One of the biggest frustrations children have with creative writing is knowing where to start.
They sit in front of a blank page.
They stare at it.
They put their head in their hands.
"I don't know what to write!"
And twenty minutes later, the page is still blank.
Sometimes they have the opposite problem. They've got a hundred ideas, all competing for attention, and they try to squeeze every single one into the story.
Neither is particularly helpful.
And one of the best ways to tackle both problems is something children often try their hardest to avoid.
Planning.
Why children don't like planning
For a child who's already struggling to write a story, being told to plan it first can feel like adding even more work.
"I've got to write a whole story, and now you want me to write something else before I even start?"
Fair enough. But a good planning technique can actually make writing much quicker and easier.
It gives children somewhere to start, helps them organise their ideas and stops them having to make every decision as they go along.
And getting started is often the most difficult part of the process.
The problem with a blank page
Think about the last time you had to write something important.
An email. A speech. A job application.
Anything where you knew what you wanted to achieve, but couldn't quite work out how to begin.
Children experience exactly the same thing. The difference is that they often assume the problem is themselves.
They think they're bad at creative writing, or that other children must have brilliant ideas that somehow appear fully formed in their heads.
So it's worth explaining that even experienced writers struggle to get started.
That first sentence can be incredibly intimidating.
And a little planning can take away much of that pressure.
Get rid of the blank page
One of the main benefits of planning is that it gives the child something to work with before they start being creative.
Instead of staring at an empty page, they can begin with a few simple decisions.
Where does the story begin?
Who is the main character?
What's going to happen?
How will it end?
You can help them sketch out a basic beginning, middle and end.
It doesn't need to be particularly exciting at this point.
Once they've got that initial structure, they can start filling in the gaps.
Suddenly, they're no longer trying to invent an entire story from scratch.
They're working on individual parts of something that's beginning to take shape.
Too many ideas can be just as difficult
Some children have wonderful imaginations, but struggle to organise their ideas.
The story begins in a haunted house.
Then there's an explosion.
Then a dragon appears.
Then somebody travels through time.
And somehow, by the final paragraph, everyone's on a pirate ship.
The problem is that they're trying to use every idea they have.
Planning helps them make choices.
Which ideas fit the story? Which ones are worth developing? Which ones can we save for another time?
It gives their imagination some direction, so the finished story feels purposeful and has a better chance at making sense to the reader.
Build a shopping list of techniques
Once the basic plot is in place, encourage your child to think about the writing techniques they want to include.
Perhaps they want an interesting opening sentence.
A simile to describe the weather.
Some interesting vocabulary.
A short sentence for dramatic effect.
A bit of dialogue.
They can make a little shopping list of things to use as they write.
Now they've got a structure, some ideas and a handful of techniques ready to go.
Get the ball rolling
Once children have started making decisions, the creative ideas often begin to follow.
They think of a character, which gives them an idea for a setting.
The setting inspires a problem.
The problem leads to an interesting description.
And before long, they're really writing.
Of course, there are lots of other reasons why planning is important, especially for 11+ and independent school entrance exams, where children need to produce a well-structured story under time pressure.
But sometimes the best benefit is simply helping you to get started.
How LinkyThinks can help
At LinkyThinks, we help children build the English, reasoning, writing and communication skills they need for school, 11+, entrance exams and beyond.
Our online classes help children think more carefully, explain ideas more confidently and develop stronger habits across creative writing, comprehension, vocabulary and reasoning.
If your child is preparing for 11+, entrance exams or GCSE English, our online tutoring can help them build those skills in a supportive, engaging environment.
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