The problem in a story — Creative writing for kids
A story needs something to go wrong — a lost tiffin, a stuck kite, a seed that will not grow. The problem makes the reader ask “what will happen now?” and keeps them reading.
No problem, no story — “the problem is the trouble the main character must fix”
Find the moment where something goes wrong — usually just after the beginning.
Say it in a few words: a kite gets stuck in a tree.
A place, a time or the way it gets fixed is not the problem.
Use it for: Planning a story (choose the problem first!) and summing up stories in comprehension answers.
Worked example: Read the story. What is the problem in it? → A bean seed does not sprout
The story: One spring morning, Tara potted a bean in the school garden. Two weeks later, nothing had come up at all. Tara asked Mr Nair, the gardener, what was wrong. He helped her move the pot into the sunshine. Soon a green shoot peeped out, and Tara danced.
What goes wrong? Nothing comes up from the bean. Moving the pot into the sunshine is the fix, not the problem.
Check: Without the problem there is nothing for Tara to do — so it is the problem ✓
Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.
Right: 0 · Tried: 0
🏁 Lesson 3 test
20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.
🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the
❓ Problem Spotter badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 8 lessons of
Part 1 · Story building blocks. You can still take the test without signing in.
👩🏫 Creative writing classes near you — online or at home
Prefer a real teacher? TalentJR teachers take live online classes anywhere in India and visit homes in
selected cities. Tell us what you need and our team will call you with timings and fees.
💻Live online classesSmall groups or 1:1 with a teacher, from home, any city.
🏠Teacher at homeA TalentJR teacher visits your home (selected cities).
🏫At a centreClasses at a TalentJR partner centre near you, where available.
