper
What your kid makes
Your kid ends with a three-box story on paper: a beginning, a middle, and an end, each with a drawing and one line. It's ready to become a short film in Animation Studio, where a short is three scenes, or a comic in Comic Studio, which starts from three drawings.
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
Does my kid need to read and write well?
No. Each box needs one drawing and one line. Younger kids can say the line while a grown-up writes it down.
Is this course about writing or drawing?
Both. Each box is a picture and a sentence, because the story is the plan for a film, a comic, or a game.
How long does it take?
The five films take about 5 minutes. Most kids fill the three boxes in 30 to 45 minutes.