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• 9 Of The Best Storyboard Templates And Creative Story Writing Resources

Story writing – Best storyboard templates & creative writing ideas

Whether it’s writing short stories, creating comic strips or filmmaking, every tale needs the right structure to be told well…

Having a beginning, middle and end may be a staple of story writing, but alone it’s not enough.

There are many ways to tell a story and write great fiction. One thing is constant though, a good story needs good structure. These resources and activities will help your pupils develop the skills required to add that foundation to their creative writing.

We also have lots of advice and resources for:

• The story mountain technique
• Building suspense in writing

Blank storyboard templates

Story writing resources, tried and tested story writing prompts and starters, even more story writing resources, story writing competitions, basic storyboard templates.

Here’s a simple, straightforward, printable storyboard template . It doesn’t matter how extravagant a creative writing lesson you have planned, at some point you’re going to need these.

There are seven layouts in total here, three portrait and four landscape, with differing numbers of panels and space for students to write.

Writing templates pack

This KS1 and KS2 writing template pack from literacy resources website Plazoom contains a range of templates to support children with their story idea. It’s ideal for helping pupils to organise their thoughts.

The templates included are:

• Comic strip pages
• Report research
• Report plan

Story mountain template

If you’re looking for teaching resources that will help children with their story planning, this handy story mountain template is just the ticket.

WAGOLL packs from real authors

Peer inside the mind of award-winning children’s authors and help pupils understand how to create engaging characters, captivating atmospheres and suspenseful situations. Our free WAGOLL resource packs contain an exclusive extract, working wall template, teaching notes, and worksheets. Authors include:

• Cressida Cowell
• Liz Flanagan
• Hannah Gold
• & lots more

Author in your Classroom

Do you ever wish that you could just hand over your English lesson to one of the UK’s most successful children’s authors and let them take the reins?

You’re in luck!  Author In Your Classroom  is a brilliant free podcast series recorded especially for schools. Every episode comes with free teacher notes, PowerPoints, display materials and more.

• Write a new take on a classic with Sir Michael Morpurgo
• Place familiar characters in new settings with Dame Jacqueline Wilson
• Imagine a cast of characters with Lauren Child
• Create magical creatures with Cressida Cowell
• Plan a plot with Robin Stevens
• Create a supervillain with Liz Pichon

Creative writing worksheets

Want to fit more creative writing into your school timetable but not sure where to start? These free fun writing prompts take just ten minutes and are perfect for slotting into small gaps in your day.

They’ll get children’s creative juices flowing and hopefully improve their writing skills too. 

200 inspiring writing prompts

Inspire short bursts of creativity with  200 original and inspiring writing prompts  from teacher and published author Hayley Scott. They’re perfect for daily ten- or twenty-minute writing sessions or home learning.

Story writing lesson plan

Immerse pupils in a spot of imaginary world-building and watch their fiction writing flourish with this free KS2 lesson plan .

It’s designed to immerse your pupils in the art of world-building, generating an instant and unique starting point for their own pieces of writing.

Writing posters set

Decorate your classroom with good story starters and ideas for getting going with creative writing with this interactive poster set from literacy resources website Plazoom.

There are seven posters in total, each showcasing different creative writing starters you can use to begin a story: Questions, action, dialogue, background information, introducing a character, describing the setting.

Write mini sagas

Show children short stories consisting of exactly 50 words. Find these online ( fiftywordstories.com ) or write your own.

Ask pupils to help you write a 50-word version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. To begin with, don’t count the words but display the story on the board, before asking children to help you reduce the word count by taking out unnecessary details.

Read and reread the story and ask if anything significant is missing. Encourage children to plan their own mini sagas by making notes of key events, and then ask them to draft, edit and revise until they are happy they have produced a good 50-word version.

Oral storytelling prompts

Choose a story which you can tell confidently without reading, such as The Three Little Pigs. Display some brief notes so the children can see how you use these to guide your storytelling.

Afterwards, ask pupils to use the notes to tell each other the story. Encourage them to discuss each other’s versions and suggest what might be changed. Next, work in pairs to make brief notes about another well-known story. Then practise telling it, first to each other and then to other pairs.

Wish come true

Ask children to consider what they would wish for if they were presented with the opportunity. Focus on wishes for experiences that don’t involve a permanent change, such as meeting a famous person or playing in an important match.

Ask the children to research some of the people and things that will appear in their wishes.

For example, if they wished to meet a celebrity, they could find out about the person so they could describe the experience in detail. Pupils can now write a complete narrative which describes their initial response, the actual experience and how it made them feel.

Short sentences

Read this section of Little Red Riding Hood: ‘She heard the noise again; footsteps behind her in the darkness of the forest. She hurried and her feet made little impression on the soft, leaf-littered ground. There was rustling to her left so she ran as fast as her little legs would carry her.’

Contrast it with this version: ‘There it was again… footsteps. She hurried. Her feet made little impression on the soft, leaf-littered ground. There was rustling to her left. She ran.’

The short sentences force the reader to read at pace and feel the character’s panic. Take a scene from a book that is written in long, descriptive sentences and rewrite it with shorter ones. Compare.

“The short sentences force the reader to read at pace and feel the character’s panic”

Fan fiction

Fan fiction is a great opportunity for novice writers because it arms them with fully formed characters and worlds. Read a novel or watch a film then ask pupils to discuss the characters’ traits.

How would these characters act if they were introduced to a new person? There are a number of writing outcomes that can be achieved: a new character intervening in an existing episode; dialogue between the new character and an existing one; retelling a scene through the eyes of a new character.

Story endings

Look at this story ending from Jessica’s Other World by David Waugh: ‘“What is it Mr Addison used to say all the time?” asked Jessica, but she answered her own question: “It’s make your mind up time!”’

Questions immediately arise. Who is Mr Addison? Who is Jessica? What does she have to make up her mind about? What kind of endings do pupils prefer? Do they like everything to be rounded off neatly or do they prefer to be left wondering?

Ask pupils to find story ending examples. Make notes on what might have happened in the story to lead up to the final line. Compare these notes with the real stories.

These ideas have been adapted from  100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Writing  by Adam Bushnell ( @authoradam ), Rob Smith ( @redgierob ) and David Waugh (£14.99, Bloomsbury).

Lots of story ideas come from asking yourself the question, “What if?” Try one of these or come up with your own “What if?”:

• What if an alien took over the prime minister’s body?
• What if a girl found a dragon at the bottom of her garden?
• What if you could read minds?
• What if there were no such thing as death?

This is a really simple formula for creating a story. Just pick two pre-existing characters and imagine what would happen if they met. They could be real people, fictional characters or archetypes.

“Pick two pre-existing characters and imagine what would happen if they met”

Think about the contrasting personalities of the two characters. Would they clash? Get on like a house on fire? Go on adventures together? Become mortal enemies? What are the characters’ weaknesses? Strengths? And how would those weaknesses and strengths feed off one another?

Ruin their lives

As a class make up a main character together, and decide on that character’s goal in life (and in the story that you’re going to write together). Then form teams.

Flipping a coin to decide who goes first, the first team says what the character is going to do first to set about achieving their goal in life. Then it’s the next team’s turn. They invent a problem or obstacle to put in the character’s way – this could be a hostile character, or an event.

Now the first team has to decide how to solve that problem. Then the second team tries once more to scupper the character’s plans… and so on.

“The second team tries once more to scupper the character’s plans”

It’s a great way to think about problems and solutions in stories, and can generate quite a lot of enjoyable rivalry.

Take a story from the news – whether it’s a local news story about something apparently petty and small, or a really big event that’s splashed across the media all over the world.

Then pick one person from that story and write about them. It doesn’t have to be the main figure in the real-life drama – it could just be a witness. It could even be the journalist who is reporting the story.

Think about how the events make them feel. What might they do next? Think about what’s not reported – are there any secrets hidden behind the story?

By using a real event, you have the beginnings of a plot already, but feel free to deviate from real events as wildly as you want. There’s a real comfort from having something solid to work with.

Pick a genre

As with a real-life event, having genre conventions to work with means you’re not starting from a completely blank slate. Here are a few genres you could try:

• Space opera – like a soap opera, but in space; characters leading dramatic personal lives with lots of conflict and emotion, against a backdrop of interstellar travel and/or war.
• Horror – lock a bunch of characters in a haunted house or other scary place and create increasingly dangerous situations for them. Kill a few off, focusing on the ones who do silly things like go alone to check out the mysterious noise. Add monsters/ghosts/vampires and any other favourite things that go bump in the night.
• Fantasy – mix elves and wizards with beautiful landscapes, magical objects and some kind of quest, plus a few mysterious helpers along the way and an even more shadowy villain who’s trying to thwart the heroes at every turn.
• Detective – start with a crime. Bring in a detective character (not forgetting to give them various personality flaws and other eccentricities) and take them through the process of solving the crime, with various red herrings and confusing clues along the way.
• Fairytale – princes, castles, spells, wishes, evil fairies and happy-ever-afters.

These ideas are from Louie Stowell, an author for e-book publisher Fiction Express.

Cut to the chase

All the greatest children’s books start with a brilliant first sentence to hook the reader in. Show children some of the best opening lines and discuss what makes them intriguing, then ask the class to write one sentence to grab a reader’s attention. It’s a simple exercise that can get every story off to a great start.

“All the greatest children’s books start with a brilliant first sentence to hook the reader in”

Drawing a map is fantastic for those who find working out plots challenging. First, brainstorm a list of features that could go on a map and make a hero’s journey difficult.

Next, give them a twist, like a tornado that can shrink you to the size of a pea or a swamp that curses you if your foot touches water.

Now ask everyone to think of a quest. It could be saving a magical creature or finding the antidote to a poisonous potion.

Finally, ask the class to draw their maps, working out the route their character will take, the three difficulties they’ll face and how they’ll overcome them to succeed in their quest.

Name generator

Make a character name generator by cutting up lots of different words and putting them in a bag. Ask pupils to pick out two words each and use them to come up with a name.

Next, pose a few questions to children, designed to help them make their characters less wooden, such as ‘What are they good and bad at?’ and ‘What are they scared of?’

“Make a character name generator by cutting up lots of different words and putting them in a bag”

A character facing their fears in a story creates brilliant drama. Ask children to hot seat their character. This is a technique used by some writers so they can get to know their characters better.

Ask one pupil to sit up front with their character in mind while the rest of the class asks questions about them. Memorable characters often emerge from this exercise.

Worst case scenario

It’s our job as authors to make life difficult for our characters. The more we can throw at them, the more readers will root for them. A trick used by writers to keep a story gripping is to ask these two questions:

• What is the very worst that could happen to my character in this situation?
• How do I get them out of it?

It’s a simple way to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Choose a scenario with your class, such as a boy being locked out of his house.

Together, brainstorm what the worst case scenario for him would be as he attempts to get inside his home, then resolve it for the character. For example:

• He gets stuck trying to climb the fence into his back garden
• He manages to free himself but is chased by the neighbour’s dog
• He escapes by climbing a tree, except the branch snaps

Keep on asking the two questions until there are enough ideas for a complete story, then work together to figure out the perfect ending.

These ideas are from Juliette Forrest, author of The Night My Dream Came Alive . Follow her on Twitter at  @jools_forrest .

Adventures of a seafaring iguana

This video introduces us to a man on a boat who crosses paths with an unlikely friend – an iguana treading water, four miles out from shore.

This touching video provides a great prompt for a creative writing exercise. Task students with writing a short story on how the iguana found his way out to sea. Share all the different versions afterwards.

• Perhaps the iguana stowed away with some pirates?
• Maybe he was washed away in a flood?
• He might even have just fancied a swim. Who knows?

Step aside, Bond…

This clip is an excellent way to spark your students’ imagination. A short animation and voiceover tells pupils they have been accepted into a super secret spy agency operating under the cover of birdwatchers. The writing challenge stems from thinking up details of how this spy organisation operates.

There are plenty of suggestions to help your students get started too, such as:

• What kind of gadgets do they use?
• Do they have a secret base? If so, what does it look like?
• Any evil villains? What’s their master plan?

The oldest message in a bottle

This intriguing video documents the discovery of the world’s oldest message in a bottle by Perth resident Tonya Illman, who stumbled across the missive whilst litter picking in 2018.

The 131-year-old note was written by a captain of a German sailing ship, and was thrown from the vessel whilst on a voyage from Cardiff to Indonesia.

After watching the video, it’s likely your students will be curious about what happened to the ship and crew – a thought that would make an exciting writing activity.

What do you think happened to the Captain and his boat?

• Did they get to Indonesia safely?
• Or perhaps they were stranded on a desert island?
• Worse still, could they have been attacked by a giant octopus?!

Wonderful wingsuiting

This pulse-pounding clip follows wingsuit pilot Sam Laming as he becomes the first person to perform a close proximity wingsuit flight down Mount Snowdon in Wales.

Sam spent five years training for this extreme stunt, which should open up plenty of creative writing opportunities for your class, the task being to place themselves in Sam’s position and describe how they would fare with the momentous endeavour. Below are some ideas to help get them started:

• What’s the weather like? Though it might start off safe and sunny, what would happen if a storm approached?
• How far can you see? Can you spot towns or villages or are you surrounded by hills and fields?
• Is there any wildlife – rabbits hopping below you, or birds flying in formation?

