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- 1). Create the hero. The hero must have a specific characteristic that makes him larger than life. Heroes in tall tales are often the strongest, the fastest or the very best at something. Think about the character's background when creating. Classic American tall tales often came out of the stories of early settlers, if you want your tall tale to be similar to a historical tall tale use the period and place to help find a special ability for your character. Some tall tales had characters, like Paul Bunyan and John Henry, who were the best at their particular occupation because of their size or strength. Think about your character's occupation when developing his qualities.
- 2). Describe the setting that your character is found in for this story. After flushing out the character, you should have a good idea about where to place him.
- 3). Write the problem the character will have to solve. It may be someone's everyday problem that he solves in humorous, over-the-top way, or it may be a difficult problem that no one but a classic tall tale character would be able to solve.
- 4). Write how the hero solves the problem. Tall tales are often humorous and use everyday language, so exaggerate drama to larger-than-life proportions.
- 5). Put the whole story together. Start by introducing the character; why he is famous, what he does, and what differentiates him from other people. Place the character in the setting; tell how he got there and where he was going, this could be as simple as, "one day Pecos Bill set out for New Mexico," for example. Describe the problem in exaggerated, humorous terms, use everyday expressions. Write the story of how the hero solves the problem. Conclude with the other characters talking about the hero's legend, showing how it got spread.
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