“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” – Ernest Hemingway
A lot of us can relate to Hemingway’s feelings about writing, right? There are times when ideas flow out of you like a heavy downpour of thoughts and emotions, and then, there are days when it’s such a struggle to know how to even begin. If you have an aspiring writer in your house, or want your little one to just have fun doing this the first time, we’ve got your back.
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But, before we jump straight in, keep in mind that the more you read to your child, and the more your child reads on their own, the more imaginative they can be, which opens up doors to so many different and fun worlds!
Alright, let’s jump straight in!
1. Real-life Inspiration For Plot Planning: The first thing you do is get inspired by your surroundings. So, your child has friends, goes to school, learns how to sing or maybe a sport, has gone on a few holidays, etc. All of this is fodder to fuel that imagination! This helps with figuring out the settings of a scene in the book. Eg: Writing a scary story? Your child can take inspiration from that creepy house down the lane, or that empty flat that creaks at night!
Then, you could also see stories in the family or even do a little research on topics that your child really loves!
2. What’s Your Story Outline: Once your little one’s got a rough idea of what they want to write about, they can now create the skeleton.
- First….
- Then…
- Next…
- Finally…
This will help them stick to a rough framework and all they need to do is basically fill in these huge blanks with fun things that flow well.
3. Who Are The Characters: Who is going to be in their story? How do they want their characters to be – happy, sad, fun? To make this simpler for them, let them fill in this format –
Name of the character
- What does he/she look like
- What does he/she do
- How he/she behaves with other character
4. Use Some Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Words: Sometimes stories need that gentle push to make them great, and a lot of times, fun-sounding words can help define this. So, using fabulous words they’ve just learnt can make a story awesome! Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak… you get the drift!
5. What Type Of Story Starter Is It: Alright, every time someone starts to write, the first thing they think of is how will they start their story? Will it be dark and scary? Will it have a lot of alliteration? Will it start in dialogue? Will it be a funny word? Honestly, the world is their oyster in this case, so the crazier the better, right?
6. It’s Time To Finally Write: Once they have their outline, it’ll be easy to start writing the first draft of their book. The best thing is that since you have the outline that’s ready, it gets very easy to expand on it and make chapters. Also, a good tip is to add in a lot of dialogues, as they are easy to read, most of them are relatable and it helps fill in their book. Another thing is to sometimes focus on the small things. Is your child writing a story on his best friend who has superpowers? Well, get in the fact that this little superhero goes home after saving the world and his mother scolds him for not having eaten since noon and gives him a glass of milk and a chocolate chip cookie. Every. Detail. Counts.
7. Additional Tips: Descriptions can come in the characters themselves – involve the 5 senses – taste, sight, smell, sound and touch. What does that alley smell like? What did the main character eat just now, and did the food remind your little one of something he/she had eaten recently? Other descriptions like what the weather was like in the story, or the type of clothing – can also help.
8. Reviewing & Editing: Ah, it’s done! Your child has written a masterpiece (yes, the attempt is praiseworthy!) and now, it’s time for them to review and revise. It’s easier to take a printout and then, read it aloud. When they read it, let them highlight what they think is wrong or can change with a highlighter. It also helps to check that the tone in terms of grammar is the same throughout the book.
9. Final Draft & Artwork: Your kid’s decided to illustrate his/her own book; wow, that’s awesome! If not, there’s always the option for him/her to ask their friends for help! Another round of edits for both the artwork and the story, and your child has got the final draft ready.
10. Get It Published: There are a number of online services that you can get in touch with to create their book for them, and ebooks are always a great option!
