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Story Creations
“Into the Unknown Realms of Your Imagination”
published on web April 2001
by Naomi Leithold
The computer just crashed and the TV is broken. Bored? Don't know what to do? Well, I have some story creating ideas for you! "Ugh," you say. "That sounds boring!" Not necessarily, if creating tales takes you into the unknown realms of your imagination. Here are some suggestions to start you on your journey.
Just a few pointers before you get started. All of these ideas can be done with a friend or alone. You can write your story first or just tell it. Some people create better by thinking out loud (talking their ideas through), while others do better writing their ideas down. Do whatever works for you, but most importantly focus on using your imagination and don't worry about spelling and grammar. Have fun and remember when you use you imagination anything can happen!
Simply Stupendous Stories: Create an alliteration story (repetition of the same beginning sound). Such as, Silly Sally sailed her ship to the South Seas. There she saw slimy serpents, startling starfish, and sparkling shellfish. Finish this story or create a new one.
What If . . . : Create a story using as many "what ifs" as you can think of. Such as: What if I was twenty-feet tall? What if a bird landed on my head? What if the bird built a nest in my hair? What if… how long can you keep this story going? See what happens when you take turns with a friend coming up with "what ifs" that connect together to make one story. The only rule is that the story must make sense.
The Pizza's Story: Choose an inanimate object (not alive) and tell a story that it would tell if it could talk. Be sure to include its daily activities, thoughts and feelings. Also, try making up your own object or creature and telling a story about it.
Picture This: Select an unusual photo of a friend or family member and make up a story about it. Create details of what happened before the picture was taken, what is happening in the picture, what is going to happen after the picture was taken and what the people in the picture are thinking. Remember when you use your imagination there is no right or wrong answer.
Mail's Here: You just received a mysterious letter in a black and gold envelope. What does it say? Who is it from? What would your reply be?
Planet X: Create your own planet. What will you call it? Who lives there? Describe what it looks like.
One Glorious Day: You can do anything you want for one whole day. There would be no parents or teachers to worry about. Nor would there be any brothers or sisters tagging along. What would you do? Describe in detail how you would spend this glorious day.
Witty Words: Choose 3-5 words from a dictionary (pick ones that you don't know) and work them into a story. Try this with a friend and see who can create the most interesting story using the same words. How many different stories can you create using these 3-5 words?
Feeling Rosy: What color describes you and why? Think about your family members and friends and write color stories about them. You can also create animal and food stories in the same way. If you were an animal or food, what would you be and why?
Wow! That's Really, Really Great: Make up a story using as many descriptive words as you can think of. Such as, the big red boat slowly cruised in the dark, murky water. Have a contest with a family member or friend to see who can tell a story with the most descriptive words.
I am sure you can come up with many more ideas. Try these new ideas out with your friends and record them to listen to at a later time. You will discover that story creating can really be fun after all!
For more ideas, please visit www.simplystorytelling.com.
— Naomi Leithold
Naomi Leithold is an award-winning children's storyteller with a unique, interactive style that involves the audience in the telling of her original stories and folk tales. She authors articles for many national and local publications, including Chicago Parent magazine. Her four highly acclaimed story tapes include: "Purple Socks and Other Toe Tingling Stories," "Mordechai Mouse and Other Tails for the Jewish Holidays," "Animals on the Loose" and the award-winning "Tell It Again and Again." Naomi has an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from the Erickson Institute and is a member of the Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Storytelling Network. For more information, you may call Simply Storytelling toll-free at