**Collaborative post**
Creative writing is a useful skill that will have many advantages both academically and in a personal way. With that said, parents should help their kids cultivate this skill in the home. A pre-prep school in London have put together the following advice for parents who are unsure how to help their kids with creative writing.
There are lots of simple and enjoyable techniques that can use to explore creative writing. It would be wise to begin by reading some books with your child, by various different authors. Reading will help your youngster develop a rich vocabulary. Explore each unique writing style and genre and be sure to discuss with your child once the book is over. Find out what they liked and disliked about it and which author they prefer and why. Essentially, the idea is to get them to think critically about the books they have read and learn from the aspects they like.
You could ask your child to write an alternate conclusion to their favourite book. Let me explore how small changes in a character’s behaviour might lead to a completely different outcome in the story. If they’re not up to the challenge, you could ask them to write a review instead, in which they describe why they loved the book so much. Either way, the trick is to encourage your child to write a descriptive passage, using various adjectives, similes and metaphors.
When practising creative writing, be sure to pick a topic that your child is actually passionate about. If they are not interested in what they are writing about they won’t be able to concentrate. If they’re struggling with motivation, you could help them come up with an interesting opening sentence. This is usually the most difficult part, so they will benefit from having you help get them started.
