Free Printable Story Map Template

Fill in the two small boxes first: who is in the story, and where and when it takes place. Names alone are not always enough. Add one useful detail about the main character or setting when it affects what happens next. For a story you are reading, use only information the text actually gives you. For a story you are planning, these boxes help you make early choices before writing full paragraphs.

Next complete What Goes Wrong. This is the most important box on the sheet because it separates a story map from a simple list of events. Write the main problem, goal, conflict, or change that creates pressure on the character. If the problem cannot be stated briefly and clearly, the story may contain several smaller conflicts; choose the one that most strongly drives the important events and ending.

Use the Beginning box for the setup and the event that puts the problem in motion. Use Middle for attempts, obstacles, discoveries, or consequences—not every event that happens. Then use End for the resolution and the change that follows it. When mapping a published story, this structure helps a reader identify which events matter. When planning original writing, it prevents the draft from wandering through unrelated scenes.

Before drafting or answering comprehension questions, read the six boxes from top to bottom and check the logic. The middle should respond to the problem, and the ending should resolve, change, or intentionally leave that problem open. Younger students can sketch first and add labels. Older students can use concise phrases on the map, then expand each part into sentences or paragraphs on separate paper.

If the story has a subplot, do not force it into the same six boxes unless it changes the main conflict. Map the primary arc first. A second sheet can capture a subplot separately, which keeps the main sequence readable and makes connections between the two arcs easier to discuss.