Story Writing Format and Topics for Class 6 to 10
In this post we will discuss the story writing format and topics for story writing from classes 6,7,8, 9 and 10. A story is a fictional or factual narrative that is told for entertainment purposes. Stories inspire us and even make us question our views. Story Writing is an art form. It requires a lot of creative thinking, planning and mastery of narrative skills and language. Students of class 9 have to write a story in 100 – 120 words in their examination. A short story should be as direct and concise as possible because it is intended to be read in one sitting. It should be written in an easily understandable grammatical structure. Read further to know more details and to understand the concept of story writing-
- Story Writing Format
- Story Writing Topics
- CBSE Marking Scheme of story writing
- Important Tips for writing a story
- Story writing Solved Questions
“Story Writing is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.”
Story Writing Format
Format of a story depends on what kind of story it is. Stories are descriptions of events, either real or imagined, told in an engaging way. Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end. Each story contains a few characters, and their actions and reactions shape the plot of the story. The setting of the tale refers to the background or location of the story.
Let us see the basic structure of a story–
Format of a Story
Story Writing usually follows a format that helps writers to structure their work. Most stories follow a basic beginning, middle and end structure.
Beginning: Writers should introduce the reader to the environment and primary characters at the start of the narrative.
Middle: This is where the main characters set out to resolve the conflict or issue.
End: The resolution of the hero’s problem or struggle is found in the end of the narrative. Tying up loose ends is satisfying for a reader when they get to the end.
Elements of a good Story – Here are a few such ingredients which can help you create a great story
- Characters- No story is complete without a character. Characters in the story can be people, animals, or other creatures. It’s crucial to consider unique traits for all characters. Build the characters to evoke in the reader’s mind and emotions such as adulation, fear, hatred, etc. The story may be told through any one of the characters or a combination of some characters.
- Kinds of Characters
There are many different kinds of characters, but most stories include these two common types:
- Protagonist – The protagonist is typically the ‘good guy’ in your story — the one the reader is rooting for.
- Antagonist– The antagonist of the story doesn’t have to be a single person. It can be any character, group, or force that is at odds with your protagonist. This doesn’t mean they have to be ‘evil’ or the ‘bad guy’, but the antagonist is often pushing the conflict onto our protagonist.
- Setting- The setting of the story is both the physical location and the precise moment in time when your storyline takes place. The setting serves as the story’s backdrop. It’s possible for the story to take place in a completely fictitious setting, such as toyland, fairyland, etc. You must be specific about the location in order to make them better fit the story and the characters.
- Plot- The plot is the events or actions that drive your story — it describes the “what” of your tale. A strong, compelling plot is essential to any story. Some narratives provide a lesson or a message. Others include a suspenseful or predictable finale. Stories can be humorous, frightening, or adventurous. We see a beginning point that travels along different routes to an ending.
- Theme- A story’s theme is an idea or subject that runs across the whole narrative. This idea serves as the central theme of the narrative. Family ties, music, love and romance, conflict, revolt, and other topics are a few examples.
- Conflict- ‘Conflict’ refers to the issue in the story. The main characters encounter a challenge that prevents them from moving towards a predetermined objective at a certain time in the story when everything is going according to expectation. The protagonist is forced by the conflict to step outside of their comfort zone, face the antagonist, act boldly to solve the issue, and seek out solutions to achieve their objective.
Story Writing Topics
General Instructions – Write a story in about 200-250 words with the help of the given outline. Give it a suitable title.
- You now have a superpower. What is it and what do you do with it?
- Rewrite “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the perspective of one of the dwarfs (Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy and Bashful).
- Once upon a time, there was a very lazy man who would always look for an easier way to feed himself…..
- Four friends live in a village which has been struck by famine……
- A slave, ill-treated by his master, runs away to the forest. There he comes across a lion…….
- A doctor entered the hospital in a hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call ………..
- There was a small village by the river. Everyone lived happily and offered regular prayers at the village temple. Once during the monsoon season, it rained heavily….
- Once in a jungle there lived a lion. It was very cruel and killed many innocent animals every day. One day all the other animals of the jungle decided to …………..
- A terrible famine broke out……… Rich men started, relief camps for food ……….long queues in front of the camps……….. quite often the queues broken …………a little girl stood there patiently ………handsomely rewarded
- Nathu Ram was a cap-seller……… sold caps and earned his bread ………one afternoon sleeping under a tree ……..put his bundle of caps aside……… all monkeys living on the tree stole his caps…….
