Creative writing is not only fun, but it can also benefit your child academically, personally and professionally. Writing stories can also be a great activity for families to do together at home.
A great writing challenge for beginners is to create a new ending to a favourite story. Explore how simple changes to the storyline can lead to a completely different ending. This is a fun activity to do together with your child. Share your different endings with each other and see which one is your favourite.
Choosing a topic
When practicing creative writing, it is important to choose a topic that really interests your child. This will help them to enjoy what they are writing about and motivate them to learn more. It is also much easier to write about a topic you have personal experience with.
Making a mind map
Once you have decided on a topic, help your child to ‘mind map’ words that relate to it. A good way to do this is by asking your child to think about how their topic might affect their senses. For example, a story about the rainforest might include seeing tall trees, hearing wild animals and feeling hot and sticky. Creating a mind map can also help your child to imagine new characters for their story.
Starting a story
One of the hardest parts about writing a new story is the first sentence. Help your child to get their story started by looking at books for inspiration. The first line should always try to grab a reader’s attention, so try to include lots of descriptive words and cultivate an air of mystery.
Finally, it is important to remember that reading goes hand in hand with writing. Try and encourage your child to read as often as possible. This will not only help to improve your child’s vocabulary and grammar skills, but it will also introduce them to a world of knowledge and a variety of new literary genres. Challenge your child to read at least one book a week.