This week we focused on creative writing. The kids continued with their Summer Bridge Activities (workbook page) and reading for about 30 minutes each day. We decided to start the week off by discussing creative writing and ending the week with a short story.
What is creative writing?
Creative writing expresses the writer’s thoughts, feelings and emotions in their own unique way. In order to help them understand, take an object and ask them to describe it using five descriptive words. We chose a pillow and one person described it as squishy, furry, touchable, wrinkly and noisy. Another said sea foam blue, soft, crunchy, decorative and fluffy. Each chose different words to describe the same thing, their descriptions were each unique.
What is the process of creative writing?
Choose a topic that interests you and start brainstorming. Write down anything that comes to your mind about the topic. Don’t worry about the order, just start writing. Think about what story you want to tell. If you need help, answer questions – who, what, when, where and why.
Then organize your ideas. Group together main ideas and supporting details. How do the main ideas work together, what order makes sense? Are there any examples or stories that support the idea?
Now, put them in the order of the story. Your story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning will introduce the story and the middle develops the story with supporting ideas and the end ties it all together and completes the story.
Write your story, read it, make changes and rewrite. Several authors have mentioned that rewriting takes longer than the actual writing, but this is when the story really begins to come together.
Introduce or Practice Using Prompts
Focus on writing short stories using prompts. The goal is to have fun and enjoy writing stories and sharing them. This will instill confidence and encourage expression. I would give them each a different prompt and have them write their story. When they were completed we would take turns sharing our stories.
Here are some writing prompts to help get you started:
You have been chosen as a contestant on the show “Survivor: For Kids”! Why do you think they chose you? What happens next?
You wake up in the middle of the night and find your toys in different spots, as if they had been playing, what happened?
You walk in your classroom and find out the substitute teacher for the day is…
You receive a strange letter in the mail, who is it from and what does it say?
You win an award at camp for…
You can’t believe your best friend didn’t tell you that they are…
Your favorite actor has called you to help them with…
Another great idea I learned from author Megan McDonald (Judy Moody & Stink Series) is to notice things that are happening around you and then make up a story and write it down. It is great practice for a future writer. If you are in line at the grocery store and you notice a woman purchase cake mix, icing, milk and ice cream, what do you think she is going to do? Or what happened before she came to the store? Have the kids use their imagination and come up with a crazy story.
Check these websites for more writing prompts:
Scholastic Story Starters
Writing Prompts and Journal Topics
Cammie Moise