Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Creative Writing Resource Needed

My DS6 wants to write books, but is having writer's block. He starts with a great idea, but then does not know what to write. I am not a good teacher and struggle to help him with the next steps. Can anyone recommend an age appropriate creative writing resource or app that we could tap into? He is headed to 1st grade but reads on a 3rd-4th grade level. Just finished The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so is able to manage a resource that is slightly more advanced than 1st grade. Thank you for your ideas!

You may wish to look into the resources provided by National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) especially the Young Writer's Program ( YWP ) including workbooks for writers at different levels.

To get past that icky feeling of not knowing what to write, maybe you can show him random pictures and he can write "the story behind the picture." Also, constraints are useful for breaking out of a block. For instance you can ask him to write a story incorporating 5-10 random words, or ask him to write a story from the point of view of a random, odd object. He could also pretend to interview a character of his imagination.

I like this book. http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Noteb..._2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404776041&sr=1-2

The man who wrote the Writer's Notebook book is an author and educator (Ralph Fletcher) and he is very friendly. We corresponded about my son and a particular situation with my son's writing after I read this book of his. http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Writers-R...1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404776041&sr=1-11

This one of his looks good too. http://www.amazon.com/How-Writers-W..._b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TJGNB4GQZW4YZZ48QEP

And I like this book. http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Stori..._9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404776362&sr=1-9

ETA...I plan to homeschool my son 6-8th grade and in 6th grade I plan to use the Scholastic book (I already own it). And I am considering the two Fletcher books...writer's notebook and how writers work. I will also look at Writing Strands a homeschool curriculum when the time comes and see if it is appropriate. The school system's method of teaching writing is so formulaic so that the kids can pass the writing tests in 4th, 8th and 10th grades. I want my son to write and write well without the formula.