You can watch the video here.

An island story

In this video, join Mr T on a boat on the ocean. As you look across, you see a mysterious island – and perhaps even treasure. It’s now your pupils’ job to answer one simple question: what happens next?

• Are you going to land on the island and steal the treasure?
• Is there something on the island, keeping the treasure protected?
• Is there someone on the island who needs rescuing?
• Will there be a message in a bottle on the sand?

Browse lots more creative writing prompts .

Story beginnings

The opening of a story is hugely important. It has to engage the reader, of course, but also needs to establish tone, setting, character, plot or any combination of these and more. But it’s also where children stare at a blank page and get stuck.

This quick list of different types of opening includes ones to avoid that teachers see time and time again, and alternatives that children may not have considered. There’s also a sheet of story endings .

Shaun the Sheep – Starting your story

This resource explore the work that goes into making a film (including interviews with the film’s story-boarders), and invites primary students to consider what goes into creating a good, memorable story for the screen.

Success criteria for adventure stories

This success criteria menu supports children in writing an exciting climax to an adventure story (or short story).

It includes a sample story ending, based in the Stone Age, as an example for children, with a sentence type activity to help them write their own version.

Alex Rider – How to write a story

The National Literacy Trust created this resource to help develop writing for purpose, using a story starter from one of the world’s most famous authors, Anthony Horowitz.

This story writer resource kit has been designed to be as flexible as possible. So whether you are having a one day creative writing workshop to enable your pupils to enter the competition and produce their own winning story, or if you are looking to develop a whole unit of work around narrative with the competition as your final outcome, there is support and inspiration to help.

Story writing competitions encourage creativity and imagination. They provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills and sometimes come with a great prize! Check out current writing competitions that your pupils can enter.

Browse KS3 creative writing resources for teaching plot and setting.

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What is a Storyboard [Theory, Examples and Mega Inspiration]

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By Al Boicheva

in How-To Tutorials , Insights

4 years ago

Viewed 15,563 times

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Let’s talk about storyboards. Storyboards are a key part of visual storytelling – they can help you visualize your idea, help you explain it to a client, and plan a creative project. In this article, we will explore what is a storyboard, why you need one, and how to use it. In addition, we will also go step by step through the process of creating a storyboard for your project and add very useful tips, as well as examples and software tools for storyboarding.

What is a Storyboard Overview: 1. What is a Storyboard? 2. Why Do You Need a Storyboard? 3. How To Use a Storyboard? 4. How To Create a Storyboard? 4.1. Start With a Blank Storyboard 4.2. Write the Script 4.3. Add Visuals 5. Helpful Tips 6. What Industries Use Storyboards? 6.1. Films 6.2. Advertising 6.3. UX Design 7. Software Tools for Storyboarding

1. What is a Storyboard?

Storyboards are graphic representations of concepts and information. They are usually boards with chronological series of images with notes that communicate a vision. There are a few things we can point out when defining storyboards:

• Storyboards feature sequences of drawings that usually include directions and dialogues.
• They can be drawings, rough sketches, photos, or reference images.
• Storyboards are broken down into action panels. Each action panel is a shot that features any relevant info, dialogue action, or concept.
• These shots pre-visualize a motion picture, animation, or any graphic media sequence.
• The panels have arrows that indicate how each shot is related to the next or point out the character or camera movement.

There are two methods to create a storyboard: traditional with sketching on a piece of paper, and digital with dedicated storyboard software.

1.1. Traditional Storyboards

New Balance TVC shooting board by Anthony Hope-Smith

Traditional storyboards consist of basic sketches with detailed information about the concept, characters, actions, and even camera angles, via arrows and notes. These sketches are usually made on paper with a pencil. The traditional method is easily accessible without the need to use a computer.

Traditional storyboards share the same pros and cons that come with traditional art in general. On one hand, they are cheaper and grant an instant hard copy. On the other, with this method, it’s significantly harder to make revisions as well as drawing countless frames by hand can be very tiring and time-consuming. They are also hard to work with if collaboration is needed.

1.2. Digital Storyboards

80s Parties Storyboard for LIVENATION by ulrike

Digital storyboarding software is quite diverse in terms of tools depending on the creator’s abilities and needs. They allow collaboration with teammates in real-time and some tools integrate with other software. When it comes to drawing the panels, you can either draw them yourself on tools like Photoshop or Procreate, or you could use the storyboarding software’s implemented image library .

The pros of digital storyboards are they are easier to edit, customize, and replicate , however, some tools can be pricy as well as printing your storyboards.

We’ll talk about different software solutions for storyboarding in another section.

2. Why Do You Need a Storyboard?

Whether you’re planning to create a video or a presentation, storyboarding is the ultimate way to organize, visualize, and present your ideas accurately to stakeholders and clients. The clarity and accuracy of a storyboard that sequences your concept are pretty effective and easy to digest when you need to sell that idea.

Story Board by Shalini Kaushal

So let’s look at the advantages:

• Visuals are easier to digest: They communicate an idea way better than just a script. A sequence of visuals that walk your audience through the concept makes them understand every step.
• Mapping of the scenes: For videos, storyboards unfold what will the video look like before you even shoot or animate it.
• They create the production plan: When you storyboard videos, you’re also showing how many shots you need, their sequence, and how will these shots follow the script.
• Storyboarding saves time in the long run: As it will explain your vision easily and make the creation process smooth, as well as you will have everything mapped and organized so you won’t forget even the smallest detail.
• The clear out the process early on: Sharing your concept with a storyboard early on will ensure your clients or team members understand the process from the very start. Therefore, there will be much less room for misunderstandings or revisions later on.
• See what you’re missing: During the process of creating your storyboard, you visualize and clean the concept for the most important person in this case: yourself. You will be able to see missing key elements, unnecessary details or dialogues that have no place there, and more. This way you will be able to fix issues before you even kick off the project.
• Easier revisions: Making revisions to your storyboard is always easier than later during production.

3. How To Use a Storyboard?

To use storyboards in order to bring a concept to life is the point of production between it being an idea and being a reality. It’s the bridge that begins this entire process. With no further ado, let’s look at a frame-by-frame music video that shows exactly how a storyboard translates into the final production. On the left, you can see the music video itself, while on the right, you will notice the rough storyboard sketches that plan every single scene.

4. How To Create a Storyboard?

Step 1: start with a blank storyboard.

To start, you need to go back to the blackboard. In this case, you will need a template that you can use as a base for your planning. It can be everything from a piece of white paper where you can draw blank squares for the frames or more detailed pre-made blank slides. Include everything you need your slides to have, depending on the type of your project. If it’s a microlearning video, you can include a frame on a scene number, dialogue, action, duration, and more specifics. For presentations, the title, and notes field below each slide will do just fine.

Storyboard Template

Step 2: Write the Script

With your blank template ready, the next step is to write the script for your project. The script is everything that will happen from action to transition or just the different slides of a multistep form you’re designing for a website. Describe those steps, changes, or movements in advance in order to clear out exactly what you’re going to visualize.

Here is the checklist for writing your story:

• Write a premise: Once you have a concept, think of a premise for your story. In short, this is your story in one sentence.
• Make a list of the key scenes : Identify the key scenes or frames for your story or presentation. When you figure out the main shots and the important changes in the script, write them down.
• Create a chronological order: Once you have the key scenes, put them in chronological order. A clear timeline will prevent you or the stakeholders to get lost in the story.
• Add parameters: With your frames in order, it’s also important to specify parameters such as location and time the events or actions take place.
• Add descriptions: To describe the action, think of the most important aspects that directly correspond to your concept. Setting, location, character mood, emotions, and more.

Step 3: Add Visuals

Naturally, after you’re done with the script you have the exact vision of what images to use. The script and the notes will guide you through filling your blank frames. You can either sketch them yourself or use suitable stock photos, reference images, and literally every kind of image that communicates the script accurately. If you choose to sketch instead, note that you don’t need to draw super detailed panels or to colorize them. What’s important is to visualize the concept, and even stick figures will do that as long as they explain what is happening.

Here is a checklist for visualizing your story:

• Choose a method: Decide if you’re going for traditional or digital art. If you go for the latter, use the software you’re more comfortable with.
• Aspect ratio: If you’re working on a video, set your aspect ratio in advance. The usual aspect ratio for videos is 16:9.
• Sketch your concept regardless of having an illustrator: You may prefer to hand the visual part of the storyboard to your team of illustrators or decide to hire one. However, always create the first version of your story.  Clearing this out will avoid issues such as going back and forth, unnecessary feedback, and reworks.

On a fun note, here is a short movie of a high-school artist creating a storyboard, with a twist.

In the meantime, you might also be interested our gallery with top sources for free and premium stock illustrations ?

5. Helpful Tips

Surely, these are the very basics of storyboarding and all that you need to know. However, in addition, there are some very useful tips to take into consideration before taking that pencil and start planning your panels.

• Simple visuals are clear visuals Indeed, if you’re a talented artist who can pull off detailed drawings, you will definitely impress stakeholders. However, as with everything, it’s easier to win clients and colleagues with simpler, less detailed visuals. Not to mention, simpler designs are easier to edit and fix.
• Focus on the big picture Don’t forget what the main idea of your concept is and concentrate on it. It’s easy to get distracted by minor details, and if you get distracted, your audience will be too.
• Individual storyboards Sometimes you need to explain complicated and detailed concepts. However, it would be really hard for stakeholders to understand it if everything is included in just a few frames. To avoid the clutter, you can make an individual storyboard for a particularly complicated scene and break it down into simpler shots.
• A picture speaks a 1000 words The notes and the dialogue for each scene are important but don’t overdo it with detailed explanations. Let your visuals speak for themselves.
• Camera movement For videos, it’s easiest to indicate the camera movements by adding arrows that point out the direction.
• Name your characters Especially when you create microlearning videos with multiple simplistic characters. This will avoid confusion and mistakes in the later process.
• Use numbering When your scenes require multiple frames, it’s best to number each scene and each frame of this scene with main and secondary numbers.

Despicable Me 2 storyboards by wannabeanimator

6. What Industries Use Storyboards?

They can be used in almost any product that requires concept or scene visualization. Storyboards are incredibly useful in films , animation , theatre , comic books , advertising campaigns , video-making , business flowcharts , and presentations. So let’s see some examples in key industries.

In the meantime, you might also be interested in the best 7 software options for presentations .

6.1. Storyboards in Films

They aim to translate the script into a screenplay. This is why the storyboards for movie scenes often look like comic book panels in terms of style and usually feature dialogue.

New Hope 1977

Below are four storyboards of short scenes from Star Wars: New Hope, created by George Lucas himself and we clearly see the opening transition scene between the original opening crawl to the appearance of the first movie shot we see. The second storyboard zooms in on the Death Star in front of the main characters, while the last two boards are more taken out of context and not exactly closely related. Either way, this movie doesn’t really need introductions or explanations.

Storyboard for a scene from Star Wars: New Hope (1977), illustrated by George Lucas

The Birds 1963

It’s a wide known fact that the great director Alfred Hitchcock created storyboards for each scene of his iconic movies before executing it with the actors. He heavily relied on drawing his vision through storyboards and despite being a masterful artist, he went further to hire an entire team of illustrators to help him make his visions a reality. However, Hitchcock was a perfectionist, and his approach to movie making – was precise and pedantic. There are two things we can conclude as the moral of the story. The first one, even the masters need to lay down their vision on paper in order to clear up and organize their ideas. Second, unlike Hitchcock, you don’t need to be that precise or even a good artist in order to illustrate your concepts.

Storyboard for a scene from The Birds (1936), illustrated by Harold Michelson

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

This is a great example of using directional arrows to point out camera angles. Alongside is a high-angle camera shot that shows the Hogwarts student entering the Ministry department. In the second panel, the arrows and the double-figure of Harry show the character’s confusion.

Storyboard for a scene from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), illustrated by Jim Cornish

6.2. Storyboards in Advertising

Storyboards also play a great role when planning commercials and pre-productions for campaigns that aim for specific actions by the viewers. Such industries include commercial production, new media, even launch and etc.

tv commercial storyboard_2 by makulayangbuhay

storyboard taskshop by ftourini

6.3. Storyboards in UX Design

Another good use for storyboarding is when you need to visually predict and explore user experience with a certain product or service. This helps the designers a lot by giving them an understanding of how will people interact with said product.

7. Software Tools for Storyboarding

There are many tools with different flavors you can take advantage of. It depends on your exact needs and the type of project, also on your budget. Below are six really popular and useful storyboarding tools, and for a reason.

Storyboarder

Mac | iOS | Free | Open-Source

An entirely free storyboarding tool by Wonder Unit. Unlike most free options, Storyboarder doesn’t limit images and text. You can also add dialogue and extra notes. It’s integrated with Photoshop and exportable to Premiere Pro, PDF, and an animated gif.

makeStoryboard

Free Trial | Web Based| Collab

The tool allows creating storyboards with existing images, sketching new concepts, and leaving feedback. It also features commenting tools and collaboration. The files are exportable in PDF and sharable online with a protected password.

