Needing a fun "Creative Writing Program" for bored and reluctant child.

[Biz-e-mom]

Any Suggestion???

[Muttichen]

Well, this isn't a "program," but once a week, we did what we called "Writer's Workshop." We'd do a fun creative writing activity and everyone (even mom) would participate.  Then we'd have hot chocolate and cookies and read our stories.

 

The kids' favorite activity was always "dice stories." Together we'd come up with a list of six characters (a princess, a mad scientist...), six settings (New York City, a desert island...), and six problems (aliens attack, something is stolen...).  Each person would roll a die three times and write a story with what they got.  You can do all kinds of variations on this.  Another favorite is to list eleven (2-12) items someone could have in his or her pocket.  Each person rolls two dice twice and writes a story with what they get.

 

We STILL have ten-minute writing contests when all the kids are home (they range from 16-25 and now include a wife, a fiance, boyfriends and girlfriends).  Dh gives us a prompt, we all write for ten minutes, someone reads them all, and we vote for first second and third place.  Some of these stories have become legendary and the kids said that after doing them, having 25 minutes for the essay on the SAT seems like so much time!

[JanetC]

15 poems to write right now:  http://www.poetryexpress.org/15-poems

 

Or, if poetry is not your thing, take a sentence or paragraph and rewrite it to practice all 10 ways of bad writing:  http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/Badly.html  (More from this author here: http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/wrong.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Maureen]

Muttichen - Thank you for the great ideas!  I will have to put them to use in our family.

 

Got any more??

[Mom22ns]

What price, level, and time commitment are you looking for? Here are a few thoughts:

 

Bravewriter has some online creative writing classes that are simple and friendly.

 

NanoWriMo has free workbooks to help prepare to write a novel if that would be fun. 

 

Ds loved the One Year Adventure Novel, but I think of that as much bigger and more involved. Whether that is fun depends on the writer.

 

Sharon Watson, the writer of Jump In, has a high school level Creative Writing program. I haven't used this, but I loved her middle school program, Jump In, so I wouldn't hesitate to try something else she created.

 

 

[SilverMoon]

We are thoroughly enjoying Cover Story this year. It's from the One Year Adventure Novel author, and aimed at 6th-9th grade. My tenth grader is using it too, at a faster pace, and he'll spend the rest of the year working on targeted essay practice and NaNoWriMo. We'll do OYAN next year.

[Biz-e-mom]

Thanks to all of you!😊

[Biz-e-mom]

Thanks OKBud!😊

[happypamama]

DD and I are working through PHP's The Creative Writer this year, and with all four levels, I think it could be a high school level course.

[Biz-e-mom]

Thanks happypamama!😊

[lllll]

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