Writing stories encourages a child's imagination by introducing new concepts. This helps children learn to organise their thoughts and use written language to communicate their ideas. Writing stories not only gives a creative spurt but also challenges young minds. This is even more true in case of short stories. Here is how you can help budding author craft a compelling short story.
Help them think of an idea
Reading a book together is a fantastic place to start. Ask your youngster to make guesses about how the narrative will conclude when you come to a halt. Your child's alternate ending could be perfect fodder for a brand-new storyline. Your child can also write stories about real-life events like their first day of school, a park adventure, or losing their first tooth. Once the story ideas start pouring, the young one will be spoilt with choice!
Guide them with character creation and settings
Ask that your kid develop a character and a setting for his or her story. Will the protagonist be a kid, an adult, or an animal? Will the story take place in a neighbourhood park, a foreign country, or even space? Allow your child's creativity to run wild! As parents, you should only help them explore their own ideas and imagination. Allow them the blank canvas to write their own narrative the way they find it amusing and purposeful. In fact, forming a story structure will aid your kids in writing the story because they'll know what they're going to do next and how the plot should progress. On the other hand, you as parents will find it much easier to edit their short story if you help them create a structure for it.
Encourage them to have a well-knit beginning
There is a beginning, middle, and end to every good children’s short story. Request that your youngster elaborate on their initial narrative concept and create the first scene. What distinguishes or their major character? Perhaps it's a bath-loving cat, a superhero who can't fly, or a cave-dwelling princess. Motivate them to flesh out the beginning properly such that the rest of the flow of the short story can be maintained well.
Ask them to adopt the ‘Show, don’t tell’ approach in writing
'Show, don't tell' is a well-known rule that most seasoned authors adhere to. It essentially implies that you support your child in describing, rather than simply telling, what they want to convey. When writing a scene, the child should write it in such a way that the reader can imagine themselves in it. Encourage your young author to pay close attention to the specifics of how they have envisaged the scenario to be laid out.