Desktop| Paid-Only

This previsualization storyboard tool is used by directors, cinematographers, and VFX supervisors. It creates virtual sets and locations using a stimulated camera and actors in 3D scales. In short, it’s an optically accurate virtual film studio.

Free- Trial | Web-Based | Collab

Broods has a drawing tool and image gallery, as well as the ability to upload from your own computer. It offers a script editor, PDF export, private sharable link, one-clock animatics, and custom branding.

Storyboard That

Free Version | Free trial  | Web-Based

Digital storytelling tool that focuses on education and is perfect for teachers. It offers over 2,000 Lesson Plans and Activities, FERPA, CCPA, COPPA, & GDPR compliance, and rostering support.

Web-Based  | Free- Trial

This tool is easy to use and helps you create visual outlines, collaborate with your team, and kick-start media projects. It’s mobile-ready so you can collaborate at any time and offers a free trial.

Final Words

We reached the end of today’s review. I hope you enjoyed learning how to create storyboards for your project and got inspired to start crafting your own panels for visualizing your concepts.

You may also be interested in some of these related articles:

• 20 Storyboard Examples For Different Uses of Storyboarding [Apps, UX, Animation, Commercials]
• 30 of The Best Animated Explainer Videos
• Do Not Invest in an Animated Marketing Video Unless You Know This

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Blog Graphic Design 8 Storyboard Examples For Your Next Big Idea

8 Storyboard Examples For Your Next Big Idea

Written by: Tobi Ojenike Sep 18, 2023

Before making a video for your business, be it a short video, presentation, documentary or a commercial, it is very important to plan your idea and one of the steps in this planning process is to  create a storyboard . 

A storyboard is a visual tool used to plan and define the visual components of a narrative or project in a variety of creative industries. It is made up of a number of graphic panels or frames that sequentially depict various scenes, shots or sequences. 

In this piece, I will be taking you through the process of storyboarding, what should be included in one, how to create one and  storyboard templates  that you can use to ignite your next big idea.

Click to jump ahead:

Why using storyboards is important

8 storyboard examples for your next big idea, key elements to include in a storyboard, how storyboards fuel creativity across multiple fields .

• 7 Digital storyboarding software to visualize ideas

Storyboard examples FAQs

Create a storyboard in 7 easy steps using venngage.

Using a storyboard is great for so many reasons. You can convey and explain the vision for your video to others with the help of a visual assistance, think of it as a  visual communication  medium. A storyboard also makes production easier and saves time for everyone involved in the project. 

A storyboard is great for streamlining the creative process of your visual project. You can know which shots to make and how to create them when filming. Also, rather than making significant changes while filming, you can collect feedback early on and make straightforward revisions to your storyboard. 

Like a script, a storyboard is a visual guide that takes you through the production process of your video. For the purpose of this article, I have put together some storyboard examples beautifully crafted by the amazing designers at Venngage. I am sure they will be useful in fuelling your next big idea. Ready? Let’s go! 

Storyboard examples for students

Storyboarding is a flexible tool that students can use to realize their original ideas; it’s not just for filmmakers and animators. Creating a storyboard can help you organize and picture your ideas more clearly when working on a project for class, an art assignment or even a digital presentation. 

Students can use them to enhance their storytelling and communication skills, as well as elevate their academic projects and creative minds. Teachers can also use storyboards to  create an online course  for their students. Here are some simple examples of storyboard examples for students:

Storyboard examples for advertising

Advertising is all about getting people’s attention, conveying an engaging story and motivating them to take action. Some of the most recognizable and successful advertising campaigns you’ve seen use storyboards as their hidden weapon. 

Before the cameras start rolling, advertisers can prepare, conceptualize and explain their ideas with the aid of these visual roadmaps. 

Storyboards therefore can be used to develop narratives, design images and produce advertising that is memorable and has a lasting impression. Take a look at some examples of advertising storyboards below:

Storyboard examples for short films

Short films are a unique art form. Every frame in it counts in telling a concise and impactful story. The role of storyboards in the production process of a short story cannot be overlooked as they play a pivotal role in the creation of these cinematic gems. 

Storyboards help filmmakers in the planning of shots, communication of concepts and realization of their artistic ambitions. Look through some examples below:

Storyboard examples for novels

Have you ever wondered how authors lay out their elaborate plots and characters? Novels immerse us in rich narratives and take us to new realms. 

Examples of storyboards for books can be useful in this situation. Authors can organize their literary works using visual narrative strategies, just how filmmakers use storyboards to plot their shots.

Storyboards can enhance storytelling visuals, the writing process and ignite your creative journey, see how below:

All storyboards contain the same information, regardless of whether they are hand-drawn or computer-generated. To give a better idea of what a video should look like, here are the essential elements that should be found in a storyboard:

• Title:  The title of the project, the date it was made and other pertinent project details should all be included in the storyboard.
• Panel number:  To ensure that the story progresses logically, each page of the storyboard needs to be numbered and the panels need to be placed in the appropriate order.
• Images/drawings:  A storyboard’s primary function is to visually represent the action or scenario. Sketches, drawings, photos or any other visual representation that expresses what will appear on screen or in the finished product can be used for this.
• Shot description:  Each panel is accompanied by captions or descriptions that give crucial information about the scene’s events. Characters, actions, camera angles and other pertinent visual components are all covered.
• Camera directions:  Camera directions may be included for projects in cinema, television or video to help the camera operator. This may entail defining the camera’s movement, framing and angles.
• Dialogue and sound:  If the project includes spoken or written text, dialogue or text identifying the speaker and what they are saying or writing should be included in or close to the panels.
• Transitions:  Transitions between shots or scenes are frequently noted in the storyboard during the creation of movies and videos. Cuts, fades, dissolves and other visual transitions are examples of this.
• Notes and comments:  To give context, explanations or instructions to the production crew, additional notes or comments may occasionally be included. To draw attention to certain requirements or details, utilize these.
• Timing and duration:  The length of each shot or scene can sometimes be specified, which aids in determining the project’s pacing and timing.
• Props and wardrobe:  The production team will be more likely to understand the precise visual elements needed for each scene if objects and clothing are included in the storyboard. To ensure a coherent and aesthetically pleasing final product, it also helps with collaboration between the costume department and the art department.
• Special effects and VFX:  If necessary, special visual effects instructions for CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) or real-world effects can be added.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll already know that storyboards aren’t just for the big screen or TV shows. That being said, let’s talk about all the different places where you can put those storyboarding skills to work.

Advertising

Storyboards are frequently used in advertising to plan and visualize TV commercials, print advertisements and online  marketing videos . They help convey the concept and message to clients and production teams.

Storyboards inspire advertisers to create engaging narratives for their advertising. To make advertising more interesting and memorable, they can play around with storylines, character development and visual metaphors.

Video games

Storyboards can help plan the visual and interactive elements of a game. Game designers often use storyboards to map out gameplay sequences, level designs and cutscenes. This visual planning encourages innovation in narrative and game creation within the gaming industry.

Graphic novels and comics

Comic book artists and graphic novelists use storyboards to outline the narrative flow, panel layouts and visual style of their work. Storyboarding enables artists to test out various artistic approaches, color schemes and visual components. It serves as a testing ground for inventive visual storytelling.

Architecture and interior design

Architects and interior designers can use storyboards to visualize and present design concepts to clients. This can include floor plans, room layouts and material choices. Storyboards make it easier to collaborate with clients by providing design concepts in a visual manner and enabling in-the-moment feedback and innovative brainstorming.

User experience (UX) design

UX designers create storyboards to illustrate user journeys and interactions with digital products and websites. These storyboards help identify usability issues and design improvements. With the aid of storyboards, designers may test various design concepts and receive user input for ongoing improvement.

Instructional design 

In the field of education and training, storyboards can be used to plan out the content and layout of educational videos, eLearning modules and training materials. Interactive learning tools like digital presentations or instructional games can incorporate storyboarding to increase learning enjoyment. For example, several tutors use storyboards in their  YouTube videos , to present their knowledge and simplify the learning process.

Theater and stage productions:

Directors and set designers in theater use storyboards to plan scenes, lighting and stage setups. These visual aids assist in the production process. 

Marketing and content creation: 

Content creators and marketers often use storyboards to plan video content, social media campaigns and marketing materials. They help ensure that the intended message is effectively conveyed.

Product design: 

Industrial designers and product developers may use storyboards to illustrate how a product is used, highlighting its features and benefits. Storyboards can be used to refine product prototypes and collect stakeholder feedback. The iterative method encourages original problem-solving and the improvement of the final result.

Event planning: 

Event planners can create storyboards to visualize the setup, decor and flow of events such as weddings, conferences and trade shows. If you work for a wedding venue, incorporating storyboards into your website can visually convey complex ideas, making them easier to understand at a glance. This approach can be a valuable addition to your wedding venue SEO efforts.

Event planners can think creatively about logistics and flow by using storyboarding. It promotes creative responses to problems like crowd control and visitor engagement.

Storyboarding for presentations: 

In business presentations, a simplified form of storyboarding can be used to plan the flow of slides, ensuring that the message is clear and engaging. Using storyboards, presenters can organize their presentations as storylines. The audience is drawn in by this strategy, which also engages them as it leads them through the content.

7 digital storyboarding software to visualize ideas

You can get the most out of a storyboarding app whether you’re a teacher, businessperson, ad creator, animator or social media enthusiast. 

One question remains, however — what are the options and how do you decide which is best for you? Well, I’m here to help you with that. Let’s take a look at my top 7 favorite digital storyboarding software that can help visualize your ideas. 

1. Adobe Storyboard CC

Adobe Storyboard CC is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, making it a popular choice for many professionals. It offers a range of tools to create storyboards, including customizable templates, drawing tools and integration with other Adobe software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. This makes it an ideal choice for filmmakers and animators who want seamless integration with their post-production workflow.

Price:  While a free plan is available, you can also subscribe to the Premium plan for $9.99 per month. 

2. Storyboard That

Storyboard That is a user-friendly online tool suitable for a wide range of applications, from education to marketing. It offers a vast library of pre-made characters, scenes and props, allowing users to create visually appealing storyboards quickly. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible to beginners and professionals alike. 

Pricing:  Free; $9.99/month (For Fun); $8.99/month (For Teachers); $14.99/month (For Work)

3. FrameForge

FrameForge is tailored specifically for filmmakers and is known for its robust 3D previsualization features. It allows users to create storyboards with 3D characters and props, plan camera movements and even simulate lighting conditions. This software is ideal for filmmakers looking to plan every detail of their shots.

Price : $500 for Core Edition (or subscribe for $12.99/month); Pro starts at $799 (annual subscription is $25.99/month)

4. Toon Boom Storyboard Pro

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is a go-to choice for animators and illustrators. It offers powerful drawing and animation tools that enable users to create detailed storyboards and animatics. The software’s seamless integration with other animation software makes it a favorite in the animation industry.

Price:  Harmony essentials at $41 a year, Harmony advanced at $61.50 a year and Harmony premium at $127.50

Celtx is a versatile pre-production tool that caters to both filmmakers and writers. It includes features for scriptwriting, storyboarding and scheduling, making it an all-in-one solution for creative projects. The software allows for collaborative work, making it suitable for teams.

Price : 7 day free trial followed by paid plans at a very affordable $22.49 a month. 

Boords is an online storyboarding tool that focuses on simplicity and collaboration. It offers a user-friendly interface, pre-made templates and the ability to share storyboards with team members for feedback and collaboration. It’s an excellent choice for projects that require teamwork and feedback.

Price : Starting $36/month for three users; 50 users will run you $120/month

ShotPro is designed for filmmakers and videographers who need detailed shot planning. It offers a wide range of camera angles and lens options to help users create precise storyboards. The 3D environment allows for realistic previsualization, aiding in the planning of complex shots.

Price:  $9.99 monthly, $44.99 for 6 months and $79.99 for a year.

If you’re just looking for a quick and easy solution for simple project ideas — Venngage’s storyboard templates are for you. Be it for a short video, documentary, animation, product ad or business presentation, Venngage has a variety of templates and ready-to-use features that you can use to create the perfect storyboard to bring your idea to life.

How to create an effective storyboard?

To create an effective storyboard, start by defining your project’s objectives and developing a clear script or narrative. Choose the appropriate storyboard format, such as digital or traditional and sketch each frame, paying attention to composition and annotations. Review and revise your storyboard based on feedback to ensure it effectively conveys your story and visual elements. 

For more tips on how to ace your storyboard, check out our detailed guide on how to make a storyboard . 

What is the best format for a storyboard?

The project at hand and your personal preference will determine the ideal format for a storyboard. Traditional panels, template sheets, computer software, cards and more are examples of common formats. Whether it’s for a video, a design or other creative activity, pick the format that best meets your project’s requirements.

How do you write a storyboard script?

Writing a storyboard script involves creating concise descriptions and dialogue for each panel or frame in the storyboard. Identify scenes, add descriptions, include dialogue, maintain clarity, organize sequence panels and include notes. Ensure to review and revise all that you have.

