Bring storytelling into your classroom and help pupils create characters who face challenges, dream big and find ways to overcome difficulties.

In this episode of Author In Your Classroom, Helen Rutter (The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh) explores how authors create believable, empathetic characters by drawing on real-life experiences. Through the story of Billy Plimpton – a boy with a stammer who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian – Helen shows how humour, honesty and careful attention to feelings can help readers connect deeply with a character’s journey.

This teaching sequence gives pupils the opportunity to write their own stories about a character who is finding their way in the world. It supports children in developing rounded characters, exploring emotions through action and dialogue, and shaping a clear narrative in which a character works towards a goal despite the obstacles they face. Pupils also learn how humour can be used to soften difficult moments and build empathy for characters.

Short extracts from the podcast are suggested throughout the unit to introduce each stage of learning. These are optional but highly engaging, helping pupils connect their classroom writing with the creative decisions of a professional author.

Resource pack contents

This free classroom pack supports a complete narrative writing unit and includes:

• A ready-to-use PowerPoint
• An extract from The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
• Planning sheets for character creation, development and plot
• Working wall images and author quotes

Teaching overview

Across four sessions, pupils will:

• Explore characters and challenges: Listen to podcast extracts and discuss how real-life experiences can inspire fictional characters, particularly those facing difficulties or change.
• Develop a character: Create a character with a dream or goal, explore the obstacles they face and examine how feelings can be shown through thoughts, actions and dialogue.
• Plan a story: Plot a clear sequence of events showing how the character responds to challenges and works towards overcoming them, considering emotional highs and lows along the way.
• Write, edit and improve: Write a first-person narrative focused on the character’s journey, then edit and redraft with a focus on clarity, character voice and emotional impact.

The unit also includes guidance on peer feedback, role play to explore character reactions, and the use of a working wall to support character development, humour and emotional vocabulary.

How to listen

Search for Author In Your Classroom wherever you get your podcasts. A free resources pack is available with every episode.

Subscribe to hear more authors share creative approaches that help pupils develop confident characters and compelling stories.

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