Wynne’s Writing Tip: April 2021

This article was last modified on January 26th, 2022.

Who, what, where, when, and why are known as the 5 w’s. Every author should include these in their writing. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make a chart. Label each column with who, what, when, where, and why. Under each heading write down a word associated with that title. For example, under who you could write a dog, mom, an alien, Dr. Bue, turtle, bus driver. Under what think about actions such as eating a sandwich, washing a dog, riding in a spaceship, or making dinner. Do the same for each remaining category. When you have completed all five you will  have a list to use as a story starter. Randomly choose one from each category and you will have the start of a story. You can even make it a game by closing your eyes and randomly choosing one word or phrase from each section.  I like keeping this list in a notebook to use whenever I need ideas to write about.

Happy writing!

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