STORY MAP

     While waiting for a friend at a community center last week, I began reading posters on a wall. the first was titled FIRST GRADE STORY MAP and underneath were questions.

1. What are the main characters of a story?

2. What is the setting of the story?

3. What is the problem?

4. What is the solution?

5. Who is your favorite character?

6. Why is she/he your favorite character?

I thought the map an interesting way to involve children in books and wondered how many in the class would become avid readers and would any become writers? The questions for the first graders were the same ones we ask ourselves when we begin writing a new story or novel. My mother told me stories and as I grew up I read about Albert Payson Terhune's Lassie and by the time I read Edna Ferber's Show Boat, I knew there would never be enough time to read every book written. I plunged into writing with a play about Radio City Music Hall and from there went on to write articles, short stories and a cozy mystery.

How did you begin?

Bests,

Elise

My cozy, Scene Stealer is available wherever ebooks arre sold.