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Getting Young Authors Started by Joy Cowley
Before children have writing skills they tell stories. Unfortunately, much of the child's "story talk" is seen as invalid by adults who can attach such labels as "lies" or "delusions" to child fantasy. While it is important for a child to distinguish between fantasy and reality, we need to encourage and nurture the creative process with such comments as "That was a great story," or "You made up a wonderful story," and "Can you draw a picture to illustrate that story you told me?"
For five year olds, a short time of story talk can be a useful prerequisite to the teacher's reading of a story to them. (They know that they too, are authors because they can make up stories.) Story talk may lead to art work. Drawing is a way of recording story, even if the art is at the very basic squiggle stage. Story talk can also be taped and played back to the young "author."
If story talk is encouraged, it will flow naturally on to writing as the child gathers the necessary skills. Adult conversations expand with association, so it is for young people. Story talk often needs priming, with ideas put forward by the teacher who knows when to stop the talk and have the children begin writing.
Many ideas come from biographical material:
1. Tell us about your grandmother - or grandfather.
2. Was there a time when you were sick? How did you feel?
3. Have you been on a bus or a train?
4. What is your favorite food?
5. What is the thing you like best about yourself?
6. What is the funniest thing that happened to you?
7. Have you ever been scared?
8. What is your favorite game?
9. Can you remember when you were a little kid?
10. When were you really brave?
11. When were you a great help?
12. What did you do on your last birthday?
13 What did you dream last night? (This can be very useful as catharsis.)
Other ideas may be associated with a favourite book:
1. If you were (main character) what would you have done?
2. What happened before this story started?
3. What happened after this story ended?
4.What would happen if these characters came to school? What would you say to them?
5. Do you think this story should have a different ending? If so, what?
Yet other ideas may come from a creative point of view:
1. If you were suddenly as big as a frog, what would your bedroom look like? Your toys? Your kitchen?
2. If you were a giant as tall as a crane, what would the school look like?
What would you eat? Where would you sleep? What would you wear?
3. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
4. If you could have four new pets, what would you choose?
5.You are the first girl (boy) to go to Mars on a space shuttle. What happens?
Story Starters for young writers:
Here are some first sentences which may or may not stimulate ideas for written stories.
1. I never thought I'd have an adventure on my birthday.
2. My grandmother looks like a quiet old lady, but let me tell you something.
3. I could hear footsteps in the darkness, and they were coming closer.
4. It was so embarrassing, I nearly died!
5. We were racing down the hill and the brakes failed.
6. My baby brother is so strong he can lift up his cot.
7. This morning, our dog was a hero.
8. My bedroom was dark but I could smell smoke.
9. Do you know what happens when you buy sunflower seeds from a joke shop?
10. We decided to give Mom a really unusual birthday party.
11. Guess what escaped from the zoo!
12. In a corner of the attic, I found an old box with a padlock on it.
13.The kite was a big red fish swimming in a blue sea.
14. What do you mean it was a mistake?
15. I heard a noise at the back of the cave, and I lifted my flashlight.
16. Aunty Jean is no cook, but this was the worst meal ever!
17. His skin is green with blue spots and he has eight fingers on each hand.
18. Yesterday I needed to be very brave.
19. This is my famous recipe for a Peace Cake.
20. In the dark old house there are some dark old stairs and at the top of the stairs there is a dark old room.
21. The alien wanted to know what a hamburger(anything) was, so this is what I told him.
22. No one told me it was Instant Glue.
23. Last night I had the strangest dream.
24. When you live on the 70th floor, planes go past your bedroom window.
25. My mother is a racing driver.
26. When our robot drinks oil, it leaves greasy puddles on the floor.
27. Once there was a boy who had his bed in a tree.
28. Once there was a girl who could talk to goldfish.
29. Mr Blimp lived in a little house that had legs and feet,
30. This is how I make my favorite sandwich.
31. The drivers lined up in their cars, brrm, brrm, ready to go.
32. I didn't get chicken pox. I got peacock pox - purple and green spots.
33. The tooth fairy made a terrible mistake.
34. Tom and his brother were pretending to be fighter pilots.
35. Once there was a tiny woman who lived in an old seashell.
36. One night the river flooded and came through the town.
37. "Can't you read?" I said to the dragon. "No smoking!"
38. This was no ordinary supermarket.
39. The building had an elevator that went down to the center of the earth.
40. The amazing Biddly Bird flies backwards.
41. How do you make a pizza for two thousand people?
42. Here is a joke that will make you cry with laughter.
43. That dog knew every food shop in town.
44. The treasure was guarded by an emerald green snake.
45. I was really sorry I lost my temper.
46. It was a very unusual birthday present.
47. A bus crashed into our front door.
48. When I am an adult, this is how I will look after children.
49. This skateboard could fly.
50. He was the kindest grandfather in the entire world.
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