Story Starter #7

Today's Story Starter is about being sick.

You are four years old and you woke up today feeling miserable. Your head is stuffy, your throat is itchy, and your eyes are watery. The only reason that you got out of bed this morning was because you had to go with Mommy to drop your brother off at school. You want to go back to sleep but can’t. Mommy is working from home today so she can stay with you but she has to do her work. What do you do? Are you going to watch television all day? Snuggle up in Mommy and Daddy’s bed? Stay in your own room and play with your toys?

Now to help turn this sickly day into a picture book, ask some “What if” questions:

What if the batteries are dead on your favorite toy?

What if the television stops working?

What if all you want to eat is Jello and there isn’t any in the house?

What if you can’t find your favorite Dolly and you just want to snuggle her in your bed because you feel horrible.

What if you find out that school is canceled because of a power shortage and your friends want to know if you can come out and play? Will you suddenly feel much better?

What if you are hungry and Mommy is busy on a work call. Will you help yourself to whatever you want to eat in the kitchen?
If you were four years old and you were home sick, what would you want to do all day? What if you couldn’t play that game, eat that snack, watch that movie? Etc… What would you do to solve your problem?

Now write…don’t over think it. Your first sentences don’t have to turn into a book. See where it goes. You may write a page of what comes to mind about being a sick preschooler and then hit upon a spark that ignites into a story. Good luck.

If this starter inspires you, post a comment and let me know. If you're looking for more story starters to use as a springboard for your writing, you'll find them in the index on the right side of the blog.