Do storyboard examples replace scripts?

Storyboard examples do not take the role of scripts. By giving a visual depiction of the events and actions outlined in the script, they support scripts. Storyboards help designers, creators and filmmakers in visualizing how the story of the script will appear on the screen or in their creation. 

While storyboards improve the planning and visualization process, the script still serves as the basis for language, character interactions and storytelling.

Are there any industry standards for creating storyboards?

Storyboard creation is not subject to any rigid industry guidelines. However, there are standard procedures and directives that experts in many different industries, like design, advertising and filmmaking follow. 

These techniques include employing panels that are clear and in order, including captions or descriptions and making sure the storyboard conveys the intended visual narrative. Depending on the requirements of the project and the preferences of the creator, the precise format and specifics may change.

How detailed should a storyboard be?

Depending on the requirements of the project and the preferences of the creator or team, a storyboard’s level of depth may change. Storyboards can often be very explicit, with specific camera angles, shot compositions and visual components. 

In other cases, they might be simpler, emphasizing the main characters’ actions and narrative arcs. To successfully communicate the required visuals while allowing for creative flexibility, a balance must be struck.

Can I use storyboard examples for my personal projects?

Whether you’re constructing a website, producing a commercial, making a video game or writing a tale, you may utilize storyboard examples to organize and visualize your creative ideas. They aid in the organization and expression of your ideas.

Creating a storyboard doesn’t have to be a complex process. Whether you’re planning a video, presentation or any visual storytelling project, Venngage simplifies the journey from concept to completion. So, bring your ideas to life and start crafting compelling stories with Venngage’s user-friendly platform and ready-to-use templates, in just 7 easy steps.

• Sign up or log in to Venngage : If you haven’t already, log into your Venngage account or register a new one. You’ll have access to the platform’s features and templates after doing this.
• Choose a template and customize it : Look through Venngage’s storyboard template collection and pick a template that works for your project. Start modifying the template you’ve chosen so that it fits your particular project once you’ve done so. Change the headings, sections, color scheme, font and layout to reflect your visual style and narrative voice.
• Add frames or panels : Add frames or panels to each part of your storyboard template where you’ll portray various scenarios or shots from your tale. Your tale is visually represented by these frames.
• Insert images or drawings : Insert pictures or sketches that represent the visual components of each scene into each frame or panel. To add your graphics or make drawings right in the site, use Venngage’s image upload option.
• Organize and sequence : Put the panels or frames in the order that corresponds to your story’s chronological flow. This makes it more likely that your story will be coherent and cohesive.
• Review and finalize : Check your storyboard for accuracy, completeness and clarity before putting the finishing touches on it. Make sure your story is successfully communicated. When you’re finished, save your project and distribute it to your team or other collaborators.
• Share : You may export your storyboard from Venngage in a number of file types, including PDFs and images. To receive feedback from others, you can also create a link that can be shared.

As you embark on your next big idea, remember that storyboards not only help you plan and organize your project but also facilitate effective communication with your team and stakeholders. 

By choosing the right storyboard style and technique for your specific needs, you can streamline your workflow, save time and resources and ultimately create more impactful and engaging projects. Think about design guidelines that will improve the effectiveness of your storyboard. Referred to as design thinking , it promotes a user-centered approach, emphasizing empathy, creativity, and iterative problem-solving.

So, whether you’re crafting an advertising campaign, designing a video game or teaching a complex concept, consider the power of storyboards as your visual roadmap to success. 

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How to Storyboard Your Novel and Why You Should

Do you have a ton of ideas for future characters, plots, settings, and themes but aren’t sure how to corral all of your brilliant schemes and concepts into a single novel? The answer may be to storyboard your novel.

There are many ways to turn your thoughts into a cohesive story, but one of my favorites is to create a graphic sequence of events. This method appeals to the visual thinkers among us.

Did you know that as a creative writer you’re more likely to be a visual thinker as well? That’s because you can see your words as pictures and imagine your story visually. You can see the characters you create, the expressions on your characters’ faces, the way your characters move during conversations, and how they interact in their environment. You can also see the world that you’ve created down to the tiniest detail. I bet you can even identify the tree leaves in the background of any given scene.

While you may not be able to translate what you see in visual form, you can certainly use words to paint a precise picture in your reader’s mind.

And you can also create a rudimentary sketch to help you analyze the flow of your story. But don’t worry. Your sketches need not be museum-quality visual masterpieces. Simple doodles can be effective novel creation aids. If you can physically write, you can also physically sketch stick figures to storyboard your novel.

In this post, we’ll explain what a storyboard is, why you should do it, and how to create a usable one for your purposes. Let’s get started.

What is a Storyboard?

A storyboard is a series of images or sketches used to plan out a story. Film directors often implement the same process to convey their ideas to cinematographers. However, many writers use storyboarding as part of their novel creation process. Instead of visually communicating an idea to someone else, a writer’s storyboard gives the writer powerful visual cues that they can use to stay on track with their storytelling.

A storyboard is a cohesive series of sketched scenes along with a brief description of what’s happening in the scene.

The Benefits of Storyboarding

What are the benefits of storyboarding over other novel creation methods, such as the traditional outline? Let’s discuss why you should consider implementing this method.

Plot Out Your Novel

A storyboard is like a map of your novel. It will document the beginning, middle, and ending of your novel. You can use this map to stay on course throughout your writing process.

Organize Your Story

Storyboarding allows you to visually organize scenes. You can use it to carefully consider how to tell your story, whether chronologically, non-linear, or with the help of flashbacks, scene switches, or POV changes.

Speed Up Your Writing Time

If you have a visual map, i.e. storyboard, you always know where you're headed, no matter where you are in the writing process. Many writers keep their storyboards in a highly visible location in their workspace. This allows them to quickly check at a glance.

Identify Roadblocks

After creating your storyboard, you’ll be able to immediately spot areas for improvement. Perhaps you need more content in one area. Perhaps in another area, you have too much content but not enough action. Your visual outline shows you the big picture so that you can work on the finer details.

Check Pacing

Your story’s pacing should be dynamic. In other words, it should change frequently, alternating between fast moments and slow builds. This type of pacing keeps the reader hooked because the novel doesn’t feel like it’s dragging slowly or speeding through without a moment to reflect. When you storyboard, you can label specific areas as “slow pace” or “fast pace” to help you see if the pace needs to be tweaked.

Rearrange Scenes

When you storyboard, you can rearrange the different parts of your story before you start writing. You will likely discover that one piece of your narrative can have a bigger impact on the reader if they find out sooner (or sometimes later) in the story. Moving pieces of your story around can also improve the flow of your narrative. This is why many authors use sticky notes or index cards that can easily be shifted around at a whim.

Visualize Your Story

Creating a storyboard will allow you to see your novel like a moving film. You can use your storyboard to identify areas in your story that feel dull or redundant or out of place with the rest of the story. Storyboarding can add another layer to your plotting process. It gives you the ability to see your story from a different perspective.

But What If You're a Pantser?

Ostensibly, there are two types of writers: plotters and pantsers. Plotters, as the name suggests, like to plan ahead. A lot of writers prefer to first outline a story before writing it. However, there are many other writers out there who prefer to write stories “by the seat of their pants.” In other words, they like to be surprised and see where the story unfolds.

Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, storyboarding can work for you. That’s because storyboarding can, but doesn’t have to, take place before you start writing. If you’re a pantser, you can storyboard after you’ve written your first draft. This way, you’re still creating a story by the seat of your pants, without structuring it or taking the fun out of the adventure. But, when you’re in editing mode, you can use storyboarding to clarify, improve pacing, and create a more cohesive story.

Storyboarding can happen before or during the writing process. Don’t think of it as another thing that’s preventing you from writing. Instead, think of storyboarding as a way to improve your writing by injecting it with clarity and direction.

What If You Can't Draw?

As discussed above, no one’s expecting you to be the next Leonardo da Vinci with your sketches. It honestly doesn’t matter if you can draw perfect representations of your ideas. All that matters is that you can scribble out your ideas visually in a way that you, and you alone, can understand. (Plus, you can always get rid of the evidence later!)

How to Create a Storyboard

Now let’s discuss how to create a useful storyboard.

Gather Your Supplies

What medium will you use to storyboard your novel? Some ideas include:

Index cards

Sticky notes

Loose-leaf paper

Comic strip templates printed on copy paper

Poster boards

Chalkboards

Dry-erase boards

You can also create a digital storyboard using your iPad or phone to quickly draw images that you can either keep digitally or print. If you prefer to make your storyboard digital, you can use a service like Boords or Scrivener’s Corkboard to keep your entire process in the cloud.

Make a List of Key Moments

To start your storyboard, select 10 pivotal moments in your novel. These moments will act as anchors. To understand the big picture of your novel, choose the emotional scenes that move your story forward.

Think in Terms of Three

Need help figuring out which 10 elements to choose? Here’s a quick and easy 3 x 3 method that works for many authors:

Think of your story as three parts, or acts. Act 1 is the setup of the story and makes up roughly 25% of your novel. Select three images for Act 1:

Normal life for the protagonist

The inciting incident that changes the protagonist’s world

What causes the protagonist to act

Act 2 is the main action in your story, also known as the confrontation. It’s the main meat of your novel, taking up 50% of its content. Select three images for Act 2:

The start of a journey

The disaster that changes everything/ forces the protagonist to dig deep

Act 3 is the resolution and is the final 25% of the novel. In this act, document:

The final battle

The new normal

Yes, your novel likely has more than 9 scenes. The outline above is simply a good start to your storyboard.

After you have a basic outline, add more scenes. The average novel storyboard has 60 scenes in total: 25% (or 15 scenes) at the beginning, 25% (or 15 scenes) at the end, and 50% (or 30 scenes) in the middle. It’s not a precise science, and don’t feel overwhelmed if you don’t want to draw that many scenes. Instead, use this as a guide and do what works best for you.

Try using different colors when documenting subplots. Color coding your storyboard can help to digest your plot at a glance and see any opportunities to improve your storytelling.

Also consider adding a short, one-sentence description below each image to explain what’s happening in each scene. We’re only humans and it’s easy to forget an important plot point even if you’re the one who drew it.

Final Thoughts

One of the easiest ways to tackle a novel is to start with a storyboard. As you’ve learned above, storyboarding doesn’t require amazing graphic art skills. If you can doodle, you can do this! Use the amazing tips above to storyboard your novel, from drawing to collaging and more.

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How to Create a Storyboard

Last Updated: January 10, 2024

This article was co-authored by Joey Wallace . Joey Wallace is a Professional Photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Joey is the Creative Director and Lead Wedding Photographer at Joey Wallace Photography, providing photography and videography services. With over 10 years of experience, Joey has been honored as one of Atlanta’s Best Photographers for the past 5 years and has documented hundreds of weddings. Joey Wallace Photography has also been featured and recognized by publications including The Knot, WeddingWire, Brides Atlanta, and Featured on Zola. This article has been viewed 895,363 times.

When you’re planning a video, the first step in the process is to bring your script to life and present it to other people. A storyboard is a series of thumbnails that show the breakdown of the video, illustrating the key scenes — how the setting will look, who will be present, and what actions will take place. It’s often used as a mock-up for movie scenes, music videos, TV production, etc. and can be created by hand or using a digital medium. Read on to learn how to map your story, illustrate the keyframes and fine tune your storyboard.

• Make a list of the main events of the story in the order they will be told. This is how they will appear on screen.
• If you’re storyboarding for a commercial, establish what scenes will occur and in what order.

• Pick scenes that show the plot developing from start to finish.
• Turning points are important to show. Any time there’s a plot twist or an important change, include it in the storyboard to move the story along.
• You may also want to depict changes in setting. If the story begins in one city and moves to another, make sure that will be clear in your illustrations.
• If you’re storyboarding for a commercial, the process is no different: pick key images that will represent the flow and direction of the film from start to finish. As a general guideline, keep in mind that for a typical 30-second commercial, a storyboard should have no more than 15 frames. Factor in two seconds per frame on average.

• If you're working on a film and breaking it down shot by shot, create what's called a shot list. For each shot on the list, you'll need to think about the shot's composition and other details involving how it will actually be filmed.
• Remember that the point of the storyboard is to provide visual clarity and keep everyone on the same page. It’s not supposed to be a work of art in and of itself. Take a practical view when it comes to the level of detail you choose for your storyboard. You don’t want your viewer to get lost in trying to interpret your illustrations instead of seeing the bigger picture.
• A good storyboard will be easily understood by anyone viewing it. Potentially, a director, cameraman, scene selector, or even a prop specialist (just to name a few) may refer to the storyboard for reference, guidance and direction.

• For example, you might want to have a cell that depicts a conversation between two main characters. What needs to be conveyed in this image? Are the characters fighting, smiling, or moving toward a destination? Some sort of action should take place in each drawing.
• Take the setting into account as well. Is it important to have a certain view in the background behind the characters?

