Story Starters
Use folk models
Many folktale types make great models for new stories: dream stories, endless tales, chain tales with repetition, riddle or problem-solving stories. Trickster figures often have cycles of stories (see Tricksters for story samples/ characters). Try making up more tricks about a popular character (like Judge Rabbit), perhaps putting the character in a different time or place. A great challenge would be to create a new female trickster figure: although there are many tales of clever, tricky females in folklore, there are few female trickster characters who are featured in a series of episodes .
Hero tales are also important in folklore. Some stories are based on real people, others on larger than life beings like the theyyam figure in red from South India. Fool tales are also fun to make, since everyone loves feeling smarter than a fool! Making new legends behind local landmarks or historical figures can be a challenge. Creating tall tales or liars’ contests appeals to those who love stretching the truth. Ghost tales are favorites at all ages. Don't forget you can also use folk images (like the tiger here), folk songs, objects, speech, and more to inspire you, too.
Rewrite the news
Find various newspaper headings or first sentences, then make up the story to go with them. Or take the beginning half of a news story and finish it with your own ending.
Tear a tale
Take some old, recycled papers and start to tear. Don’t try to make any shape you already know, just tear. Then try to see what you’ve made. Look for many objects as you work, and keep on tearing and imagining until you have a list of possibilities. Finally, combine the best ideas to make a story. Here, Cathy shares part of a paper tale she made.
Create with proverbs
Look through this site and choose a proverb - each page has a different one on the bottom. Or find another one you like in a book or from your memory. Then make up the story of how one came to be, create a story using several of them woven together. Or you can make up a proverb and a story to explain it. If you find you're good at making these tiny pieces of wisdom, then maybe you should write a book of proverbs!
Respond to issues
Writing from your own observations and feelings will give strength to your work. When you tackle issues in your backyard, let your story speak for itself. The kamishibai set on the left was created in Fukuoka, Japan, to address recycling. Each card's illustration has a piece of newspaper made into some thing different. Recycling is a great theme to write about, but don’t be afraid to tackle really big issues like prejudice, death, isolation, homelessness, class differences, economic inequalities - just don’t write from a soapbox, write from your heart.
