Make your own fantasy story

What can we use if we don't have colored pencils or markers for the drawings and map?

Use crayons, watercolor paints, gel pens, or a tablet drawing app to color your drawings and map, and plain printer or notebook paper if special art paper is missing.

My child gets stuck writing the three-sentence plot or the middle scene—how can we fix that?

If they're stuck planning the plot (the three short sentences for beginning, middle, and end), ask guided questions like 'What problem starts the story?' and have them draw the most exciting middle scene to spark ideas before writing the short story.

How can we adapt this activity for younger or older kids?

For younger children, have an adult write down their spoken answers for the character details, map, and captions while they draw and color, and for older kids, ask for longer paragraphs, more landmarks on the map, and detailed speech bubbles to publish on DIY.org.

What are simple ways to extend or personalize the finished story book?

Turn your drawings, map, and cover page into a stapled booklet or PDF, add a short audio narration for the most exciting scene, and include a personalized author bio on the cover before sharing on DIY.org.