SHORT
STORY
PLANNER
template
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CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
WHO IS YOUR STORY ABOUT?
WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S
SECRETS AND FEARS?
NAME:
3
AGE:
SPECIAL SKILLS:
JOB:
APPEARANCE:
WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER
WANT? WHAT STANDS IN HIS OR
HER WAY?
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR
CHARACTER'S PERSONALITY TRAITS?
1
2
WHO IS YOUR CHARACTER CLOSE
WITH? WHO DO THEY DISLIKE?
4
HOW DOES HE OR SHE NEED TO
GROW AS A PERSON?
5
2
SETTING DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS THE SETTING?
WHAT DOES YOUR STORY WORLD
SOUND LIKE? LIST SOME THINGS
YOU HEAR.
NAME OF PLACE:
3
TIME PERIOD:
TIME OF YEAR:
CLIMATE:
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC
LOCATIONS IN YOUR STORY?
1
HOW DOES THE TIME PERIOD
AFFECT YOUR STORY? THINK
ABOUT DETAILS LIKE CLOTHING
AND CUSTOMS.
WHAT DOES YOUR STORY WORLD
LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE SOME
THINGS YOU SEE?
2
WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY DOES
YOUR CHARACTER LIVE IN?
WEALTHY? POOR? WAR-TORN?
PEACEFUL?
4
5
3
SETTING DEVELOPMENT
IMAGINE ONE OR TWO OF THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS IN YOUR STORY
You can draw a picture below or find one online, print it, and paste it in.
Alternatively, you can create a story mood board on Pinterest or Canva.
LOCATION 1: NAME AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION
4
SETTING DEVELOPMENT
IMAGINE ONE OR TWO OF THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS IN YOUR STORY
You can draw a picture below or find one online, print it, and paste it in.
Alternatively, you can create a story mood board on Pinterest or Canva.
LOCATION 2: NAME AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION
5
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS YOUR STORY ABOUT?
NAME ONE BIG THING THAT
HAPPENS TO YOUR CHARACTER
THAT CREATES A MAJOR
CHALLENGE.
IN ONE OR TWO SENTENCES, DESCRIBE
THE MAIN IDEA OF YOUR STORY:
THINK ABOUT THE THING YOUR
CHARACTER WANTS OR NEEDS.
HOW DID THEY DISCOVER THIS
NEED? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
1
HOW DO THEY REACT TO THAT
CHALLENGE?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOUR
CHARACTER DOESN'T GET WHAT
THEY WANT OR NEED?
3
2
WHO WILL HELP THEM ALONG
THE JOURNEY?
4
5
6
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
HOW WILL YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
In one or two sentences, describe how your
character will either solve their problem or fail to
solve it:
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE
YOUR CHARACTER CAN SOLVE THE
PROBLEM THEY FACE?
WHAT WILL THE MOMENT OF
VICTORY (OR DEFEAT) INVOLVE?
1
WHAT WILL YOUR CHARACTER DO
AFTER THEY SUCCEED (OR FAIL)?
WHAT IS A SURPRISE TWIST YOU
COULD INCLUDE TO INCREASE
TENSION?
3
2
HOW WILL THEIR LIFE BE
DIFFERENT AFTER?
4
5
7
STORYBOARD
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: Use the storyboard template below to piece
together your plot based on all the work you've already done.
OPENING IMAGE/EXPOSITION
How will you show what your character's life is
like at the beginning of the story? Use your
answers from pages 2-5 to introduce the setting,
the character, and their problem.
RISING ACTION
Use your answers to question 5 on page 6 and
question 1-2 on page 7 to show how the problem
gets more complicated, increasing the stakes and
the tension.
FALLING ACTION
Use your answer to question 4 on page 7 to
show how the story's problems begin to
resolve after the climax.
1
3
5
CATALYST/INCITING INCIDENT
Use your answer to questions 3 and 4 on page 6
to show the incident that sets everything in
motion.
CLIMAX
Use your answer to question 3 on page 7 to show
the highest point of tension in the story. What
does the character do to solve the problem?
CLOSING IMAGE/RESOLUTION
Use your answer to question 5 on page 7 to show
how the conflict concludes. Show how your
character has matured as a person.
2
4
6
8