Story Writing Jumpstarts

Writing Idea #1 - Round Robin Stories - Using a round robin strategy for story writing can help motivate the unmotivated writer. It also works well with children who are just learning to write. In a round robin strategy, the first writer starts the story and then passes it along to the next writer who continues it. The story continues to be passed between writers until it is completed. The amount of writing done during each turn is usually pre-determined before the story writing begins. For more round robin story writing ideas click here: Round Robin Writing

Writing Idea #2 - Picture Prompts - Story writing needs to start with an idea and sometimes that's the hardest part. Pictures from magazines, newspapers or a personal photograph collection can be used to jump start creative ideas. Pictures of people can encourage character ideas, pictures of places can encourage setting ideas, and pictures of action can encourage plot ideas. Here's a website that has some picture prompts available. You can check it out here: Picture Prompts

Writing Idea #3 - KidsCom Write Me a Story Contest - At the KidsCom website there is a neat story writing opportunity for children. Children are encouraged to write a story using the provided character, prop, and place prompts. Children can submit their stories online where they will be voted on by other children and then possibly published on the KidsCom website. Click here to see the writing prompts for this week: KidsCom Write Me a Story

Writing Idea #4 - Comic Strip Story - If your child loves to draw, then a comic strip story may be a hit. A comic strip still includes all of the story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution, etc.)but the pictures play a larger role in the telling of the story. A comic strip story needs to be planned out well. A good place to start is by folding a piece of paper in half (hot dog style) and then folding it in half twice more to create 8 boxes. In each box your child can plan a story by writing little notes about what will be happening in each box of the comic strip. Have fun with this one!

Writing Idea #5 - Model a Story - Have your child choose a favorite story to use as a guideline or model for his own story writing. For example, many stories include a journey of some sort. Encourage your child to think of a starting place, an ending place, and a problem that may occur along the way. Most stories end with some sort of resolution, and so should your child's. :)

Writing Idea #6 - Tell a Story - The mind of a child is bursting with ideas. However the task of putting the ideas on paper can often be laborious. Encourage your child to think about a story and practice telling it orally. Then have your child tell the story to a tape recorder. During short periods of writing, have your child write out the recorded story editing and revising as needed.

That's all the ideas I have for now. If you have any story writing ideas that have worked for you and your child, then please share in the comment area at the bottom of this post.