• The cell sizes should be drawn in the same aspect ratio as the finished video, such as 4:3 for a TV screen or 16:9 for a feature film screen. You can purchase special thumbnail sheets with these dimensions.
• A storyboard template for advertising should be comprised of rectangular frames into which you insert the visuals. If you want to include captions, make sure there’s space where you can write in video descriptions. There should also be a column for the audio, which is where you include the dialogue and sounds or music.
• If you find yourself storyboarding for more than one project, it helps to have a good Wacom™ tablet, so you can board directly into Photoshop.
• If you don’t want to design the images, you can hire a storyboard artist to provide the drawings. You will describe what goes on each frame and give the artist a written script to work from. He or she will provide you with either black and white or color illustrated frames that you can scan into the board in sequential order.

• Composition (lighting, foreground/background, color palette, etc.)
• Angle from which the camera is shooting (high or low)
• The type of shot (wide shots, close-ups, over-the-shoulder shots, tracking shots, etc.) [1] X Research source
• Props (objects in the frame)
• Actors (people, animals, cartoon talking couch, etc.: anything that can act rather than be acted upon)
• Special effects

• Consider adding color. If you’re creating an advertising storyboard, this will help your ideas pop.
• Remember that it’s not necessarily important that the drawings look realistic or perfect. Depending on the viewing audience, simple stick figures might suffice. In most cases, storyboards don't need to be perfect, they only need to make sense to your team.

Fine-Tuning

• Instead of drawing all of your characters as though they were standing on the same horizontal line, put them in perspective. Have some standing a little further from the camera and some standing closer. The ones standing further from the camera should appear smaller, with their feet higher up on the page, and the ones standing closer should appear larger, with their feet lower on the page.
• When it's time to translate the storyboard to film, you'll have a much better idea of how to direct the shot.

• For example, if you want to cut from one room to another, have a character in the first room look toward the door because they hear a noise.
• This helps the story's continuity and keeps the viewer engaged.

• Remember to accept others' input as you go along, especially if you're working with a talented film crew. A storyboard is meant to be edited and changed. It can often be improved by ideas you might not have thought up on your own.
• Most film directors have a different style when it comes to storyboarding. Some map out every last detail, while others use it as a loose guide.

Expert Q&A

• If you can't draw, there is software available that will let you create storyboards by selecting and placing objects from a graphics library. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Storyboards have uses other than planning videos, such as illustrating a sequence of actions or designing complex websites. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Do not expect to make a perfect storyboard with one try, it takes practice. Look at other people's storyboards and see how they do it. It takes some time to perfect your style.
• When designing a storyboard, use codes such as W/S: wide shot, M/S: medium shot, C/U: close up. Also, use INT (interior) and EXT (exterior).

Things You'll Need

• Thumbnail sheets
• Storyboard sheets
• Drawing supplies
• Imaging software

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://accad.osu.edu/digital-animation-technology-mentoring-program-young-women
• ↑ http://nofilmschool.com/2013/09/storyboarding-tips-dreamworks/
• ↑ http://nofilmschool.com/2013/08/storyboarding-with-coen-brothers-storyboard-artist/

About This Article

To create a storyboard, sketch out thumbnails to bring the scenes to life. These drawings should include composition, type of shot, props, and special effects. Below each cell, write a description of what’s happening in the scene, including dialogue and the length of the shot. Additionally, number your cells so they’re easy to reference when talking about them with others. To learn how to fine-tune your storyboard by using three-point perspective, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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28 Storyboard Examples to Inspire you

People make storyboards to set out their vision for a scene. While it takes a bit of time to make a good storyboard in the beginning, it saves you a lot of time further into the process. The best storyboards use stick figures or comic book-style sketches to show close-ups, wide shots, pov (point of view), special effects, and everything else that makes up your shot list.

In this post, we’re going to show you a few scenes from our favourite films, and the storyboards that helped create them. Hopefully, these storyboard examples help you see how storyboarding is an integral part of the video production process as you set out to create your own blockbuster. On which note, don't forget to check out our free storyboard templates . Your production team will thank you!

The Shortcut to Effective Storyboards.

Boords is an easy-to-use storyboarding tool to plan creative projects.

Animation Storyboards

1. spiderman 2.

Although it came out in 2004, some of the action scenes in Spiderman 2 are still breathtaking 15 years later. This fight scene between Spiderman and Dr Octopus, which takes place on top of a fast-moving train, is particularly spectacular. The storyboard sample shows what's moving in each shot, and in which direction, so that the production team is crystal clear on the desired end result – which is exactly what a professional storyboard should do.

Sparks fly when Carl and Ellie first meet in Up, and it's all thanks to a rigorous storyboard that highlights all the necessary details. Notice the way Carl looks down at his badge after Ellie pins it on, and his little smile as he looks back up. Not to mention the way he turns red with embarrassment after Ellie grabs his hand – which is the only bit of colour we can see on the storyboard. We give this storyboard 9 cute points out of 10.

3. Batman: The Animated Series

Flicking from video to storyboard, you can see how this scene was mapped out in painstaking detail by the storyboard artist. The storyboard shows exactly where Batman flies into the scene, how each punch connects with (or misses) its target, and where lighting – like the moon, or various spotlights – is used throughout the scene. All of which helps the team to speed up video production. Kablam!

Batman: The Animated Series

4. Adventure Time

Adventure Time is certainly on the quirkier end of the cartoon spectrum. But you wouldn’t sense that from its orderly, highly-detailed storyboards, which break the scene down into its core elements: dialogue, action, and timing. It’s super-specific, freeing things up for the fun to continue.

5. Summer Camp Island

The world of Summer Camp Island is a fantastical place, with costume changes happening as if they’re… well, magic. The storyboard here shows how a hat miraculously grows, sleeves appear and change colour, and stars fly out of the character’s body as their arms move up. Magic!

Summer Camp Island

6. Super Mario Odyssey

Plot twist: this example is from a game, not a film. While the images here can be a little tough to follow at first glance, due to their sketchy style and minimal colouring, you can see how the storyboard informs the in-game result.

Super Mario Odyssey

7. Tom and Jerry

The clipped, minimal wording that accompanies this storyboard has a unique charm. While the final result is light and humorous, the storyboard text is purely functional. However, the images give the director everything they need to make the scene sing.

Get your FREE Filmmaking Storyboard Template Bundle

Plan your film with 10 professionally designed storyboard templates as ready-to-use PDFs.

Action Storyboards

8. tomorrow never dies.

In his line of work, James Bond is no stranger to a dramatic escape. Although this scene from Tomorrow Never Dies might be the first time an escape's involved a huge banner. Like all the best storyboards, this one pinpoints the key shots to capture: Bond cutting the rope with a massive knife, a zoomed-out shot of the banner mid-tear, the two lovebirds swinging many metres from the ground.

Tomorrow Never Dies

9. Edge of Tomorrow

In a macabre twist on Groundhog Day, Tom Cruise finds himself killed again and again (and again), as he attempts to defeat some nasty aliens. The repeated sight of Cage and his comrades careering towards the ground on flimsy lines never ceases to amaze. It's made especially dramatic by the choice of camera angles, as set out in the film's storyboard.

Edge of Tomorrow

10. Transformers

Like skinning a cat, there are many ways for a Transformer to burst into a building and wreak havoc. This beautiful storyboard shows exactly how the carnage should happen, and how the crew should capture it. Note the small details like the soldier getting flung back into the room, surrounded by shattering glass.

Transformers

11. Apocalypse Now

What this storyboard lacks in precise detail, it makes up for in sheer beauty. The storyboard doesn't give granular direction, but it does highlight some key shots, and what the colours should look like in the scene. It also shows how to capture the magnitude of all those helicopters blazing across the sky.

Apocalypse Now

Vintage Storyboards

12. west side story.

This movie storyboard looks a little different. Probably because it's the handiwork of renowned designer, Saul Bass. As well as designing myriad company logos and movie posters, Bass also put his design skills to work as a storyboard artist for movies like West Side Story. This storyboard is a prime example of his ability to, in his words, “symbolize and summarize”.

West Side Story

13. The Sound of Music

If you plan on making an all-singing, all-dancing box office smash, you'll find that a good storyboard goes a long way. It's amazing to watch this clip and see just how closely the onscreen action mimics the sketched storyboard scenes. We doff our caps to storyboard artist, Maurice Zuberano.

The Sound of Music

14. Gone with the Wind

Although it was made back in 1939, this fiery scene from Gone With the Wind is still just as visceral eighty years later. The orangey, smoky hues make the whole scene feel apocalyptic – like the world is on fire – and it's clear to see how much those colours are inspired by the accompanying movie storyboard.

Gone with the Wind

15. Spartacus

When you’ve lined up 8,000 extras to shoot the final scene in your movie, making mistakes is pretty costly. Which is why Stanley Kubrick roped in our pal Saul Bass to knock up these exceptional storyboards for the iconic closing fight in Spartacus. It shows all the key camera angles and close-ups that Kubrick needs to get the job done.

Blockbuster Storyboards

16. jurassic park.

In this particularly terrifying scene from Jurassic Park, the storyboard artist details how a velociraptor pokes his head up through an air duct, sandwiching Lex to the ceiling. Thankfully, Grant is on hand to kick this hungry dino in the chops before he can do any damage. Things get a little spicier when Lex falls through the duct, inching closer to the velociraptor. But, as we see in the storyboard, Grant’s able to drag her to safety in the nick of time.

Jurassic Park

17. No Country for Old Men

Villains don't come much more villainous than the sublime Anton Chigurh of No Country for Old Men. The movie storyboard for this scene details the wide camera angle for Chigurh's entry, how the camera should pull as Chigurh walks towards the car, and the wide shot and low angle that's needed for the moment Chigurh dives behind a car to avoid Llewelyn's bullets.

18. Forrest Gump

There's so much to love about Forrest Gump, not least the moment where he moons the President while showing him a gunshot wound in his buttock. It's all laid out in the accompanying video storyboard , including specifics like the close-up shot of the President placing the medal around Gump's neck, right before he drops his trousers in front of a shocked audience.

Forrest Gump

19. Gladiator

Poor Maximus already has his work cut out in this fight, without throwing a tiger into the mix. But it does make for great viewing. The storyboard sets out exactly how the camera should capture the tiger from behind as it races towards our intrepid warrior, capturing its claws as it swipes at Maximus’ body.

20. Moulin Rouge

Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film is a riotous romp of dancing, singing, and pure flamboyance. Like this scene, where Satine swings through the Moulin Rouge and tantalises her adoring fans. All the key shots are laid out in the accompanying storyboard, including close-ups on Satine’s face, and wider shots that show the sheer scale of the production.

Moulin Rouge

Sci-fi and fantasy storyboards

21. game of thrones.

In one of Game of Thrones' trippier moments, Daenerys gives birth to three dragons. Of course she does. The storyboard captures exactly how the action should come across onscreen, including a close-up on the beating of the dragon's wings as it sits on Daenerys' shoulder. Not to mention the looks of awe (or is that terror?) from people witnessing one of the more bizarre births in cinematic history.

Game of Thrones

Speaking of bizarre births, Ridley Scott got there first with this peach of an arrival in the 1979 sci-fi classic, Alien. The movie storyboard shows the crew merrily eating around the table, before Kane starts writhing in agony, much to the confusion of his dining companions. Then, just as the storyboard dictates, a strange creature pops out – covering Kane's gleaming white shirt in blood. Delicious.

23. Inception

Many called Christopher Nolan's film a masterpiece. Others were just... confused. And its ending doesn't do much to help. This storyboard by artist Gabriel Hardman shows how the camera should zoom in on the spinning top, before cutting for the end of the film. That's exactly what Nolan does – leaving the audience to wonder whether we're in a dream, or whether this is reality. The mystery continues...

24. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Creating a hit motion picture series doesn't just happen overnight. It takes time – and a few good storyboards along the way. Like this one for the original Star Wars, which illustrates exactly how some of the movie's most iconic shots should look onscreen. Those are some finely-drawn explosions, right there.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

25. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The storyboard for this scene perfectly shows the darkness and fear that’s needed to make the final result as scary as possible. Every image feels ominous, with a look of pure terror on poor Potter’s face. Don’t worry, though. Harry and his pals make it out alive in the end. Phew!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Scary Storyboards

26. the birds.

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of scenes that are packed with suspense, and this classic from The Birds is no exception. The storyboard shows how Melanie should be moving back and forth on a swing, as an army of crows gathers behind her – much to her surprise. Meanwhile, the schoolchildren watch as the scene unfolds. They'll be scarred for life, no doubt.

Bass also dipped his toes into the horror world as the storyboard artist for the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. While the scene was directed by Hitchcock, it was heavily styled by Bass. The way he depicts an unsuspecting victim, the extreme close-up on her mouth as she screams, the iconic silhouette of her attacker. It's all there, right in Bass' storyboard. And it definitely gives you the willies.

28. Interview with the Vampire

While some storyboards show everything in pictures, others lean more heavily on text to get the point across. Take this example from Interview with the Vampire: 'Lestat's bony hand rises up from the rear seat well [...] Lestat suddenly attacks!' A few words go a long way in helping the production team to capture the vision for a particular scene.

