Tips for Young Writers

What Should I Write About?

I’m not a big believer in “story starters”. I believe that the best ideas are living inside you. Your challenge is to dig them out. Do the writing only you can do. But every writer gets stuck from time to time so I’ve included a few ideas to jump-start your imagination. You might try to write about:

• A family story

• A particular tradition in your family.

• An artifact (arrowhead, ring, antique, etc.). Important objects in our lives often provide excellent material to write about.

• Special place: special room, attic nook, inside of a tree, scary closet. You might start by quickly sketching a map of a house full of memories. Mark those rooms where something important  happened to you.

• Brother, sister, or special relative. Remember: think small. Focus on one aspect of that person, or one experience you had with him or her.

• Your place in the family. Are the oldest kid in your family? The youngest? Are you a middle child? An only child? Were you adopted?

• Best friend. (Did you ever get in trouble?)

• Moving. Did you leave behind a best friend when you moved from your old house?

• A disastrous time you had at camp or on a family vacation.

• Horrible haircut (or other mortifying experience)

• An injury. Did you ever have to go to the hospital

• Important first: your first day in school, the first time you rode a two-wheeler, etc.

• Favorite pet, or a pet you once had.

• When your family changed: your brother went off to college, grandma came to live with you, etc.

• What you are (or used to be) afraid of.

• One thing you never want to do again!