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Drafting Stories on a Computer

Students learn to draft short stories on a computer by typing sentences, fixing mistakes with the backspace key, adding spaces between words, and using simple formatting to organize their writing into a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Introduction

You are ready to write a whole short story on a computer, not just a sentence or two. A draft is your first try at writing a story. In this lesson, you will type a story from start to finish, fix mistakes as you go, and use simple tools to keep your story neat and organized.

What Does It Mean to Draft a Story?

A draft is the first copy of your story. It does not have to be perfect. When you draft a story on a computer, you type out your ideas in order, from the beginning to the middle to the end. You can always go back and fix things later, so a draft is a safe place to try out your ideas.

If you have practiced Typing Simple Sentences before, you already know how to type one sentence at a time. Now you will put many sentences together to tell a whole story.

Typing Your Story Step by Step

Start by thinking of a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Maybe it is about a dog who finds a bone, or a girl who plants a garden. Type your first sentence using the letter keys. Press the space bar between each word so your sentence is easy to read.

When you finish one sentence and want to start a new line, press the enter key. This moves your writing down to the next line, just like starting a new line on paper. Keep typing one sentence after another until your whole story is on the screen.

Fixing Mistakes with Backspace and Spacing

Everyone makes typing mistakes, even grown-ups. If you type a wrong letter, you can press the backspace key to erase it. Each time you press backspace, it deletes one letter to the left of where you are typing. Then you can type the correct letter in its place.

Spacing matters too. If you forget to press the space bar, two words will run together, like thedog instead of the dog. Look at your story on the screen and check that there is one space between every word.

Three keys that help you fix and organize your typing: backspace, the space bar, and enter.

Using Simple Formatting to Organize Your Story

Formatting means changing how your words look so your story is easier to follow. You can make the title of your story bold so it stands out at the top of the page. You can press enter to leave a blank line between the beginning, middle, and end of your story, so each part is easy to find.

Simple formatting does not need to be fancy. Even one bold title and a few clear line breaks can help a reader follow your story from start to finish.

Key Terms & Definitions

Draft: The first copy of a story that you can fix and improve later.

Backspace Key: A key that erases the letter to the left of where you are typing.

Space Bar: The long key that puts a space between words when you type.

Enter Key: The key that moves your typing down to a new line.

Formatting: Changing how words look, like making them bold, to organize your writing.

Bold: Making a word or title look darker and thicker so it stands out.

Save Button: A button that keeps your story on the computer so you can find it later.

Practice Activities

Try typing a short story about something you like, such as a pet or a favorite game. Give your story a bold title. Read your story on the screen and use backspace to fix any mistakes you see. Check that there is a space between every word, then press save so your story is not lost.

Related lessons

Digital Tools for Writing Tasks