A good story has vibrant characters like an epic hero or a menacing villain. Inspire children to get creative when creating characters for their 500 Words story. You can play this animation, which is just one in a story writing series, in class or at home to help children create some captivating characters.
Gaming is my favourite thing to do when I'm not at school. I sometimes read, but when I try to write my own story, I lose focus because I find it hard creating characters.
Playing games is a great way to get ideas for your own story. But let's pause the game so we can focus. Hi there! I'm Winnie the Bookworm, but I like to be called Winnie the Worm. That's because stories can come from anywhere, not just in books. And I love, love, love helping people to write their own stories! But you'll need your notebook. Every story has to have characters - the people who take part. So ask yourself lots of questions about your characters. Choosing characters in a story is just like choosing characters in a game. What kind of person do you want your main character to be? What do they want?
I want them to be tough, like Hard Hat Harry. But he wouldn't look right in my world, a city in the clouds. And how about a teenage orphan who wants to be rich?
Great! But what does he look like? And what does he enjoy doing?
He could have wings to fly around. No wait! My brother really likes surfing, and I think he looks cool when he does it. So how about he has a special cloud he can surf on through the skies instead?
Basing characters on people, you know, is a superb idea! It's also a superb way to think of a name.
My best friend is called Guy. We'll call him Sky Guy.
Oh, how about Sky Guy wants to win a big sky surfing competition?
And the prize can be one gazillion gold coins!
Oh, yes! But every hero needs a villain. They could have nasty purple skin and sharp yellow teeth. We'll call him Rainy Jamie. Because Sky Guy grew up in a crumbling old orphanage with children like him. How about he wants the coins to buy a castle? So they all have a nice place to live?
I love the idea, Winnie. That makes him a good person.
And everyone likes to cheer on a good person. People will love it when he wins!
Thank you, Winnie. I'm never going to forget all your tips for creating characters.
And don't forget: Write something that you want to read! Have fun!
Next up...
We have up to five animations to develop children's 500 Words stories, why not use one a day? Coming up next is 'Building a Plot'.
Teacher Notes
This could be useful in encouraging pupils to think about the characteristics of well-known characters, e.g. thinking of 3 things they remember about them and discuss with a partner.
Pupils to use role play to act like their favourite characters, what do they look like, how do they move, how do they feel?
For more able pupils’ access 7-11 version.
Curriculum Notes
This video is suitable for use with pupils aged 5-7. It is designed primarily for support with the BBC 500 Words competition but could also support the teaching of English and Literacy for this age range.
This links directly to the English Programmes of Study at KS1 (England), 1st Level (Scotland), Foundation Phase (Wales) and Foundation Stage/KS1 (Northern Ireland).
Need more inspiration?
Back to 500 Words
Click here for more information on 500 Words.
Bitesize: Planning and writing a story
Find out how to plan and structure a story in this Catch-Up Lesson from BBC Bitesize for KS2.
The top 50 finalists of 2024/25. audio
Read or listen to the top 50 stories that made it to the 2024/25 final.
