Twelve Elements of Story

1) Title of the story.
2) Characters (their histories, thoughts, decisions, abilities to follow-through on decisions, actions, etc).
3) Characters' ways of speaking.
4) Characters' ways of moving.
5) Place.
6) Time (continuous, or jumps, flashbacks?).
7) Storyline (also known as, plot) -- in one sentence.
8) Objects in the story.
9) Sensory Elements in the story: Smells, Flavours, Colours, Textures, etc.
10) Emotions in the story (for the characters, the teller, and the listeners).
11) If the story is being told by a character in the story: Who is the Narrator, and what is his/her Point of View, Tone of Voice, Attitude, and Style?
12) Point (theme, meaning, moral, message).

Elements 1-11 combined produce element 12.

If you might be starting with an idea:
Think about one's self, life, family, friends, society.  What does one like about these things?  What might one like to change?  Positive examples?  Negative examples?   Might you want to "teach a lesson" to someone?  Might there be something beautiful, interesting, etc, that you might like to show to, share with, others?  Is there a point you might like to make?  A suggestion?  A criticism of someone’s behavior, or of some aspect of society?

In a story -- What is the state of the world (the society, the environment, etc)?  Are things out of balance and not going well in some way?  If yes, how could balance be created or restored?

A central character's personality, or experience, may be lacking something (consciously or unconsciously).  If so, how could wholeness, balance be created or restored?

Imagine situations, entire story-worlds -- not just characters.  A character can only exist in a social and natural context.  Imagine the context.

How might mother nature, the divine, the collective unconscious, destiny, fate, be using a character?  Mother nature might work through accidents and coincidences in a story.

A central character may begin by not wanting anything in particular.  She may find herself in a situation brought on by circumstances of society, nature, etc.


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Activating one’s creative process can simply involve seeing what is on one's mind.  Listening to that which is inside one. 

We are searching for, and seeking to conjure:  Characters and situations that embody, speak to, relate to one.  Situations in which you are interested, and with which you are psychologically, intellectually, emotionally engaged.


1) Work from ordinary reality towards fantasy (add fantasy elements to ordinary reality).
Become aware of what you (or a character you might be creating) is feeling.  What are you / is she, going through?  Then, you could represent this internal state-of-mind with dramatic, vivid, exaggerated, and extreme images, things, situations, actions, behaviours, and characters.

2) Work from fantasy towards ordinary reality (find aspects of ordinary reality in fantasy).
In the mythological, fantastic, symbolic -- recognise ordinary-life emotions, urges, feelings, experiences, situations.


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To make-up a Talking-Animal Story --

One can start with a character.
What is the nature of this character?
For examples,
Often getting into trouble.
Often falling behind with doing things he/she is supposed to do.
Often being selfish.
Often helping others.
Often being generous.
Often being curious.
etc.

Depending on the nature of this character, you could choose what animal he/she might be.

What happens as a result, when this character interacts with others?

What lesson does he/she need to learn?
What reward or punishment should he/she get?

One can start with a positive or negative real-life situation, attitude, frame-of-mind, or behaviour-pattern (based on some aspect of one's self, or of someone else).  Then one can create a fantasy Animal Story that embodies that state of mind, and plays it out, and shows the results.


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To make-up a Fairytale-like Story --

Imagine a young character who is sincere and generous.  She may be easily pushed around.  How might "mother nature" help her?


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4 Fairytales

"Brother and Sister"
www.storytellinginstitute.org/331.pdf

"The Twelve Windows"
www.storytellinginstitute.org/332.pdf

"Mother Hulda"
www.storytellinginstitute.org/333.pdf

"The Girl at the Pond"
www.storytellinginstitute.org/334.pdf


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Talking-Animal Stories

Panchatantra Stories
http://panchatantra.org

Jataka Tales
www.holyebooks.org/budhism/jataka_tales/index.html
www.holyebooks.org/budhism/jatak/index.htm

Aesop's Fables
www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/index.html


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To hear interviews about storytelling,
www.artofstorytellingshow.com/past-guests