Course Catalog / BMU 250 / Lesson 1 of 7
BMU 250
New to this course? Take the pretest first. About 10 minutes, not graded. It shows your starting point, so at the end you can see how far you came. Take the pretest
Lesson 1: Every life is full of stories
New to this course? Read Getting started first. Key words are in the glossary.
Your Course Project: this lesson builds Part 4: Meaning. After the Try it, add it to your Course Project and press Check this part.
Warm up
1. Think of a story you have told out loud more than once. Why do people ask you to tell it again?
See the answer
Most retold stories have a moment where something changed.
Why this matters
The hard part is getting your stories onto the page and finishing them.
In a 2014 PNAS research review, Michael Dahlstrom reports that people read story text about twice as fast as plain explaining text and remembered it about twice as well.
By the end of this course you will have one finished story of 1,000 to 2,500 words, true or invented. It starts today with a list.
Start with what you already do
You already lean in when someone says, You will not believe what happened next.
Common belief: My life is too ordinary to write about. Real writers have dramatic lives.
What is actually true: Purdue OWL notes that readers connect most with people and events they can relate to. Small moments with a real change make strong stories.
In this lesson you will
- List at least 10 moments from your life or imagination in a story bank
- Identify the change at the center of a possible story
- Select one story to develop, using a three question test
- Write a 10 minute freewrite about the story you chose
Key words
story bank, change, freewrite. Find what each one means in the course glossary.
Why stories stick
A story lets the reader live through something.
Dahlstrom (2014) also warns that stories persuade, so tell true stories fairly. Lesson 5 shows how.
Build a story bank
A story bank is a list, not a draft: one line per moment, about 10 lines. Use these prompts, and skip any you want.
- A first: first job, first night away from home.
- A choice: a time you said yes or no and it changed your path.
- A person who taught you something without trying to.
- A place or an object: a kitchen, a truck, a letter, a photo.
- An invented moment: a character, a place, and a problem you make up.
Keep each line specific. The night the power went out at Grandma's beats My childhood.
Find the change
A story is something that happened and changed something. Purdue OWL's fiction guide says readers want to learn how the main character changed by the end, or why they did not.
For each line in your bank, ask: What was different afterward? If nothing changed, it may be a memory, not yet a story.
| A memory | A story with a change |
|---|---|
| I went to my cousin's wedding. | At my cousin's wedding, I finally forgave my dad. |
| We moved to Texas. | In Texas, I stopped being the new kid when I joined the band. |
Text version of this figure
- I went to my cousin's wedding leads to At my cousin's wedding, I finally forgave my dad.
- We moved to Texas leads to In Texas, I stopped being the new kid when I joined the band.
- 1. Is there a clear change?: What was different afterward?
- 2. Can you see it?: A place, a sound, a few words.
- 3. Are you ready to write it?: A lighter one first is fine.
Use it when: you build your story bank.
Try it: Marcus is made up. Which of his lines has a clear change?
- My first paycheck, and what I bought.
- The night the bus broke down in the snow with 30 kids on it.
Check your answer
- The paycheck line has no clear change yet. It is a memory.
- The snow night does: he went from the new guy nobody trusted to the one the crew called first. He chose it.
Why: Without a change, a story is a list of events.
Text version of this figure
- I went to my cousin's wedding leads to At my cousin's wedding, I finally forgave my dad.
- We moved to Texas leads to In Texas, I stopped being the new kid when I joined the band.
- 1. Is there a clear change?: What was different afterward?
- 2. Can you see it?: A place, a sound, a few words.
- 3. Are you ready to write it?: A lighter one first is fine.
Use it when: you build your story bank.
Try it: Marcus is made up. Which of his lines has a clear change?
- My first paycheck, and what I bought.
- The night the bus broke down in the snow with 30 kids on it.
Check your answer
- The paycheck line has no clear change yet. It is a memory.
- The snow night does: he went from the new guy nobody trusted to the one the crew called first. He chose it.
Why: A change gives a story somewhere to go. Without one, it is a list of events.
Choose one story
Pick one moment to carry through this course. Use three questions.
- Is there a clear change?
- Can you see it? Can you picture a place, a sound, or a few words someone said?
- Are you ready to write it? It is fine to choose a lighter one first.
Take care while you write
Baikie and Wilhelm (2005) found that writing about hard events often brings a short rise in distress, even when it helps over time. They advise that writers can stop at any time, keep sessions to about 20 minutes, and have support numbers on hand.
