How to Teach Fiction Writing to Your Homeschool High Schooler
Most homeschool parents have an affinity for books … but it’s safe to say that very few have written one.
So what happens when a parent wants to teach their child fiction writing or help them cultivate their craft?
Luckily, fiction writing is absolutely teachable, and you don’t have to be a writer in order to teach one!
Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life is a practical guide for homeschool parents who want to teach their child fiction writing.
This post not only breaks down how to help high schoolers write stories but it also gives insight into WHY homeschool parents might want to make fiction writing part of their child’s homeschool curriculum.
Fiction Writing Belongs in Your Homeschool Plan
Most homeschool families know they will need to help their child learn writing skills, but many focus their efforts on teaching skills like essay writing.
Learning essay writing is certainly important, but did you know that fiction writing also teaches students valuable and transferable skills that can help them long-term? It can help them build their voice and be a creative outlet. It’s also helpful as a complement to traditional essay writing, helping students add detail, impact and purpose to their words.
Finally, studying stories and storytelling helps high schoolers build empathy and practice point of view, while developing their vocabulary, persuasive writing skills, and more.
Bringing Stories to Life
“Good stories are an intricate blend of make-believe and truth. For instance, it is not possible, to my knowledge, to walk through the back of a wardrobe and discover a land filled with dwarves, dryads, and talking animals. It’s all invented, but it is grounded in such reality—believable characters, feelings, reactions, truths about life, settings, and so forth—that it comes alive in readers’ imaginations.” – Sharon Watson, author of Writing Fiction [in High School]
Although it may seem intimidating to teach homeschool students fiction writing, in truth, most homeschoolers already love stories. Most families just need a structured way to teach fiction writing.
Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life begins with the fundamentals of storytelling, like point of view, how to hook a reader using examples from famous works, and how to create and develop characters.
Young writers will learn “the one rule that changes everything,” when it comes to writing fiction, illustrated through helpful before and after examples.
Along the way, students see lessons in action through studying published authors like Ray Bradbury and Jane Austen.
Finally, Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life uses fairy tales to teach story structure and introduces teens to common story patterns and motifs.
Students will feel like “real” writers as they work through practice exercises, study famous works and learn to refine their own writing.
Perfect for Resistant Writers and Wandering Storytellers
For teens who might normally groan at the words “creative writing,” the approachable, discussion-based format used in Writing Fiction (in High School): Bring Your Stories to Life lowers the stakes.
Hesitant teens will learn that fiction writing isn’t about getting it “right,” especially on the first try.
And for teens who already love writing, this complete high school fiction curriculum will give them an opportunity to firm up the fundamentals and direct their enthusiasm. For high schoolers who tend to start stories they never finish, or lean on their instincts as readers, the structured progression in Writing Fiction (in High School): Bring Your Stories to Life will channel their natural storytelling ability into skills they can build on.
A Ready-Made Framework: Writing Fiction (in High School) Bundle
Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life is a complete guide to getting teens started with writing fiction. The companion Teacher’s Guide includes an answer key and offers additional ways to support emerging writers.
By bundling the two books (available in paperback and digital versions), parents have an open-and-go way to teach fiction writing at home. The bundle is also a great option for homeschool co-ops and private schools.
Plus the approachable content and built-in critique guides will make the atmosphere feel more like a writer’s group and remove the intimidation factor that can come when high schoolers are asked to share their work.
You Don’t Have to Be a Novelist to Teach One
Fiction writing is a valuable skill for homeschoolers to learn in high school, whether they plan on writing the next great novel, want to become the best storyteller at the dinner table, or want to improve their overall communication skills for college or a career.
And parents don’t need to be a writer in order to help their homeschool students build confidence and skill in fiction writing.
Learn more about Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories to Life and the companion Teacher’s Guide here.
