This fall I'm teaching workshops for writers ages 8 to 12. Most of the writers have a story idea when they walk in the door, but I always bring Magic Pen Story Starters for those who need inspiration. I hope one (or more) of these ideas gets your pen moving!
1) Write these folktales:
- "The Day Hansel and Gretel Became Zombies"
- "Welcome to Rapunzel's Beauty Shop"
- "The Three Bears' Nightmare in Hawaii"
2) Write a story with these three things in it:
- a pair of scissors, a sailboat, and a green gorilla
- a broken computer, a monster with a chipped tooth, and a torn map
- a zoo, an airplane, and an escaped ice cube
3) Write a story with this first line:
- The magic pen floated toward me.
- The leg jumped from the ship just in time.
- My favorite color is purple, and that's because I'm an eggplant.
- You might think it's weird that our school "day" starts at 10:00 at night and ends at 4:00 in the morning.
4) Write a poem or story about:
- Yourself in which nothing is true
- A blue egg
- November
- Something you've lost
- Your shadow
Take one or more of these ideas, and let your pen (or your pencil or your computer) work its magic!
