- who are the major characters (these can be people but also animals); tell how they are: kind, mean, weird, secretive, etcetera; and what they look like.
- where the story takes place (in Zoetermeer, in a faraway country, at school, at the camping site, or an imaginary place etcetera);
- when the story takes place (now, in the past, a long time ago, at night, in summer etcetera);