Though 500 Words only accepts written stories, we know that some children prefer to tell stories in different ways. That's why we caught up with Mike Stirling (Director of Mischief) and Craig Graham (Director of Mayhem) at Beano Headquarters for their advice on using drawings to inspire 500 Words stories.
Beano have partnered with 500 Words for the 2024/25 competition - you can catch up on all of our partners here.
Mike and Craig came up with the CIMOC story-writing method - a reverse comic (hence the name!). CIMOC helps guide children who don’t typically enjoy writing by encouraging them to create inspiration boards and to then draw out their characters and locations.
Watch Mike and Craig break down their CIMOC story writing method; a step-by-step guide to writing a 500 Words story for children who don't typically engage with writing. Guide children into creating inspiration boards and then drawing out their characters and locations.
They can use their own drawings to inspire them to think of words that they wouldn't normally use. This can be a great chance to teach children how to use similes and metaphors in stories. The children must still write their own stories - these then need to be typed up and submitted by an adult.
Mike told us: "Beano has been telling stories with pictures since 1938. This year for BBC 500 Words, we have invented a new way for helping children tell their stories by beginning with a picture and turning it into 500 Words or less."
Craig said: "What's brilliant about pictures is anyone of any age can draw the thing that's in their head before they can write words about it. So we have reversed the normal writing process."
Mike: Hello, I'm Mike, Director of Mischief at Beano.
Craig: And I'm Craig, Director of Mayhem. For some kids, writing a story with lots and lots of words can be a bit scary.What if we told you that you can draw a picture to kickstart that story? At Beano, we've invented a way of drawing a story backwards. It's called a 'CIMOC'.
Which is actually just the word 'comic' spelt backwards.
Mike: First you need to 'scrap it out'. We like to get pictures and ideas from everywhere. We stack them all down together, we mix them up, and then we look at them to inspire the words that form our stories.
Craig: If you're not super confident at drawing, you can trace pictures from magazines or newspapers or comics. The next step is to 'map it out'. Grab a pen and a piece of paper and draw the location for your story.
Mike: You can base it on your own house or your own town, or you can use a place from your imagination. Just remember to add as many details as possible. Things like trapdoors, secret passageways, or even a spooky house. This is my favourite bit. Draw it out. Create a character who will be the main hero or villain in your story.
Craig: And remember, leave room for a thought bubble so you can show what your character is feeling and what they're thinking.
Mike: Now imagine having a conversation with your character, in fact. Pretend that you're like a news reporter. Ask them how they feel. What they want to do next, and then write every detail down and your story starts to take shape.
Craig: Now all of our inspiration is ready, and it's time for us to write a 500 Words story. It's time to turn those pictures and to words. So grab some more paper and get your pen ready. Let's start to write.
Craig: Let's see how our stories turned out.
Craig: My story is called Vibing Violet, and it's all about a super-talented girl who loves music. She loves performance. She loves singing. She loves dancing. She loves everything to do with music.
Mike: Oh my story is about Smelliot. A ninja skunk.
Craig: That sounds brilliant. Remember, there's no such thing as a right story or wrong story. There are just stories.
Image source, Beano Transcript
Stinky the Poo by Dennis from Beanotown
Once upon a time there was a poo called Stinky, who was really easy to draw. Stinky had one big dream, and one big problem. His dream was to be the Ultimate President of the World, his problem was that nobody EVER votes for poo.
Who wants to sit next to poo? Who wants poo for dinner? Who wants a tattoo of poo on their forehead?
See?
(Actually that last one would be a great prank - imagine people's faces when they saw poo on your forehead!)
Luckily Stinky had a cunning plan. If he could find the Long-Lost Golden Whoopee Cushion of Ancient Beanotowne, he would be a hero, and everyone would vote for poo. Simples!
Stinky knew he would need a map to find the treasure, so he went to the library and asked if they had one. The librarian dug around in a drawer for a bit, then pulled out a dusty old toilet roll. Stinky was a bit disappointed until he unrolled a few sheets. There was a map drawn onto it!
The map took Stinky to the mayor's office where he found a secret switch that opened the secret door that led to a secret toilet!
Stinky checked the map, hopped and plopped into the toilet then flushed himself away! Stinky whooped! He was riding a wet and wild roller coaster.
He RUSHED through the Rocky Rapids! He whooshed past the Whirling Whirlpool! And he WOMPED over the Wicked Waterfall!
When he came up for breath, Stinky checked the map once more. There was a fork in the stream ahead. To the right was the ocean and Stinky knew poo should never end up there.
To the left was the Cave of Awesomeness, where the Golden Whoopee Cushion was hidden! So, thought Stinky, going left is right and going right as wrong. Eek!
Stinky went right… just kidding! Stinky went left into the Cave of Awesomeness, snatched the Golden Whoopee Cushion and climbed an ancient stairway back to the surface.
Back in Beanotown, Stinky held the Golden Whoopee Cushion high in the air. Everyone agreed that Stinky was a hero and should be the Ultimate President of the World. Forever!
The U-bend… er, The End!
Need more inspiration?
Back to 500 Words
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The winning stories of 500 Words 2024/25
Watch Her Majesty The Queen present the winning stories at the 500 Words final 2024/25
How can reading inspire better storytelling?
When writing a 500 Words story, we ask that children write a story that they would love to read. Discover more about the link between reading and writing for pleasure with these fantastic learning resources from World Book Day.
