Create a ‘story stew’ with Maz Evans (episode 22)

Bring a bestselling children’s author into your classroom and support pupils in planning and writing an engaging story.

In this episode of Author In Your Classroom, award-winning author Maz Evans, creator of Vi Spy: Licence to Chill and Who Let the Gods Out, shares practical guidance on turning a “story stew” of ideas into a complete narrative. She demonstrates how starting with a character and combining elements children know and enjoy can help develop plot, conflict and resolution.

This teaching sequence is designed for pupils who struggle to generate story ideas, guiding them from “I can’t think of a story” to creating characters, plotting events and producing a captivating narrative. Carefully selected podcast extracts support each stage, giving pupils insight into a professional author’s process while encouraging them to see themselves as writers.

Teaching overview

Over four sessions, pupils begin by gathering ideas, exploring their interests and experiences, and learning how Maz Evans blends these elements to create a “story stew” of potential storylines. They then focus on developing a main character, using Maz’s guiding questions to shape personality and motivations before planning the plot.

Pupils plan events, dialogue and scenes, learning to make their stories exciting and believable by drawing on Maz’s storytelling techniques. Finally, they draft and edit their narratives, refining sections for clarity and interest, checking consistency, using dialogue effectively and sharing work for peer feedback and reflection with the support of a working wall.

By the end of the unit, pupils will have developed the skills to generate ideas, craft characters, structure a plot and revise their writing, gaining confidence in their storytelling abilities while connecting to authentic author practice.