Story mapping: choose details that work together in a narrative
A story map is an organiser for the elements of a narrative, such as character, setting, conflict and resolution. It helps you decide how those elements connect before you write the full story.
Before you start
A plan with a name, a place and a problem can still leave you unsure what to write. The details need to affect one another. Why is this character facing this problem in this place? What could they do about it?
The map below adds a goal and an attempt to the core story elements. Those planning questions help turn a collection of details into a narrative. Use brief notes so the map leaves time and energy for the writing itself.
Step by step
Give the character a goal
Choose someone who wants a particular outcome. 'A student wants to prove they can manage a task alone' offers more direction than 'a brave student'. The goal helps you decide what events matter.
Make the setting useful
Select a place or time that affects the action. A busy rehearsal space can make it hard to be heard. A classroom after everyone has left can make a small sound noticeable. Avoid spending most of the plan on scenery unrelated to the problem.
Connect the problem to the goal
Choose an obstacle that stops the character getting what they want. Ask what they try first and why that attempt does not settle things. This gives you material for the middle without adding random events.
Plan the outcome and the change
Decide how the problem ends and what the character understands or does differently. A character might achieve the goal in an unexpected way. Make sure the ending responds to the original difficulty.
Original story map: the rehearsal cue
Practice prompt: The signal. The notes show how each element contributes to the same problem.
Character and goal
Lina is responsible for the sound cue in a class performance and wants to manage it without help.
Setting
The noisy hall during the final rehearsal. Lina cannot hear the line that should trigger the sound.
Problem and attempt
Lina guesses the moment and plays the cue too early. Waiting to hear more clearly does not help because another group starts rehearsing nearby.
Outcome and change
Lina asks a classmate to give a visible hand signal. The cue works, and Lina realises that taking responsibility can include asking for help.
Keep only details you can use
A favourite colour, birthday and full family history are optional. Keep a detail when it helps explain an action, a reaction or the setting. Planning too much background can make the opening heavy while the actual problem stays thin.
Draw the character beside the obstacle and say what happens next. Then ask whether the solution changes the character's goal, as it does when Lina accepts help.
Use a map to test an ending
Cover the outcome box and read the rest. Does the proposed ending answer the problem you have introduced? If it resolves a different problem, revise the plan before drafting.
Then read the outcome by itself. If it relies on a person or object missing from every earlier box, add preparation or choose a solution the character can reach from the existing details.
Move from boxes to events
The map identifies the story elements. Now put them in order. Turn the notes into a beginning, an attempt, a turning point and a result. A story mountain can help with this next step, but you do not need to complete two organisers when one already gives you a workable plan.
Try it yourself
A character receives a message they cannot immediately understand.
- Choose the character and what they are trying to do.
- Choose a setting that makes the message harder to interpret.
- Plan one failed attempt and the information it reveals.
- Choose an ending that uses that information.
Check your draft
For every detail, explain how it affects the problem or outcome. Cut details that have no job in this short story.
Common questions
What should I include in a story map?
Start with character, setting, problem and outcome. Add a goal and an attempt when you need help connecting the elements. You can use words, pictures or both.
How much should I write in the plan?
Enough to remember the important connections. Brief notes are usually more useful than drafting the entire story inside the organiser.
Can I change the story after planning it?
Yes. A map is a working plan. If a new idea improves the story, check that it still connects the goal, problem and ending, then update the notes.
Curriculum connection
These exercises practise planning, organising and revising written ideas. Australian Curriculum English includes creating texts for an audience and grouping related information into paragraphs. TEEL, PEEL and the other planning methods are teaching aids, not compulsory curriculum formats.
QCAA: Australian Curriculum v9.0 English, Year 3Sources and further reading
These resources provide background on the skill. The examples and practice tasks above are original.
Turn your story map into a draft
Open writing practice and use your map to plan a narrative response. Keep the character, problem and outcome connected as you write.
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Examples and activities are NAPLAN Expert teaching material. Sources checked in October 2026.