Every studio · With Krea
How to plan a story
A story writing course for kids 6 to 13. Your kid learns the shape of a story, the beginning, middle, and end, and fills three boxes on paper, one for each part. Four short films, about 3 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of writing and drawing.
How to plan a story is part of Kubrio Learn: short courses that inspire kids to make things. Learn more
Watch all 4 lessons in the appWhat 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.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 3 minutes, then 30–45 minutes of making
- You need
- Paper, pencil
- Host
- Krea
The 4 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
In the app
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
In the app
Lesson 4. Box three: the ending
The ending shows how the trouble turns out. Then tell your story out loud.
- Draw how it turns out in box three
- Write one line under it
- Tell the story out loud and fix the box that confuses someone
Where: Paper
In the app
Lesson 1 transcript: Somebody wants something
Want to know the secret shape of every story? Three boxes!
Box one, the beginning. Box two, the trouble. Box three, the ending. Movies, comics, and games all use it.
Every story starts with someone who wants something.
Meet Sam. Sam wants to fall asleep.
But something is in the way. The dark! Sam is scared of the dark.
A hero. What they want. What's in the way. Now you have a story!
Your turn. Pick a hero. Write one line: what do they want? Then write what's in the way. When you're done, press Next.
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 four films take about 3 minutes. Most kids fill the three boxes in 30 to 45 minutes.