Interview with the Vampire

The Power of Storyboarding

This collection of 28 example storyboards serves as a valuable resource for inspiration and learning. These storyboards, sourced from popular films, demonstrate the art of visual storytelling and provide insights into various techniques, shot compositions, and narrative structures.

By studying these examples, you can gain a deeper understanding of how effective storyboarding can enhance your own projects. With Boords as your creative companion, you have a powerful tool to bring your unique ideas to life and create visually captivating storyboards.

Related links

More from the blog..., 7 of pixar's best storyboard examples and the stories behind them.

Storyboarding in filmmaking is the process of creating a visual representation of a movie.

How to Storyboard a Marketing Video

Marketing's a tricky beast. But with our guide to storyboarding your marketing video, you'll be one step closer to success.

How to Storyboard a Short Film

Storyboarding's a way to visualise the storyline of your short film, breaking down every last bit of action into individual storyboard panels.

Online storyboarding software

The Shortcut to Effective Storyboards

Boords is the top-rated online storyboarding software that makes planning video projects a joy, not a job.

Top 5 Storyboarding Templates for Effective Narrative Planning and Visualization

1. boords: streamline your storyboarding process, 2. plot: visualize your story with ease, 3. storyboarder: free and open-source storyboarding software, 4. frameforge: detailed previsualization software, 5. storyboard quick: fast and easy storyboarding.

Planning and visualizing a narrative can be a challenging task, but with the right tools, it becomes much easier. In this blog, we'll explore the top 5 storyboarding templates for planning and visualizing your narrative. These tools will help you streamline your creative process and bring your ideas to life.

Boords is an online storyboarding tool that simplifies the process of planning and visualizing your narrative. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Boords is perfect for both beginners and professionals.

Boords offers several features to help you create professional storyboards efficiently:

• Drag-and-drop functionality : Easily arrange your scenes and make adjustments on the fly.
• Collaboration tools : Work with your team in real-time, leave comments, and track changes.
• Customizable storyboard templates : Choose from a library of pre-made templates or create your own to fit your project's needs.
• Export options : Download your storyboards as PDFs, images, or even animated GIFs for presentations.

Boords offers a range of pricing options to accommodate different budgets and project sizes. There's a free trial available, followed by three pricing tiers:

• Personal plan : $19 per month for one user and 10 storyboards.
• Team plan : $49 per month for three users, 30 storyboards, and additional collaboration features.
• Business plan : Custom pricing for larger teams or organizations with unlimited storyboards and advanced features.

Boords has been used by various professionals in the film, advertising, and animation industries. For instance, animators at Aardman, the creators of Wallace & Gromit, have used Boords to plan and visualize their narrative before moving on to producing the final animation. This shows how versatile and effective Boords can be for a wide range of storytelling projects.

Plot is another excellent storyboarding tool that helps you visualize your narrative in a simple and intuitive way. With its clean interface and robust features, Plot is a great choice for filmmakers, writers, and other creatives seeking an effective storyboarding solution.

Some of the standout features of Plot include:

• Flexible canvas : Add, rearrange, and resize your scenes with ease using Plot's versatile canvas.
• Library of assets : Choose from a vast collection of characters, props, and backgrounds to bring your story to life.
• Notes and annotations : Jot down ideas, add dialogue, or include specific instructions directly on your storyboard.
• Sharing and collaboration : Invite collaborators to view, edit, or comment on your storyboard, keeping everyone on the same page.

Plot offers a free trial for new users, followed by two pricing tiers:

• Pro plan : $14 per month for unlimited projects, collaboration features, and access to the full library of assets.
• Team plan : $25 per month per user, with additional features for managing larger teams and more complex projects.

Plot has been used by various professionals in the film, television, and advertising industries. For example, the team behind the popular Netflix series "Stranger Things" used Plot to plan and visualize their narrative, ensuring a smooth and efficient production process. This demonstrates how Plot can be an invaluable tool for creatives working on projects of all sizes and complexities.

Storyboarder is a fantastic option for those seeking a cost-effective solution for planning and visualizing their narrative. As a free and open-source storyboarding tool, Storyboarder offers a powerful set of features that can rival many paid alternatives.

Some noteworthy features of Storyboarder include:

• Intuitive drawing tools : Sketch your scenes directly on the digital canvas using a variety of brushes, pens, and other drawing tools.
• Import and export options : Easily import scripts, images, and other assets, or export your storyboard as a PDF, animated GIF, or even a 3D model.
• Shot generator : Automatically generate a variety of shots based on your scene description, saving you time and effort.
• Timeline view : Organize and sequence your scenes using the built-in timeline, helping you visualize the flow of your narrative.

As an open-source software, Storyboarder is completely free to download and use. You can find the latest version on their official website, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. This makes it an accessible option for a wide range of users, regardless of their budget or operating system preference.

Storyboarder has been utilized by creatives across various industries, from independent filmmakers to professional animation studios. For instance, the creators of the animated short film "The Wrong Rock" used Storyboarder to plan and visualize their heartwarming tale. This example highlights the versatility and effectiveness of Storyboarder as a storyboarding tool for planning and visualizing your narrative.

FrameForge is a powerful and feature-rich previsualization software designed for professionals who require accurate and detailed storyboarding templates for planning and visualizing their narrative. With its sophisticated 3D capabilities and extensive library of assets, FrameForge enables you to create precise, visually stunning storyboards that help bring your creative vision to life.

Some of the standout features of FrameForge include:

• 3D virtual sets : Design realistic 3D sets using an extensive library of objects, materials, and textures, giving you full control over your environment.
• Camera and lighting tools : Simulate real-world camera lenses, angles, and lighting conditions to achieve accurate and consistent visualizations.
• Character posing and animation : Customize and pose 3D characters, or even create simple animations to enhance your storyboards.
• Collaboration and sharing : Work together with your team, share your progress, and receive feedback to streamline the creative process.

FrameForge offers different pricing options to cater to various budgets and needs. They provide a free demo with limited features, allowing you to test the software before committing to a purchase. For the full suite of features, you can choose between their Core, Pro, or Studio editions, with pricing ranging from a one-time fee of $399 to $899, depending on the selected package.

FrameForge is used by professionals in the film, television, and animation industries, as well as in the fields of advertising and game design. For example, the creators of the award-winning film "The Shape of Water" used FrameForge for their detailed previsualization process. This demonstrates the software's ability to handle complex and nuanced storyboarding templates for planning and visualizing your narrative, no matter the scale or scope of your project.

StoryBoard Quick is a user-friendly storyboarding software that focuses on providing a fast and efficient way to create storyboarding templates for planning and visualizing your narrative. Ideal for beginners and professionals alike, this intuitive software allows you to quickly sketch out your ideas and organize them into a coherent visual story.

Some noteworthy features of StoryBoard Quick include:

• Drag-and-drop interface : Easily add characters, props, and backgrounds to your storyboard using the simple drag-and-drop functionality.
• Pre-built libraries : Access a vast collection of pre-designed characters, props, and backgrounds to speed up your storyboarding process.
• Customizable assets : Modify and personalize the built-in elements to better suit your unique story and style.
• Export options : Share your storyboard in various formats, including PDF, HTML, and image files, making it easy to present your ideas to others.

StoryBoard Quick offers a range of pricing options, including a one-time purchase of the software for $279.99 or a 6-month rental for $99.99. They also provide a "Plus" version with additional features and expanded libraries for a one-time fee of $499.99, giving you even more tools and resources for planning and visualizing your narrative.

StoryBoard Quick is used by a wide variety of professionals such as filmmakers, advertising agencies, and educators. For instance, a director creating a short independent film could use StoryBoard Quick to efficiently visualize their scenes and share their vision with the crew, while an advertising agency could quickly draft and present multiple storyboard concepts to a client. These examples highlight the versatility and convenience of StoryBoard Quick when it comes to creating storyboarding templates for planning and visualizing your narrative.

If you're looking to dive deeper into crafting visually engaging stories, don't miss the workshop ' How To Design Your First Visual Story ' by Lily Stock. This workshop will teach you the essential skills and techniques to create captivating visual stories that resonate with your audience.

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• Ultimate Guide to Storyboard Composition
• Best Storyboard Examples
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W hen some people hear the word “storyboard,” they think “that’s not for me.” Storyboards have a reputation for being hard to make, but that doesn’t have to be the case. To make a storyboard, all you need is paper and a pencil (or a computer), and an idea. Today, we’re going to show you how storyboard ideas can inspire your next project. By the end, you’ll be ready to get to work!

How to Make a Storyboard in StudioBinder

Short Storyboard Ideas

Storyboard ideas for action scenes.

When you think of action scenes, what word comes to mind? Fight? Play? Chase? Exactly, and what do these three words have in common? Motion.

One of the most common ways to designate motion is with storyboard arrows .

Motion is at the center of every great action scene. But how do we storyboard motion when there’s no motion to convey? Well, we get creative. Artist Gabriel Hardman used arrows to communicate motion in The Dark Knight storyboards. Check it out below.

Ideas for a Storyboard  •  ‘The Dark Knight’

This next video from Glass Distortion shows us how Gabriel Hardman’s storyboards guided Christopher Nolan’s direction in The Dark Knight .

Creative Storyboard Examples  •  Batman: The Dark Knight – Storyboard to Film Comparison

Don’t get hung up on the intricacies of the drawing. Just make sure to show us what objects are in motion and where they are going. And remember: you can use arrows to storyboard camera movement as well. 

Related Posts

• Storyboard Artist Job Description →
• Best Storyboard Software You Should Use →
• How to Use a Storyboard Template Explained →

Dialogue Storyboarding Ideas

Storyboard ideas for suspense scenes.

Some of the best scenes use stillness in motion’s stead. In our video on Casino Royale’s poker scenes, we break down Martin Campbell’s shots from beginning to end.

Casino Royale Poker Scene Breakdown  •   Subscribe on YouTube

There are 85 shots in the first Casino Royale poker scene. Needless to say, that’s a lot. If you were storyboarding the scene, you wouldn’t need to storyboard every shot! You could, but you certainly wouldn’t need to.

Below is an example we made using StudioBinder's storyboard creator . Click the image to see the full storyboard.

Storyboard Story Ideas  •  Casino Royale Shots

So, if you were storyboarding a poker scene – naturally suited to dialogue – what would you do? Well, you might draw an establishing shot to show us where we are (note* this is only important when moving between locations). 

Next, a master shot .

Storyboard Ideas Examples  •  Casino Royale Shots

A master shot is a continuous shot that captures an entire scene from an angle in which the principal action is always in the frame.

One could argue that the master shot is the only thing you need to storyboard, but in reality, that’s usually not the case. My advice? Stick to the Hollywood standard coverage: master, medium, close-up, over-the-shoulder.

The first poker scene in Casino Royale is shot in textbook Hollywood coverage. 

Here’s a  medium shot :

The medium shot shows Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) from a notable distance.

Here’s a close-up :

Storyboarding Ideas  •  Casino Royale Shots

The close-up brings us closer to James Bond (Daniel Craig).

And finally, the over-the-shoulder shot puts our primary subjects in the same frame. By isolating both of our main subjects, we can focus our attention on them alone. Everyone else in the room ceases to matter in this moment.

So, when you’re storyboarding a scene, remember to draw a master shot, medium shot, close-up, and over-the-shoulder shot. Of course, you can do a lot more – but just make sure to cover the basics.

Ideas for a Storyboard

Storyboard ideas for a precise vision.

Some artists, like Bong Joon-ho for example, visualize every aspect of their production before arriving on set. Joon-ho created a shot-for-shot storyboard for his film Parasite , and fortunately for us, it’s available to read in book form. 

Here’s a snippet from Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards :

Storyboard Ideas for Photography  •  Parasite Storyboards

Joon-ho effectively wrote a screenplay in the margins of his storyboards. That’s insane. If you’re more of a visual storyteller, consider storyboarding your scenes with dialogue and descriptions in the margins. 

For more on Joon-ho’s incredible Parasite storyboards, check out this video from Thomas Flight.

Storyboard Ideas for Video  •  Lessons From the Parasite Storyboards by Thomas Flight

Writing a screenplay is a tactical task; oftentimes, more about technical skill than creative skill. That’s why I encourage anybody interested in making movies to experiment with alternative ways to tell their story. Why not draw storyboards with dialogue and descriptions in the margins?

At some point, the information will have to be translated into script format , but why worry about that at the creative stage of production?

Easy Storyboard Ideas

Storyboard ideas, from the experts.

Storyboarding isn’t easy. In fact, it can be the hardest part of a creative production. Why? Simply because it’s where ideas are put to the test; something may sound good in theory, but stink in practice.

Check out our video on brainstorming techniques to see how the professionals tackle creative and technical challenges in storyboarding.

Storyboard Ideas for Commercials  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Storyboards are used from classrooms to boardrooms to film sets; which means they’re just about everywhere.

Here at StudioBinder, we were lucky enough to have director Jay Roach walk us through the opening scene of the Austin Powers in Goldmember opening scene with storyboards.

If you haven’t seen the video before, seriously check it out!

