From Reader to Writer: Helping Children Discover the Story They Want to Tell

A Simple Creative Writing Activity to Inspire Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Imaginations.

Every story begins somewhere. Sometimes it begins with a mysterious old house, a memory from a family vacation, a person from history, an animal, or a place you've always wanted to visit. And sometimes an entire story can begin with two very simple words: 

What if?

One of the wonderful things about reading is that books don't just introduce children to someone else's stories. They can inspire young readers to discover stories of their own. A mystery might make a child wonder what secrets could be hidden in their own neighborhood. A book about space could inspire them to imagine traveling to another planet. A nonfiction book about animals might leave them wanting to learn everything they can about a particular species.

Whether a child wants to write fiction or nonfiction, getting started doesn't have to feel intimidating. Sometimes all they need is an idea, a little curiosity, and permission to follow wherever that idea leads.

Start With Something That Makes You Curious

When I began writing the Secrets of Hawthorne Manor series, I started with questions. What secrets could an old manor be hiding? Who lived there before? What might be waiting behind a locked door?

Those questions eventually grew into characters, mysteries, hidden passages, family history, and an entire fictional world. But in the beginning, they were simply ideas I wanted to explore.

Young writers can begin exactly the same way.

Ask students to think about three things they're curious about. Maybe they're fascinated by space, dinosaurs, the ocean, an old building, their family's history, a favorite animal, a famous person, a place they've visited, or a mystery they would love to solve.

There are no wrong answers. At this stage, the goal isn't to find the "best" story idea. It's to find the idea that makes the child want to know—or imagine—more.

Will Your Story Be Fiction or Nonfiction?

Once children have chosen an idea, they can decide what kind of story they want to tell.

For fiction, one of the easiest places to begin is with "What if?"

What if you discovered a hidden room in an old house that no one knew existed? What if you were the first child to visit Mars? What if your dog suddenly started talking for one day?

Fiction gives children permission to imagine what could happen. They can create characters, invent places, build mysteries, and decide where their story will go.

Nonfiction begins with a different question: "What do I want to discover?"

A student interested in space might research how astronauts live aboard a space station. Someone fascinated by animals might investigate how elephants communicate. A child curious about family history could interview a grandparent and write about what childhood was like when they were young.

Both fiction and nonfiction begin in much the same place—with curiosity. The difference is that fiction allows us to imagine the answers, while nonfiction asks us to research and discover them.

Give Your Story a Beginning That Makes Us Want More

A blank page can feel overwhelming, especially when a child thinks they have to write an entire story. Instead, challenge students to begin with just one sentence.

The goal is simple: Write an opening that makes someone want to read the next sentence.

A fictional story might begin:

The door at the end of the hallway had been locked for seventy-three years.

A nonfiction piece could begin:

Every night while we're sleeping, something extraordinary is happening in the ocean.

Then ask students one question: Would you want to keep reading?

If the answer is yes, they've already accomplished something important. They've invited a reader into their story.

Build the Story With Five Simple Questions

Once students have an opening, they can begin building the rest of their story. They don't need a complicated outline. Five questions can provide a simple roadmap: Who? What? Where? Why? What next?

Who is the story about? What happens, or what will the reader learn? Where does the story take place? Why does this story matter? And what should happen—or what should the reader discover—next?

Students don't need complete answers to every question. A few words or ideas are enough. The purpose is simply to help them see that a story doesn't have to appear all at once. It can be built one piece at a time.

The Hawthorne Manor Writing Challenge

Here's a classroom writing activity inspired by Secrets of Hawthorne Manor: The Guardian's Legacy.

Ask students to imagine that they've discovered an old key. They don't know where it came from or what it opens, but engraved on the key is a symbol they've never seen before.

Now what happens?

Students who choose fiction can decide where the key was found, who it once belonged to, what the mysterious symbol means, and—most importantly—what the key unlocks.

Students who prefer nonfiction can take the activity in a completely different direction. They might research an antique key, historic building, family heirloom, archaeological discovery, or unusual artifact and uncover its real history.

Then give everyone 15 minutes to write.

During those 15 minutes, don't worry about perfect spelling, punctuation, grammar, or whether the story is "good enough." The purpose of the exercise is simply to get ideas onto the page and discover where they might lead.

Don't Edit While You're Imagining

This may be one of the most valuable lessons we can teach a young writer: First drafts aren't supposed to be perfect.

When children stop after every sentence to correct spelling, change punctuation, or search for exactly the right word, they can lose the idea they were excited about in the first place.

Encourage them to let the story come first. There will be plenty of time later to revise sentences, correct spelling, improve descriptions, and make the writing stronger.

Writing and editing are both important, but they don't always need to happen at the same time.

As I often remind writers, you can't revise a blank page.

Give Young Writers an Opportunity to Share

When the writing time is over, invite students to share an opening sentence or a favorite part of what they've written. Sharing should always be a choice. Some children can't wait to read their work aloud, while others need more time before they're comfortable sharing something they've created.

Another fun option is to create a classroom Story Wall. Students can anonymously post one opening sentence from their writing.

Imagine a classroom wall filled with beginnings like these:

The package had my name on it, but it had been mailed fifty years ago.

Most people don't know that an octopus has three hearts.

I knew something was wrong when my dog answered me.

One student's opening sentence might even inspire another student to begin a completely different story.

Every Child Has a Story to Tell

Children don't have to call themselves writers before they begin writing. They simply need something they're curious about and a place to start.

Books can provide that spark. A mystery can inspire another mystery. A story about space can lead to research about planets. A historical novel might make a child curious about their own family's past. One story can open the door to another.

And sometimes an entire adventure can begin with one very small question:

What if?

Give children a blank page, encourage them to follow their curiosity, and let them discover where their ideas take them.

Their next great story may already be waiting to be told.