How to Write a Story by Filling in the Blanks

Look at a blank to see if there is a specific kind of word that needs to go in the blank. For example, a name, a verb, an adjective, a place or a thing. If there is a specific kind of word that needs to go in the blank, be sure to follow the instructions. If no specific kind of word must be used, you can insert anything you want into the blank.

Allow your imagination to run wild when you see the blank. Don't think too much about the blank because there is no right or wrong way to fill it in. Just fill in the blank with whatever comes to your mind. The more you allow yourself to use your imagination, the more interesting the story will become. In a sense, your imagination allows the story to “sprout legs” and start walking down the path it wants to walk on, rather than the path intellect would have it walk on.

Ask others around you to help you fill in the blanks to make your endeavor more fun. This can also help you ensure that the story has unexpected turns and twists, because the other person filling in the blank is exercising her imagination, too. Two (or more) imaginations can be better than one.

Resist the urge to read ahead of the blank to see what is going to happen next. This can take away from the fun of creating the story and also hinder your imagination from flowing freely. When you fill in the blank not knowing what is going to happen next, it makes the story more interesting.

Avoid editing the story as you fill in the blanks. You can go back and edit when the last blank has been filled in. Trying to edit as you write may cause some of the creative juices to slow down. Put intellect on the back-burner until the story is complete.

Read your story aloud from start to finish after all of the blanks have been filled in. You may even want to save and print a copy of the story, especially if it is something that you and your child wrote together. This is something that you can place into a memory scrapbook.