How Jay Roach Directed That Insane Austin Powers Opening  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Roach prefaces the breakdown by saying, “I thought it would be a good idea to talk about this scene because it’s such a good exercise in pure preparation,” and he couldn’t be more right.

The opening scene of Goldmember is insane. Like, so insane you might think it’d be impossible to make. But through careful planning and storyboarding, Roach and the team accomplished the impossible.

• Storyboarding Camera Movement Explained →
• Presentation Tips for How to Display Boards →
• How to Storyboard like Jordan Peele in Get Out →

How to Make a Storyboard: Step by Step

Ready to make your own storyboard? Up next we break down how to make a storyboard with examples from Birdman , Star Wars , and more. By the end, you’ll know how to make a storyboard – oh, and there’s even a free template to get you started!

Up Next: Guide to Making a Storyboard →

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A storyboard is the perfect way to plan your video , animation or presentation. Milanote lets you quickly map out the visuals, narration and sequence of each scene in a fun and flexible way. In minutes you can bring your story to life, re-arrange frames as it evolves, then share it with your team and move into production.

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What is the first step to writing a scene?

While some writers just wait to see what comes to mind, it is helpful for most writers to have a plan. A plan saves you time by helping you to avoid the frustration of intense rewriting later.

Figuring out the scene details and objectives on a “Storyboard” beforehand allows you to write your scenes with ease. Our template acts as a guide, yet still lets you maintain the creative freedom and joy found in the actual writing of the scene.

If you are unsure how to craft a vibrant, compelling, purpose-filled scene, follow along as we help you with the framework in our post, Fiction Writing: Create a Storyboard to Map Out Your Scenes, with our Free Template .

In the post below we will discuss:

• Setting and Stage Set up
• The 5 Senses
• Character Diamonds
• Dialogue and Subtext
• Escalating Conflict
• The Exit Line

What exactly is a Storyboard?

Often used by screenwriters for the pre-visualizing of a motion picture or by animation studios, a “Storyboard” gives you a visual representation of the project you are undertaking to help you make many of the critical decisions before the actual creation process.

For our own purposes, a Storyboard helps you visualize and outline the scene before you write it.

Click Here To Download Your Free Storyboard Template

How to Use the Storyboard Template:

At the top, you will see the headings:

Chapter:__________________

Scene:___________________

Simply fill in the blank to indicate which Chapter (Chapter 1?) you are drafting and which scene (Scene 2?) you are working on within that chapter, so that if you draft several Storyboards for different scenes, you can keep them in order.

Is it necessary to create a Storyboard for every scene in your novel?

No. After you draft a few Storyboards and are familiar with the set up, you will find it is not necessary to create a Storyboard for every single scene.

However, you may keep a blank Storyboard template beside your computer as you write to use as a guide. Many authors fill out Storyboards for only the largest, most powerful scenes. Many of these larger scenes are the pivotal, emotional, detailed turning points in the story.

Other writers may write the scene like a ‘Pantser,’ letting the words spill out from their head onto the page with no prior planning, and then use the Storyboard during the revision phase to focus the writing and make sure they’ve included all the necessary elements.

Setting and Stage Set Up:

In a novella, the setting should be conveyed as brief as possible to quickly set the scene using just a few ‘telling details.’ Details that reveal character, mood, time, season, and sense of place. Setting details should be spread throughout the action and dialogue and not delivered in one large clump. (Same thing with back-story history of the character: we don’t want any info dumps!)

The most natural way to deliver setting is to have the characters interact with the items in the scene. How does the weather impact his mood or threaten his goal? (My friend Julie had a perfect example of this in her short story featuring a woman who feared the rain would ruin her ‘perfect’ tea party.)

How do the items in the setting help the plot or the character to achieve their goal? Do they reveal what the character is like? The setting should always be viewed through the eyes of the (POV) point-of-view character. How one person sees the setting may not be the same way another person sees it.

The use of storyboards for major scenes helps you keep track of all the things you need to bring a scene to life with vivid detail.

Stage set up: Imagine your scene as a movie set or a play performed on a stage. What do you see when the curtains open?

- Props: What props do you see or does your character need for this scene? What is in the room or surrounding area? What furniture? Create a list of items that may be in a scene like this. Do any of these items help or cause problems for your characters in this scene?

- What colors are in this scene? What is the lighting?

- Time: What time of day is it? What time period? Which items can show us this?

- Place: Where are we? In a house? On the street? In the country? In a city? A cave?

- Temperature: What is the temperature? Does it affect how your character may act or dress?

- Season: Is it Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter? How can this be shown? Is it snowing?

- Month/Day: What month is it? Which day of the week? Does this matter? Does it affect what your characters are doing?

- Weather: How can the weather convey mood or contrast with mood, or help or hinder your characters as they try to accomplish their goals?

- Mood: Can any of the above elements be used to convey the mood of your characters? How does this place make your character feel? Does his mood change when he sees a particular item?

The 5 Senses:

Can you bring the story to life using the 5 senses?

Sight: What do they see in this scene? What is the lighting? Colors? Do they spot the facial expressions and subtle body language of others?

Sound: What do they hear in this scene? Or is there a deafening silence?

Taste: What can they taste literally or figuratively? Does a bad memory leave a bitter taste in their mouth? Is the apple they are eating sour or sweet? In a fire, do they taste dry, burnt ash on their tongue?

Smell: What can they smell? Is the air smoky? Or does the sharp smell of ammonia sting their nose? Does the smell remind them of something else with a similar odor?

• If there is no taste or smell in the scene, what memories does the setting evoke that may contain taste or smell?

Touch/Feel: Textures - how does the material feel? Rough, sleek? Is the baby’s skin soft? Is the fur of the animal course? Is the heroine’s touch as light as a feather? Like a whisper of wind upon his skin? Temperatures - Is the stove/fire hot? Physical - Is the chair uncomfortable, painfully digging into her spine? Does she feel overheated? Is she shivering from the bone-deep cold prickling her skin? Feel queasy or bloated from eating so much food? Have a headache? Emotional : Or does the memory illicit an ache in her throat or cause her to feel nothing, go numb? Cause her extreme stress and anxiety? (Which usually manifests as physical.)

Always try to include at least 3 of the 5 senses in every scene. If you can include all 5 in every scene - which is ideal - you are a pro!

Character Diamonds:

Who is in this scene?

What are their personality traits? How do one character’s personality traits get along or clash with the traits of another character?

It helps to create a character diamond for the protagonist (main character who is trying to achieve a scene goal) and the antagonist (the one in this scene who opposes the main character and is trying to stop them from achieving that goal.)

For the following exercise you can draw an actual diamond shape on a piece of paper. At each point list your character’s personality traits with the 3 that are similar on top and sides, and the one that is opposite or different at the bottom.

List 3 good strong traits and 1 bad or weak trait for your protagonist.

Example: Intuitive, caring, quick reflexes yet clumsy on his feet.

List 3 bad/weak traits and 1 good trait for the antagonist or villain in this scene.

Example: Short temper, self-centered, control freak yet he is a great gardener.

How can you show these personality traits for your characters in this scene?

Try to bring in and demonstrate at least one character trait from the character diamond in every scene. If you can bring in more than one - even better!

Can one of these traits be used to help or hinder the character as he attempts to accomplish his scene goal?

Example: Thanks to his intuition about the situation at hand and quick reflexes, the protagonist dodges the thorny rose bush in the antagonist’s flower garden as he attempts to run away, but trips over his own shoelaces and lands face-first in the compost pile.

What do your characters look like?

What kind of visual can you give the reader? How can their choice of clothing and accessories reveal their profession or personality?

Character #1: clothes, appearance, accessories:

Character #2: clothes, appearance, accessories:

Character #3: clothes, appearance, accessories:

Dialogue and Subtext:

How will the scene unfold in terms of dialogue and action?

Dialogue : What subjects do your characters talk about in this scene?

Subtext: What is not being said in this scene?

The verbal interaction has two layers in the scene. What is being discussed in the scene and what is not being discussed (but should). What is the ‘white elephant’ in the room that no one is talking about? Why won’t they talk about it? Is one character trying to hide something from another?

Example: Two people may be fighting over a jar of catsup. What is REALLY going on here beneath the surface? One character may be mad at the other for showing up late and starts yelling at him over catsup to vent pent up emotions. The other character may be playing along not wanting to reveal why he was really late and he is hoping the catsup argument will keep the question from even coming up.

It is always what is going on in the subtext that is the most interesting for the reader.

What is the drama of the scene? What is your character up against?

Himself?  (Man vs. Himself)

Another character? (Man vs. Man)

Nature? (Man vs. Nature)

He is asked to perform a task for work but doing so will go against his Christian beliefs.

Or is he up against another character? One character wants to do something, and the other character wants him to do something else. Or they may be both fighting over one thing, like two dogs over one bone.

Or is nature his opposition or foe? The character must survive a tornado and fight for survival.

Symbols and images representing your theme and reflecting your message should be embedded into your story whenever possible. This could be an object that holds special meaning that keeps showing up again and again.

Are there any symbols or images in this scene representing your theme or the message you want to convey to the reader in this story?

In my short story, Me and Mr. Claus, I used the swinging string and hoop trick the hero uses to measure if someone believes in Christmas. This story also had repetitions of the word ‘Believe’ again and again because it’s the main point of the story.

In A Perfect Opportunity, I used repetitive words – “Do you need help?”

In A Look of Love , I had the main character witness the same look on the faces of several different couples she interacted with throughout the story.

What are the actions in this scene both big and small?

What is the body language or gestures the character uses in this scene?

Study the people around you and see what body language they use while talking. How do they stand? Do they shift their feet uncomfortably? Do they shake their head a lot? Do they talk with their hands? Does a muscle along the side of his jaw jump or does his Adam's apple bob up and down?

How does your character's body language support or contradict what they are saying in dialogue? They may be nodding their head yes but saying no. What does their body language reveal about their personality?

Escalating Conflict:

What is the point of this scene? How do the events or information revealed in this scene make things worse than they were in the previous scene? Are your scenes leading your main character deeper and deeper into trouble or deeper into their story journey?

What do you want your character to learn in this scene? How does this move them forward on their journey toward their goal? Does the protagonist have a scene goal (that next action step) that will help him achieve his long-term story goal?

What is the protagonist’s scene goal?

The character’s scene goal helps form the scene question : Will the character get the bank loan officer to agree to give her a loan?

There should be 3 exchanges of back-and-forth conflict during the scene, as the character attempts to achieve his goal. These can be verbal dialogue exchanges with the antagonist that evolves into a witty battle. Or a fight scene where they physically move back and forth against each other. Or a mental battle within the character himself. First, he tries this, then that, then a third thing.

Always use the power of 3 in your story. Everything happens in threes!

Scene climax happens after the third exchange where the character discovers the answer to the scene question. The answer is either:

1) Yes, but — (the character gets what he wants but there are strings attached that will complicate matters.)

2) No. (The character is at a dead end and has to come up with another plan.)

3 ) No, and furthermore — (the character does not get what he wants, he did not achieve his scene goal, and furthermore—things are even worse now than before he tried.)

Example: He goes to his boss for a raise. The answer is No and furthermore—he has now made the boss mad and is told he must work the night shift. Now things are worse than before.

* After the character gets this answer the character will need to make a choice . The character can now either do this (Option A) or that (Option B).

The character’s decision becomes his next scene goal as he takes this new action to try to achieve his overall long-term story goal.

A scene’s end may also frame or book end the scene’s beginning to bring it full circle and make it feel complete. If the character comes through the door intimidated at the beginning, she may leave through that same door and now mad, slam the door behind her. Or maybe something is said in the beginning and repeated at the end of the scene either in the same way or differently with a twist.

The Exit Line:

Make the last line of your scene whether in thought or dialogue a real zinger!

After considering his two choices, does the decision the character make regarding his next steps promise danger or intrigue? Hint at what he fears most or what is to come.

If you are writing a romance, does the last line of this scene promise there will be more romantic complications or tension?

If writing a comedy, does the last line hint that even though the characters themselves may not yet know it, that something humorous is about to happen?

Drop down these ‘hooks’ on the page at the end of your scenes to a new line so that it stands out and entices the reader to turn the page and keep reading to see what happens next!

I hope you have found our blog, Fiction Writing: Create a Storyboard to Map Out Your Scenes with our Free Storyboard Template to be a helpful resource.

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If you would like even more help writing scenes, you may also want to download our Free Brainstorming Your Story Idea Worksheet.

How to Create Antagonists & Villains Workbook

Do you find it difficult to create compelling antagonists and villains for your stories? Do your villains feel cartoonish and unbelievable? Do they lack motivation or a specific game plan? Discover the secrets to crafting villains that will stick with your readers long after they finish your story, with our  How to Create Antagonists & Villains Workbook.

This 32-page instructional workbook is packed with valuable fill-in-the-blank templates and practical advice to help you create memorable and effective antagonists and villains. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this workbook will take your writing to the next level.

If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you!

Our Goal for   Aspiring Writer Academy is to help people learn how to write quality fiction, teach them to publish and promote their work, and to give them the necessary tools to pursue a writing career.

