How to Start Writing Stories
http://hopcott.com/writing-tips/

Character Development Tips
http://www.pgtc.com/~slmiller/characterdevelopment.htm

Writing Fiction: A Beginner's Guide - Part 2: Plot
http://teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa111102b.htm

Directions: After reading the three articles, go to the bottom of this web page for "Story Starters." Select one and write a short story of three to five pages (or more) with the sentence you selected, as the beginning of your story. Your story must contain a well-developed character in a significant conflict. Theme, mood, and plot may be used to propel the story to its conclusion.

PAPERS WILL BE GRADED ON:

Creativity

Logicalness

Plot

Character Development

Overall Effectiveness

Story Starters

Opening sentences set the story's mood.

How many times have you heard that an effective opening sentence to a story is critical, because a reader will decide, right there, whether they want to keep reading? Don't waste any more time counting, please. We all know that the first sentence is often the most difficult to write. So here is a tip: consider what type of opening and mood you would like to have. Once you know that all-important sentence's purpose, it should be easier to come up with a winner.

Following are 16 types of information and a story beginning for each.

Background
John had been dreaming about Alice for weeks, but each time he thought he had a chance to talk to her, he had chickened out.

Definition
A time capsule is a receptacle containing documents or objects typical of a time period and is placed in the earth or in a cornerstone for purpose of its discovery in the future.

Evaluation
Maggie loved the ocean best in the summer.

Facts
No one in the town could deny that on nights like this one, with the moon at its fullest, pets and small farm animals went missing.

First Step
Jack stopped walking, and against his parent's wishes, crossed the field and entered the woods.

Incident
A body lay at the foot of the stairs.

Knowledge
Knowing how to survive alone in the woods might have saved the boy's life.

Point of View
The position taken by the clan elders was for Sham to be cast out of the camp.

Points
There were two things that Peter thought of most of the time: her, and being with her again.

Preference
Some people like dark chocolate; others enjoy milk chocolate more; but Sherry hates all chocolate, and has since the summer she turned seven.

Qualifications
For the last few years, Carol had been taking swimming lessons.

Question
Have you ever considered that a bowling alley, on a Tuesday night, would not be a very good place for a robbery?

Setting
The room, though dimly lit, had a sterile look to it with its stainless-steel counters and highly polished floor.

Situation
Mary knew she needed forty-three more dollars before she could pay the rent.

Statement
There are thirteen houses on the dead end street.

Steps
Roger had figured out there were three things that needed to happen in order to help Alex: ten thousand dollars must be raised, Roger must take himself and Alex to Europe, and they must secure a letter of introduction.

Source: http://teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa102000a.htm