My DD8 is a voracious reader, so it was a surprise to us all that she is only an average writer, only writing a few sentences in her class journal each day, and rarely coming up with any creative stories.
Finally, I gave her a mini-seminar in story structure (the kind adults who want to write movies take). I explained to her about the "hero's journey", how he/she receives the "call to adventure", takes on "mentors and allies", enters a second worlds, must confront "trials and progressive complications", confronts his/her worst enemy, and emerges back into the first world with the prize.
She IMMEDIATELY got this, and wrote a three-page story very enthusiastically. Her teacher just told me she is writing voluminously in her journal. Typical of my daughter that once she understands theory, she will proceed -- but not before. I should have taught her story structure sooner.
The book is "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler, or you can get Joseph Campbell's books about heros out of the library.