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is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing coach. She writes sweet contemporary, inspirational, and historical romance and loves teaching aspiring writers how to write quality fiction. Read her inspiring story of how she published her first book and launched a successful writing career.

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The free version is a great way to use the Storyboard Creator free of charge if you’re new to storyboarding or if you’re not sure whether you need all the features of our premium version yet.

Benefits Of Storyboard Learning

There are many benefits if you make a storyboard online. Humans have evolved through storytelling, and our brains are geared to process information in story form. Proverbs have been passed down for millennia, and we have evidence to this day in the form of cave drawings found throughout the world.

When you storyboard, you are essentially taking advantage of the way our brains process information. You are breaking down a larger task into manageable chunks and then creating a visual representation of that task and information. This has been shown to increase productivity and understanding.

Some benefits of storyboard learning include:

• You can see the big picture and how all of the pieces fit together.
• You can better understand complex concepts by breaking them down into smaller parts.
• You can learn faster by taking advantage of the way your brain processes information.
• You can share your storyboards with others to work together and understand different people’s viewpoints.
• The process of the story keeps us more engaged with the task; this is especially true for younger children.
• It is a great way to organize and present information concisely.
• You can use storyboards for any type of learning, from personal projects to work tasks and everything in between.

Get started with Storyboard That today, and see how we can help you, your students, or your colleagues become more engaged and creative with the click of a button!

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• Find and customize scenes
• Search characters and change their poses, expressions, and more
• Add speech and text to your storyboard
• Save your masterpiece

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“Plot is a game changer for storyboarding. It’s so easy to use and saves time, allowing me to focus even more on the work at hand. Using Plot, I develop scripts and storyboards from initial outlines to final shot lists, collaborating with co-workers and contractors throughout the entire process.”

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Organize ideas for almost any type of media., documentary, music video, say goodbye to storyboard templates, storyboarding can be a formatting and logistics nightmare; that’s why plot lets you write, draw and collaborate online: so you can focus on your story., it doesn’t have to be like this..

You’ve spent hours organizing your story… placed all your images, and ordered the scenes just right. Things are going well, then that dreaded moment arrives: you want to insert one more scene at the beginning. Wait… you’re storyboarding on a template… you can’t just insert a scene. Frustration bubbles to the surface as you copy, paste and move thirty-two scenes, just to make room for one more. How barbaric.

Don’t you value your time?

By accepting the storyboard process as tedious, you’re distracting yourself from the most important part of your project: the story . Not only that, you’re wasting time. Time that translates into lost money . With Plot, you can build a 20 scene project in less than 3 minutes —that’s  over 3x faster   than a traditional storyboard template—and it gets even better from there!

• Need to insert another scene? Click.
• Draw some images? Done.
• Invite people to make changes? Heck yes.

This is the easiest decision you’ll make today!

We’re offering a 100% free account , to experience the benefits of Plot with absolutely no risk. Seriously, what do you have to lose? The choice is yours: you can keep doing storyboards the old way, but why would you?

You’re just seconds away from putting the joy back into storyboarding!

Why did I start Plot?

Adrian with his wife, daughter & newborn son.

“After making animated videos for 7 years, I came to despise how tedious it was to edit a basic storyboard template. I believe we should be empowered to organize our ideas quickly so we can spend more time focusing on what’s important. ”

Adrian Thompson Founder, Plot

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WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 2219 prompts

The write stuff, write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method..

LIVE – Short Story

Your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan.

Write from the pov of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author., your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. what happens next, start your story with someone who wants to give up on their career right before their big break..

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🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Follow a group of strangers touring a city on some kind of vehicle — a bus, a duck tour boat, a party bike… anything that transports passengers!

Write about someone who’s traveling away from their hometown for the first time., write about someone’s journey to retrieve an important object that’s been out of their possession for a long time., set your story in an airport where all flights have been canceled and all the passengers and crew members are stranded., write about someone who’s traveling to a place they’ve never been to meet someone they’ve never met., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

End your story with someone saying “I do.”

Write a story from the pov of a plus-one., start your story with people arriving at a special ceremony., write a story in the form of a speech (or multiple speeches)., center your story around two people who meet at a wedding., write the origin story of a notorious villain., center your story around someone facing their biggest fear or enemy., write about two mortal enemies who must work together., start or end your story with a hero losing their powers., write a story from the antagonist’s point of view., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #266 LIVE

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This week's theme: The Write Stuff

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Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - sep 06, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

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Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .  

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

• How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
• Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
• Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

• NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
• Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
• Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

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Appalachia Girl Dreaming: Unique writing scholarship looking to unlock creativity

CLARK COUNTY, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Whether it’s the challenge of being creative, the stress of forming a story, or the dreaded writer’s block, there are many reasons why kids may not like to write.

But a unique scholarship is looking to show just how much fun writing can be. It’s called Appalachia Girl Dreaming.

Through four free creative writing workshops, girls between fifth and 12th grade in Clark, Rowan, Montgomery, and Bath counties will get the opportunity to see the power of their writing voice.

Jaqueline Hamilton, founder of the program and executive director of Why We Write, has taught writing at Eastern Kentucky University and hosted summer writing camps for kids for years.

Over time, she said she’s noticed more and more kids express dissatisfaction in writing.

Throughout four workshops, these young women will learn stories of inspiring writers from the region, gain confidence in writing in different styles, from poetry to long-form, and even have their work published in a book.

Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news

For Hamilton, it’s all about unlocking the joy of writing inside these girls.

“Why I love writing, because it gives me a chance to share ideas and feelings and dreams, I have that I think other people may feel that same way, too,” Hamilton explained. “So, we just need to help encourage our students to activate their imagination and see all the benefits that when you learn little magic tricks, you can make that writing sparkle.”

The scholarship is all about AI—not artificial intelligence but rather “Activating Imaginations.”

Hamilton said she’s seen what kind of problem cell phones have with writing quality.

While there is a lot of good that comes from the devices, the main problem Hamilton said is young people write in more slang and abbreviated language on their phones.

They don’t necessarily know how to write professionally or creatively and Hamilton fears what that can ultimately lead to.

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“Students don’t know how to present themselves anymore,” Hamilton detailed. “They don’t know how to write a letter asking someone to hire them for a job. You know, they’re just so used to saying, ‘Hi, my name is,’ and nobody wants to start out reading a letter. They want to start out with a story of something that makes you different.”

To combat the use of devices in writing Hamilton developed a unique spin on the tech we use every day to help during the scholarship.

“We actually decided to combat devices to create something called the literary device,” Hamilton said. “It looks like a little cell phone here. But when students open it up, we have the list of literary devices that are very practical. So, we might be doing an exercise, and I’ll say, okay, let’s go to number four alliteration and we’ll explain that literary device and we’re giving them power.”

Hamilton said she also wants to teach listening to the students participating in the scholarships, saying when they’re better listeners, it’ll unlock creative thoughts that get translated to the page.

“Listening is what goes on between the two ears,” explained Hamilton. “Listening is a neurological process that everyone listens differently because we all have different brains, and helping people, especially these participants. What is your listening brain like and how can we do strategies for you to listen when you’re tempted to daydream or when you’re tempted to think, Oh, this is boring?”

Workshops are held once per month from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

To get the full perks of the scholarship, including having work published in a book, students must complete all four workshops. To learn more about the scholarship and to apply, you can do so here .

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.

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Top 5 Creative Book Report Ideas That Guarantee Success in Class

Assigned reading helps students develop their critical analysis skill, and book reports test their progress. But it is not enough to simply analyze a literary work — you also need to express your creativity while presenting book report ideas. In this article, you will learn the definition of a literary report, its purpose, and five alternative book report ideas to show off your creativity in class.

What is a book (literary) report?

A book report is an overall summary and personal assessment of a book that includes key details like the title, writer, text type, and genre. Literary reports also include a concise retelling of the story's plot. It typically examines the main protagonists, motifs, and the writer's intentions. 

These reviews often include the reader's personal reflections, assessing the story’s strong and weak points and the impact it had on the audience. This type of assignment helps students improve their critical analysis, writing, and comprehension skills by encouraging them to engage deeply with the story.

Main goals of book reviews

Literary reports serve several key purposes in the educational process:

• Improving understanding of the written material. Book reports encourage students to demonstrate how they understood the story's content, themes, and messages. By making a summary of the story’s plot, analyzing motifs, and discussing characters, students engage deeply with the writing.
• Developing critical analysis abilities. Preparing a literary review requires students to critically analyze what they've read. They must assess the book's strong and weak points, the writer’s purpose, and the effect the story has on its audience.
• Encouraging personal reflection. Book reports often ask students to relate the motifs or circumstances of the book to their own experiences or to the wider world, fostering personal reflection and a deeper connection with the written story.
• Boosting communication skills. By discussing their opinions and interpretations in a book review, students find new ways to express their impressions and defend their viewpoints, which is an essential aspect of effective communication.

These purposes make book reviews a crucial part of your learning process. That’s why you need to put effort into your submission. And to make sure you get the highest score for your project, we prepared five fun book report ideas that you can use as your inspiration!

Top 5 alternative book report ideas

1. book report board game ideas.

A book report board game would probably be the most unexpected way of presenting your book review in school. This is a great idea to include the whole class in a playful manner while allowing them to learn about the story’s main motifs and messages in practice.

Here is a brief tutorial on how to make your book review into a full-fledged board game:

• Center your attention on the main storyline, its protagonists, and events from the book to form the game's foundation.
• Decide on the game goal that reflects the book's story, like reaching a destination or solving a mystery.
• Establish clear rules for movement, challenges, and interactions that closely follow the book’s plot.
• Introduce cards or dice to add randomness and represent plot twists or special actions.
• Playtest the game, adjust as needed, and explain how it connects to the book's motifs and setting when presenting.

With this option, you will surely present a unique and well thought-out book report idea in your class.

2. Soundtrack playlist

Music is one of the most beautiful art forms. Combining music and literature can result in a wonderful blend of emotions.

To use music as one of the alternative book reports, you can compile a playlist of songs that reflect the mood, motifs, or key moments of the story. For each song, prepare a short explanation of its relatability to specific protagonists, events, or the general vibe of the story.

3. Write a character diary

Character diaries are a solid project idea for a book report. This medium allows you to capture a character’s feelings and reflect on how they change throughout the progression of the book.

To create a character diary for a book review, use these steps:

• Select a main character whose perspective will offer deep insights into the story.
• Draft diary entries from this character’s point of view, capturing their ideas, feelings, and reactions to central events in the book.
• Include flashbacks on how the character grows throughout the book, highlighting significant changes or realizations.
• Incorporate details about the character’s relationships and how essential plot events affected their personal journey.

This report idea provides an unorthodox, personal perspective on the book’s narrative and gives you an opportunity to relive the character’s emotions and decisions.

4. Newspaper front page

In fiction, newspapers are often used to underline the importance of an event. So why not copy this idea and choose a newspaper as one of your creative book report ideas?

To do this, design a newspaper front page featuring headlines, articles, and images that report on the book’s major events as if they were real news. Include interviews, editorials, and advertisements related to the story. Don’t forget about the style of newspaper writing, and use it as another tool to make your review more creative and entertaining.

5. Book in a box

This is one of the most creative book report ideas. A book in a box refers to a hand-made project where you create a 3D representation inside a box to illustrate a significant scene or location from a book. The hand-made diorama should include detailed elements such as characters, objects, and the environment from the selected scene.

To make a book in a box report, use this short guide:

• Choose a key scene or setting from the book to depict.
• Use a box to build a replica of the chosen scene, including detailed backgrounds, characters, and plot-relevant objects.
• Label the details inside the box to explain their relevance to the scene or story.
• Prepare a short description of the scene to give your viewers necessary context.

This approach provides an interactive opportunity to showcase key events of the book, bringing the story's environment and pivotal moments to life.

Create fun book report ideas with Aithor!

With our trust-worthy AI generator, you can find the most creative book report ideas and amaze classmates. Simply give Aithor prompt to create a creative book project ideas and become the talk of your literature class!

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Tackling Ageism Creative Competition

It’s important to recognise and celebrate the older people in our lives. 

Support our campaign to tackle ageism by sharing a story about a special older person in your life or writing from the perspective of an older person. Younger entrants may wish to submit a drawing. 

The competition runs from 1–30 September 2024. 

·                Get your form in by 4pm on Monday 30 September 2024 

·                You could win a book voucher worth $100! 

·                Winners announced at Ballarat Library on 23 October 2024 

Categories and prompts:  

Preschool to Prep  

Think about an older person in your life? What is their superpower? 

Send us a drawing of your chosen person with a short description on the entry form (an adult can help write your description if needed).  

Primary Grades 1–3  

Primary Grades 4–6  

Imagine yourself as an older person (perhaps around 65 or 70 years old). What would you like your life to look like? 

Secondary school (Years 7–12)

Stereotyping based on someone’s age is the most socially accepted form of discrimination across the world.  What advice would give your older self to lead a positive and rewarding life? Imagine you are 65 or 70 years old, in no more than 500 words, tell us what you would like your life to look like.

Read the full terms and conditions of entry .

Submit your entry here.