Struan Murray: From doodles to dragons

Acclaimed Scottish fantasy writer Struan Murray takes the Authors Live stage to discuss at different ways of getting into story creation and his process for getting an idea off the ground and into a book. Get an insight into how Struan's fantastical plots and characters often start as doodles in his notebook – and have a go at creating your own story using his prompts! Struan also treats us to an exclusive reading from the first in his new series, Dragonborn, which is due to be published in May.

This event is perfect for anyone who is looking for a new way into creative writing. Pens, paper and imaginations at the ready!

If you only do one thing...

We know time is tight, so here is just one activity you could do with your class before or after watching the event. 

Doodle your own story (EXA 2-05a, LIT 2-20a)

Struan says that stories need three things: setting, characters and plot. He gave brilliant ideas for you to use to make your own story. 

Main character: Knight, Inventor, Chef, Detective

How the story begins: Explosion, Robbery, Battle, Arrival of a mysterious individual

Setting: Rainforest, City, Space, Haunted library

In the recording, pupils voted for: a detective (character), the arrival of a mysterious individual (how the story begins), in a haunted library (setting). But which would you choose?

Once you have made your choice, think about what might happen in your story. Have a go at doodling a key moment from your idea - draw the first picture that pops into your mind! If you wanted to, you could have a go at drawing it again with lots more detail – just like Struan did with his whale! Now you have your picture, you’re ready to start writing your story…

If you were inspired by Struan’s reading from his new book Dragonborn, you could have a go at making your own dragon with this art project resource: