Spinners

Want to write a story but not sure where to start? We've created a cool gadget to help you.

These story spinners can be used in various ways to provide ideas to use in your story. You can spin to choose where your story takes place, the personality of your main character or and what objects could set in motion a chain of events in the story.

Below are the different spinner boards that we've created. So download them for free, follow the instructions we've set out on how to make them and start spinning and writing!

Instructions on how to make the spinner: It's all pretty simple but if you don't fancy DIY, you could buy a spinner (or a class set of super-sturdy spinners) from our shop.

Location is important in a story - these are places where a story could take place in Ancient Roman times. Think about why your character might be there, how they feel about it, what time of day or night it is, and who else could be there.

This spinner can land on:

1. Temple
2. Arena
3. Ship
4. Vomitorium
5. Villa
6. Palace
7. Stables

Think about the kind of person your lead character is; how do they look and act, how might they talk, and what do the other characters think of them?

The options on this spinner are:

1. Nosy
2. Weird
3. Shy
4. Wise
5. Cowardly
6. Kind
7. Scary

Think about objects that could feature in your story. Why are the important? Who are they important to? Are they normal, or do they have an unusual use or magical powers..?

The options on this spinner are:

1. Dice
2. Sword
3. Ring
4. Key
5. Spear
6. Statue
7. Coin

Remember to give your character feelings and emotions throughout the story, which should relate to what has been happening in the plot. Perhaps they are easily scared or excitable, or get their heart broken by another character!

The options on this spinner are:

1. Delighted
2. Lonely
3. Curious
4. Amazed
5. Furious
6. Heart-broken
7. Horrified

There are an endless number of possibilities for your story - so why not make your own spinner? You could list your character's likes/dislikes, some Roman names, or or ideas for a totally new story...

For another Roman story-writing activity, this time in handy A4 worksheet form, download our Story Maker. It has more information about Roman names, and a short story plan for you to flesh out. Like our spinners, it is fully photocopyable for classroom use.