- “Honesty is the best policy”. (150-200 words)
- Complete the story on the following beginning
I open my eyes with a sense of fear and foreboding that ………………….. - An old man – four sons – a company of bad boys – advised –
- Ravi was one of the most intelligent students in the class. But he was a victim of insecurity that he may score poorly in the Board Examinations. Mr Shekhar, an English teacher ………
- Once upon a time, there lived a king in a palace. He was very handsome and smart but he was a great fool. One day, he announced that……………
- A house on fire – all confused – a fireman takes a ladder – saves the boy – all people cheer.
- You just found a genie in a bottle. What three things would you wish for? (Remember, no wishing for extra wishes!
- A “good witch” and a “bad witch” meet for lunch.
- Once upon a time, there was a lion that grew so old that he was unable to kill any prey for his food….
- A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble.
- Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large plane tree nearby, they threw themselves on the ground to rest in its shade….
- On a hot day of summer, an ant was searching for some water. After walking around for some time, she came near the river………
- Once Emperor Akbar became very angry at his favourite minister Birbal. He asked Birbal to leave the kingdom and go away. Accepting the command of the Emperor, Birbal left the kingdom…… Later, Akbar regretted the decision….
- Once upon a time there was a hungry wolf. He had hunted a deer. He tried to quickly swallow a large piece of meat. A bone also went inside and got stuck in the throat. He was injured. He went to Crane for help…..
- Mr. Mishra was just getting ready to leave his office and he remembered that his wife had asked him to bring 1 KG of Bananas. When He stepped out, he saw an ill-looking old lady across the road. She was selling fresh bananas on the street.
- A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor…………
- Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time…..
Theme- Life is all about learning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we experience into something positive. - Write a story with the theme- “United we stand, divided we fall”.
- There was a farmer. He had four sons. They were always fighting with each other. The farmer was very sad….
- Once there was a fox. He was very hungry. He went here and there in search of food. But he did not get food anywhere.
- Once there was a poor woodcutter. One day he was cutting a tree on the bank of a river. His axe fell into the water. He was sad…….
- At least he reached a garden. There he saw a crow in the tree. THe crow had a piece of cheese in the break……….
- Imagine dinosaurs roaming the Earth again. What is it like?
- A strange spaceship just crashed and landed in your backyard.
- You have a magic garden.
- On a dark and stormy night….
- Write a story that includes the following: “Watch out for the monkey!”
- An old man throws a coin in a wishing well.
- A bird turns into a human for a day
- Once upon a time there was a giant apple tree. A little boy used to come to the tree to play. He will search for juicy apples. He used to play near the tree and rest in the shade. The tree was overjoyed to receive this little bundle of joy. One day the tree was surprised to see that boy coming towards it with a sad face……..
CBSE Marking Scheme of story writing
Word limit : 100 – 120 words
- Format– 1 mark (Title)
- Content – 4 marks (The story must start with the cue given in the question. There must be clarity of plot, logical sequence of events, well defined characters and an apt conclusion)
- Expression – 5 marks (creativity, grammatical accuracy, appropriate words, spellings, coherence & relevance, originality of ideas and style)
Story Writing Tips – Important Tips for writing a story
- Use a catchy story title.
- Allow your imagination to run wild as you create characters and build worlds.
- Write simple sentences.
- Try to stick to a word limit.
- Read a lot of stories.
- Bend rules as per your convenience.
- Follow the cue given in the question
Story writing Solved Questions
Q1. Write a story in 150-200 words with the help of the following outline. Give it a suitable title also.
Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry go-round. His father ……………… [CBSE Delhi, 2020]
Visit to a Fair
Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry-go-round. His father bought him a ticket and asked him to enjoy the ride. He was so excited to ride the merry go-round that he ran towards the long queue leaving his parents behind.
Lost in his thoughts and excitement, Ahmad soon realised that he had reached the end of the queue all alone. His parents were nowhere to be seen. A worried little Ahmad was on the verge of breaking down when he saw a policeman patrolling through the streets of the fair. He ran towards the cop and told him that he was lost. The policeman took Ahmad to the ‘Help’ counter and asked him to sit there while he tried to locate his parents.
Ahmad was so tense when he was offered an ice-cream by another policeman sitting at the counter that he refused it because all he wanted then was to meet his parents. He heard his name being called out on the loudspeaker which made him shiver. “A 6-year-old boy, Ahmad, got lost in the fair. He is with us at the Help counter. Ahmad’s parents are requested to take him from here”, said the announcement.
Before Ahmad could process the information, he saw his parents running towards him. His mother was crying profusely, holding him tightly. His father thanked the cops for their help and apologised for the inconvenience caused. Ahmad too thanked the policemen for helping him and promised to be more careful next time.
