Creative Writing

Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper, said: “Everyone has a book inside of them – but it doesn’t do any good until you pry it out.”

Take this time to explore the story you could tell. Is it a long story? Or maybe it is short? Maybe you like to draw and want to create a picture style book? If you have a creative mind for words, then this is the activity for you!

At school, your teachers direct you to write based on a title or a theme. Here is your chance to write about anything you would like to and do it in a creative, fun way. I bet your teachers and responsible adults would love to read as well as see what you come up with.

What you will need:

How you can support your child:

  • find a tool to write with - pen, pencil, crayon...

  • find something to write on - paper, cardboard, inside of an old cereal box...

  • if you are including drawings, you will need equipment to draw with and to colour with if you want to add colour.

  • optional extra would be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, PC. You do not need to use this though. This is only if you do want to use an electronic device. The challenge is to do this away from the use of a screen.

You can help out too! How?

  • Check for ideas which could be harmful and not age appropriate.

  • Maybe you could join in and make it a bonding activity? Play some nice music in the background and discuss each others ideas.

  • Have fun! Take the time to really spend quality time thinking about you and exploring your imagination alongside your child.

  • Another fun activity it to start a paragraph off, swap paragraphs and continue the story that has been started by another person.

  • Additionally, you could play a game where you each write a sentence and pass it around but folded up so only the final word of each sentence can be seen.

  • Help your child check their spelling and grammar in their story.

Instructions:

Your challenge is to hand write a story.

  1. mind map ideas of things that you like to imagine and stories you have enjoyed to read - you could even include little doodles to make it more interesting.

  2. add to your mind map experiences that you have had in your life which you could write about.

  3. choose three or four of your favourite ideas and plan out what the journey of each of the stories would look like. You can do this in a story mountain way or you can just sketch out a beginning, middle and end. Choose the one that you like the most.

  4. design your characters. Give each character a background story so that you really get to know them. Draw them. Give them a personality and some unique features.

  5. design your setting. What does it look like? What smells, sounds, tastes and feelings do you get when you are there? Draw it. Explore it with a couple of your characters.

  6. Create a mini success criteria so that you have something to follow.

  7. Now that you have a plan, some characters, a setting and a success criteria, you need a story. Write your first draft. Set aside a specific time of the day where you are going to dedicate time to write. If you like writing with music on, use music. If you like the great outdoors, open a window (ask an adult first). Do you like to draw and write? Then make some doodles alongside your writing. Be as creative as you like!

  8. Get somebody to read your draft. Ask them for advice and guidance. Listen carefully to what they are saying and use this to write your second draft. Keep drafting until you have your final piece.

  9. Design a book cover and write a small blurb (the part at the back of the book which hints at the story).

  10. Share your story. Maybe you could arrange a 'reading' where you, the wonderful author, read it to the people around you.

  11. If you have decided to do this as a household activity, why not teach everybody what you have learnt about writing stories from school to help them. Give a classroom lesson before you begin explaining basic spelling, punctuation and grammar rules.

Tell us about it!

If you're happy to to let others read your story, take a photo of your article and upload it, you can submit it using the form found in the navigation bar titled "Tell us about it." You can also tweet us and tag @OGATrust on twitter, don't forget tagging your academy twitter account as well!