Suggested Writing/Illustrating/Storytelling/Creating Pop-ups Topics (2008 Authors)
Fun writing topic from Mary Brigid Barrett
Write about the day that is different. Anne of Green Gables begins on the day that the wrong orphan arrives. Fern is the first one up in the morning on the day her father is about to kill runt pig; Charlotte’s Web begins on that gruesomely exciting different day. Harry Potter’s story truly begins when he receives a letter delivered by an owl inviting him to Hogwarts; not your normal day. Think about your favorite stories, I bet you they start on the “different” day, the day when something out of the ordinary happens.
Fun drawing exercise presented by Jan Brett
Most illustrators love to create their own world. Imagine being in a spaceship and looking down. What would your world look like? What plants and animals would you see? Draw your world. For lots more project ideas, activities and activities, visit my web site - www.janbrett.com.
Writing exercise presented by Joseph Bruchac
One of the simplest exercises that I often use with young writers is the use of memory. Think about things you remember in terms of your senses. Things you've smelled or tasted or touched. Then begin by writing down the words "I remember. . ." and go from them, always remembering to bring in that sensory information as you write. Each of those sensory cues can lead to other memories. For example, "I remember the smell of bacon frying on my grandmother's old cast iron stove on a winter morning when it was so cold that my fingers froze to the railing on her porch. . ." (And that sentence is one I just composed right now.)
Storytelling advice from Joseph Bruchac
Something I've already mentioned--to listen. Listen well and you'll hear things that others miss. Remember that stories are all around you. There are stories in every person and every thing. Don't worry about memorizing stories word for word. Just try to tell them in your own words, seeing them as you speak them.
Fun writing topic from Doreen Cronin
A great exercise is to write something really simple from someone else's perspective. Write about your breakfast from the point of view of the spoon.
Writing advice from Sharon M. Draper
Write about what you know about. Write about things you love. If you love dogs and you know how they run and pant and sleep and eat and smell, then write about dogs. Use lots of details and have fun with it.
Writing exercise presented by Neil Gaiman
What would happen if you shrank to mouse size? Or grew to house size? What if you discovered that your teacher was planning to eat one of your class at the end of the semester? (And who? And why? And how would you stop him or her?) What if you turned invisible after eating ice-cream?
Writing/drawing advice from Steven Kellogg
I think it is helpful to keep a journal, develop a correspondence with friends, and work in a sketchbook as you travel through each day.
Fun drawing exercise from Betsy Lewin
Try contour drawing. This is done by looking only at your subject, never glancing down at your paper, and drawing what you see in a continuous line, never lifting the pencil from the paper. You are "feeling" your subject onto the paper. It will most likely be disappointing at first, but it will force you to stay loose and not be intimidated by the subject. It will build confidence and eventually, you'll be happy with the results.
Drawing advice from Kadir Nelson
I would suggest young artists learn to draw the human figure. They can use themselves, friends, or family as models. Hands and feet are vitally important to learn to draw. They are very difficult, but once you learn them they become fun to draw. Learn to draw them and you can learn to draw anything.
“Fun” writing advice from Katherine Paterson
Well, fun is where you find it, and what might seem like fun for one person might feel very painful to someone else. For example, if I ask you to write about school lunches, as you remember them from first grade, would that be fun or awful?
Fun writing topics by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Write about things that make you happy – your puppy, your friends, your favorite spot in the house.
“Fun” writing advice from Doreen Rappaport
I don’t think it’s a matter of a “fun” topic. It’s a matter of kids writing about what’s important to them, what’s puzzling to them. Get it down on paper and you learn about what’s really important in your life and then you revise it because you WANT to make it better.
Advice for creating pop-ups by Matthew Reinhart
Don’t give up, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and go to www.RobertSabuda.com for cool do-it-yourself pop-ups to start your instruction!
Fun pop-up exercise from Robert Sabuda
Making paper snowflakes is a terrific way to learn how to use scissors as a tool for creating art. I spend most of the day cutting paper, so I feel it is very important to become comfortable with scissors.
Fun writing exercise from Jon Sciesczka
Write about your family. That’s what I just did. I wrote stories remembering funny things that happened when I was growing up with my five brothers. It’s called Knucklehead. And I illustrated it with old family photos and my drawings from kindergarten and stuff from my scrapbook.
Fun writing exercise from David Shannon
If you could have any super power (flying, super strength, a giant brain, etc.), what would you choose and what would you do with it?
Writing exercises suggested by Judy Sierra
Here are two exercises I remember from my first class in writing for children:
- Go to the zoo, watch animals, and write five haiku about what you see.
- Write the first paragraph of the most exciting book ever written.
Poetry exercise presented by Charles R. Smith Jr.
One poetry exercise that I always use when working with students of all ages, from kindergarten to college is one that focuses on them called, “I Am.” The student repeats the phrase “I Am” to describe themselves in as many unique ways as possible. The objective is to express what makes them unique in this world. Not just physical description, but what makes up their soul. Even kindergartners can grasp this because they know each of them is different; the trick is showing them how to express that. I tell the students there is no page limit, they can write as many lines as they want because human beings are complex and their words should reflect that.
Poetry topic suggested by Judith Viorst
I once wrote a poem called “If I were in charge of the world,” and many teachers have found this a good first sentence to get kids started on imagining—in verse—what THEY would do if they were in charge of the world.
Suggested Writing Topics (2007 Authors)
Writing exercise presented by Holly Black
Take a fairy tale and break it down into the basic plot points and then reinvent it by working through those plot points with a character in a different setting. This works well because, in classic fairy tales, the characters are not very developed - they're just "the youngest prince" or "the goose girl" and so there is a lot of room for the stories to be retold in interesting ways.
Writing topic presented by Carmen Agra Deedy
One morning, when you are at the breakfast table, your dog talks to you. No one else in the room seems to hear him. It took all the telepathic energy he could muster to send you this one all-important message: what does he say?
Fun writing topics from Megan McDonald
- Bad moods
- Bugs
- Mysteries
- Sisters
- Secrets
- Sock monkeys
- Penguins
- People with wacky names
- Getting in trouble
- Famous girls in history
Writing topic presented by poet Jack Prelutsky
What's the funniest thing you've ever seen your brother or sister or dog or cat do?
Poetry exercise presented by poet Jack Prelutsky
Pick a poem you like, find a melody that works well with the poem's lyrics and then perform it for your friends and family. For instance, Jack Prelutsky's poem, "Deep in Our Refrigerator" from It's Raining Pigs and Noodles, can be easily set to the music of "The Yellow Rose of Texas," "The Wabash Cannon Ball," and "America the Beautiful."
Writing exercise from Cynthia Leitich Smith
For an exercise, write a description of your home and family from the point of view of a visitor from outer space.
Last Updated: 09/02/2008