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# 2.3.5 Ideas for a story

Figure 14

Writers often worry that they won’t be able to think of ideas for a story, but ideas can come from anywhere.

## Activity 2.5 Ideas from the radio

Turn on the radio and take note of the first thing that is mentioned. Use it as the basis for either the start of a story or an entire story – whichever, it should be no more than 500 words. Imagine a character, someone who is central to what the story is about. Try to use clear, vivid language so that your reader can see the character. Use some of the characterisation techniques we have talked about so far:

- physical description
- thoughts and inner life
- personality
- where the character is located
- the character’s back story
- how the character acts in the world.

You might not wish to include all of these various aspects in your story but you might like to know something about them nonetheless.

And if you wish, to help to get you started, use some of the starting tactics suggested in Finding a voice and More starting ploys (‘Emma said’, ‘I remember’ – or any other similar starting phrase.)

Write this story in your notebook, on your blog or in a Word document on your computer. You’ll come back to this story in Week 3 and improve it by reviewing and redrafting.

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OpenLearn - Start writing fiction: characters and stories
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