Q2. Complete the story in 150-200 words using the outline given below. Also give it a suitable title.
Dark night – quiet jungle – sound of footsteps – followed footprints trail – reached a lonely house – hidden behind trees – entered – shocked to see – woke up in bed. Answer: The
Haunted Jungle
It was a dark and lonely night. I was returning from a relative’s place and had missed the last bus going towards my village. Now I had to walk through the jungle. I was hesitant, but the thought of reaching home on time persuaded me. There was something odd about the jungle in the night. It was very quiet and the silence made me shiver. Suddenly I realised that I was lost. I was gripped with panic. I cried for help but there was no response. I was terrified to hear the sounds of owls and bats. It was scary and I had lost all hopes of survival.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps. I suspected that I was not alone. I followed the sound of the footsteps; it was like light at the end of the tunnel. After ten minutes, I reached near a lonely house. I hid behind the trees to see whether it would be safe to go near the house.
Finally, I decided to take shelter in the lonely house, but to my shock it was full of dancing skeletons. I fainted with fear. When I opened my eyes, to my relief, I found myself sleeping
in my lovely bed. What a nightmare it was!
Q3. Write a story in about 200 words with the help of the given outline.
One day Aryan found a crystal ball ……………….
Magical Crystal Ball
One day Aryan found a crystal ball behind a banyan tree in his garden. The tree told him that the crystal ball would grant him a wish, he thought very hard, but could not come up with any wish. So, he kept the crystal ball in his bag and waited till he could decide on his wish.
Days went by without him making a wish but his best friend, Sharan saw Aryan looking at the crystal ball. He got curious and stole it from Aryan. He showed it to everyone in the village. Everyone in the village got greedy.
Villagers asked for a palace of gold. Soon, the huts magically turned to a big palace of gold. Villagers then asked for more money and riches, but could not get anything because the crystal ball could grant only one wish. In the end, everyone got violent and angry because they could not get what they desired.
Aryand saw the situation from afar. He felt sad seeing the state of affairs of his village. Aryan then decided to wish for everything to become as it once was before the villagers had tried to satisfy their greed. The palace of gold vanished and the villagers were content and cordial with one another once again.
Q4. “……….Ultimately I won it as I was determined to achieve my goal.” The closing of the story is given above. You can start your own story but you cannot change the end. Write the story in 200- 250 words.
My Success Story
I come from a very humble family background. My father was a labourer who toiled in the fields all day. My mother worked at home, making papads and selling them to the women of the village. I was the eldest of six siblings. My mother wanted me to study and achieve a great height in life. I too dreamt of becoming an IAS officer. The path to this achievement was very difficult as our village did not have a high school. My parents sent me to the nearby town to study. I went to school during the day and worked as a porter at the railway station at night. I felt quite lucky to have a chance of witnessing a real struggle which inspired me. There was no one who would guide me, but I was determined to fulfil my dream. In spite of the difficulties, I did not give up. I scaled the walls of success one after the other and finally reached the summit that I had set for myself. Today I am a collector of my district and my family is very proud of me. I am not ashamed of my humble beginning as the long struggle paved the way for my success. Though the struggle to achieve the IAS title was difficult, ultimately I won it as I was determined to achieve my goal.
Q5. Write a story in about 200 words with the help of the given outline. Give it a suitable title.
A Sage was passing through the capital city of the famous king………..
The Needy King and a Sage
A Sage was passing through the capital city of the famous king. While he was walking, he noticed a single currency coin on the road. He picked it up. He was satisfied with his simple living and he had no use of that coin. So, he planned to donate it to the one who is in need of it. He strolled around the streets throughout the day but didn’t find anyone needy. Finally, he decided to rest at a place.
Next morning, he wakes up in the morning and sees that a king is going for his invasion of another state. When the king saw the sage standing, he ordered his army to stop. He came to the Sage and said, “Oh Great Sage, I am going to war to win another state so that my state can be expanded. So bless me to be victorious”.
After thinking, Sage gave a single currency coin to the king! The king was confused and annoyed with this because what use he has for a single coin while he is already one of the richest kings! He curiously asked a sage, “what’s the meaning of this one coin?”
A Sage explained, “Oh Great King! I found this coin yesterday while strolling around the streets of your capital city. So, I had decided that I would donate it to someone needy. I strolled around till the evening in your capital, but found no one such. Everyone was living a happy life. It seemed that they were satisfied with what they had. But today, the king of this state, still has the desire to gain more and is not satisfied with what he already has, I felt you were in need of this coin.”
The King realised his mistake and gave up the planned war.
See more story writing examples to understand and write interesting stories
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