Everything you need to inspire a love of stories and writing — downloadable worksheets, gift ideas, lesson plans, and links to the best UK reading and writing organisations.
Every great story — from Harry Potter to Roald Dahl — follows the same basic recipe. Here's how to write one yourself, step by step.
Before you write a single word of the story, invent your characters. Give your hero a name, a look, a fear, and something they really want. The best characters feel like real people — that means they have faults as well as strengths. A perfect hero is boring. A hero who is clumsy, or scared of spiders, or says the wrong thing at the wrong moment? Brilliant.
Where does your story happen? A haunted library? An island nobody has found? A school for dragons? The setting should feel like a character in its own right. Describe it using your senses — not just what it looks like, but what it smells like, sounds like, and feels like under your feet. If you want to live in your setting, your readers will too.
Every story is about a problem. Your hero wants something — and something or someone gets in the way. It doesn't have to be a villain. It could be a storm, a misunderstanding, a lost map, a secret. The problem creates the tension that keeps readers turning pages. Ask yourself: what is the worst thing that could happen to my hero? Then make it happen.
The beginning introduces your hero and world. The middle is where the problem gets bigger and your hero faces obstacles. The end is where the problem is resolved — and where your hero has learned something or changed in some way. A story without change isn't really a story. Before you write, plan all three parts on your story planner.
Don't start your story with “One day, Jack woke up.” Start in the middle of something happening. “The map had been in the attic for a hundred years. Nobody knew what it led to. Jack was about to find out.” That first sentence is your hook — it needs to make the reader desperate to know what happens next.
What characters say (and how they say it) tells us everything about who they are. A character who says “Indubitably” feels different to one who says “Yeah whatever.” Dialogue also breaks up description and keeps the pace moving. Read your dialogue aloud. If it sounds like something a real person would say, it works. If it sounds stiff, rewrite it.
“She was scared” tells us. “Her hands wouldn't stop shaking” shows us. “He was angry” tells us. “He slammed the door so hard the windows rattled” shows us. Showing is almost always more powerful than telling. When you want to describe a feeling, describe what the body does instead.
The best endings leave the reader with a feeling — satisfaction, wonder, or a slight ache. Your hero should be different by the last page. They've learnt something, gained something, or lost something that mattered. Don't end with “and it was all a dream” — readers find it deeply unsatisfying. End with your hero standing in a new place, literally or emotionally.
A Storywizard book isn't just a gift — it's the moment a child becomes a real, published author. Here are the occasions where it means the most.
The personalised book gift that every child remembers. They wrote the story — now it's under the tree as a real hardback. Order by mid-December for pre-Christmas delivery. From £25.99 including UK postage and packaging.
A personalised birthday gift unlike anything else. Their own story, their own characters, their name on the cover as the author. Perfect for ages 6 to 14. Hardback from £25.99, including UK postage and packaging.
Celebrate World Book Day in March by becoming a real published author. A Storywizard book is the most meaningful way a child can mark the occasion — by writing one themselves.
Move beyond chocolate — give an Easter gift that lasts. A Storywizard book makes a wonderful Easter present for a child who loves reading, writing or anything creative.
Leaving primary school is a milestone. A personalised novel with their name on the cover is a keepsake they'll treasure forever. The perfect Year 6 leavers gift.
Mark the transition to secondary school with something special. A Storywizard novel they wrote themselves is a beautiful reminder of how far they've come — and a confidence boost for what's ahead.
A wonderful way to include an older child in the arrival of a new sibling. They write the story — starring themselves and the new baby — and it becomes a book to read together forever.
A Storywizard book set in their old hometown — full of characters they love — is a beautiful farewell gift. Something to keep as memories of a place that mattered.
Grandparents who love books know: a personalised story beats any toy. Storywizard books are the gift grandparents give when they want to give something that truly lasts. From £25.99 inc. UK postage and packaging.
You don't need to be a teacher to raise a reader or a writer. Ten minutes a day, little and often, does more than an hour once a week. Here are the things that make the biggest difference.
Reading to a child long after they can read alone builds vocabulary and keeps stories enjoyable rather than a chore. Take turns a page each if they want to join in.
Comics, joke books, football annuals and audiobooks all count. A child who chooses what they read is far more likely to keep reading. Our book finder suggests titles by age and reading age.
Ask what they think will happen next, which character they would be, or how they would change the ending. Talking about stories is how children learn to build their own.
On a car journey or at bedtime, take turns adding a sentence each. Then use the free Story Planner to write the best one down.
Get the story down first and tidy it up later. Children who worry about spelling often stop writing altogether. Voice typing (the microphone button on our forms) helps here.
For children with dyslexia or a visual impairment, try audiobooks alongside the printed book, cream-coloured paper, and larger text. Our reading tools do the same on screen.
Free creative writing resources you can use tomorrow, with or without Storywizard. No sign-up and no email needed. Print as many as you like.
A complete 60-minute English lesson with National Curriculum links, differentiation guidance and extension activities, taking a class from a blank page to a planned story.
Open & print →Characters, setting, the problem, and the beginning, middle and end on one sheet. The pre-writing tool that turns a vague idea into a plan.
Open & print →Develop each character before writing begins: how they look, what they want, what they are afraid of, and what they do in the story.
Open & print →How story writing with these resources maps to the National Curriculum for English writing.
Every page on this site has built-in reading tools: bigger text, a dyslexia-friendly mode, high contrast, read aloud and voice typing. Our accessibility statement says plainly what works today and what does not yet.
Verified UK organisations, competitions, and resources to inspire young readers and writers. All links open in a new tab.
You create the characters and the plot. We write it, illustrate it, and print it as a real hardback with your name on the cover. From £25.99 including UK postage and packaging.
Start your story ✨