- If a memory feels too heavy, write a different moment or an invented one.
- Do something calming after you write, like a short walk.
The 10 minute freewrite
A freewrite gets words on the page before your inner editor wakes up. For 10 minutes, write about your chosen moment without stopping or fixing. If you get stuck, write I remember and keep going.
Worked example: Marcus builds a story bank
Marcus, a bus mechanic, wants to write stories for his kids. Four of his 10 lines:
- The day my uncle let me drive his tow truck.
- The night the bus broke down in the snow with 30 kids on it.
- My first paycheck, and what I bought.
- A made up story: a mechanic finds a note hidden in a seat.
He tested each line. Only the snow story had a clear change, and he could still hear the wind. He chose it.
His freewrite started: I remember the heater dying first. Marcus is a made up example.
Strong and weak examples
Two made up situations. Decide which example is stronger, then check.
Situation 1
Example A: Story idea: my childhood.
Example B: The night the bus broke down in the snow with 30 kids on it.
Check your answer
Example B is stronger. One moment, one place, something happens.
Why the other one falls short: Too big to write.
Situation 2: A story from work
Example A: The night the power went out at the diner and we cooked by flashlight for a full room.
Example B: Story idea: my job.
Check your answer
Example A is stronger. One moment, with a problem and a clock, that only you saw.
Why the other one falls short: A job is a topic, not a story. Nothing happens yet.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a topic, not a moment. Military life is a topic. The first night of boot camp is a moment.
- Waiting to feel ready. Ready comes from writing.
- Editing the freewrite. Fixing comes later. Today you only gather.
Try it: Start your story bank
Pick your scenario:
- A true moment from your own life
- A story someone in your family tells
- An invented character with a problem
- Start a file or notebook called Story Notebook.
- Write 10 one line moments using the prompts. Skip any prompt you want.
- Next to each line, write the change in one sentence, or write none yet.
- Choose one story using the three questions.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes and freewrite about it without stopping.
- Write the date and the minutes you wrote in a simple habit tracker at the back of your notebook.
Do it by: tomorrow
Reflect
Which moment on your list surprised you, and why do you think it came up?
Check your understanding
1. Which line from a story bank is most likely to become a strong story?
- My years growing up in Ohio.
- The night I quit my job and drove home in silence.
- Things I have learned about life.
See the answer and feedback
B is correct. It is one moment, and something changed.
A: That is a topic that covers years.
C: That is a lesson, not a moment.
Review: Build a story bank.
2. Lena wants to write about a family trip to the beach. Nothing really changed on the trip. What should she do?
- Write it anyway and add a lesson at the end.
- Make the trip longer so more can happen.
- Look for a moment on the trip when something shifted, or pick another story.
See the answer and feedback
C is correct. A story needs a change at its center.
A: A lesson tacked on is not a change.
B: More events do not create a change.
Review: Find the change.
3. During a freewrite, a painful memory comes up and you feel overwhelmed. What is a good next step?
- Stop, take a break, and choose a lighter moment or reach out for support.
- Keep writing until the timer ends, no matter how you feel.
- Delete your whole story bank and start over.
See the answer and feedback
A is correct. You can stop at any time. Support is listed below.
B: The timer is a limit, not a rule you must push through.
C: Your bank is still useful.
Review: Take care while you write.
Recap
- Stories stick because readers live through them.
- A story bank is a list of specific moments.
- A story needs a change at its center.
- Choose a story you are ready to write, and take care.
You now have: a story bank of 10 moments, one chosen story, a 10 minute freewrite, and a habit tracker.
Next up
Next you will give your story a shape that keeps readers reading. Lesson 2: The shape of a story. BMU 250 is part of BMU All Access. All Access is $9.99 a month and gives you unlimited access to the course catalog. Sign up free as a Founding Member to continue. Public enrollment opens Nov 9, 2026.
Sources
- Dahlstrom, M. F. (2014). Using narratives and storytelling to communicate science with nonexpert audiences. PNAS, 111 (Suppl. 4), 13614 to 13620 (published Sept. 16, 2014) (current as of Oct 29, 2026)
- Purdue OWL: Pitfalls for fiction writers (current as of Oct 29, 2026)
- Purdue OWL: Fiction writing basics 2 (theme, conflict, point of view) (current as of Oct 29, 2026)
- Baikie, K. A., and Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338 to 346 (current as of Oct 29, 2026)
Please read
Some prompts may bring up hard memories. Every prompt is optional, and you choose what to write about. You can stop at any time.
