One of the best ways to get children of all ages writing creatively is with story starters. Your story starter can be as simple as one opening sentence, or as elaborate as a complete plot and character treatment. This morning, my friend Marianne posted a story starter that she and her son were working with. I thought it might be fun to see what my kids came up with and assigned the four oldest ones to complete the story. After about 30 minutes, this is what they came up with:

William, age 8 wrote:

Joe sailed around the world in a little houseboat. The houseboat got bitten by a whale. The whale was happy. Joe fell out of the houseboat. The houseboat sank. Joe swam to a town. The town liked Joe. The end.

Jack, 14, writes (reluctantly):

Joe sailed around the world in a little houseboat name “The Seafoam”. It was a big boat and very fast despite its size. On his way around the world, joe saw many interesting things. He saw the high mountain tops, cast oceans, thindering rivers, and many sea creatures. he saw clam, warm days and he saw freezing, stormy days. Along the way he wrote in his journal, and to his family. just as he was finishing his journey, The Seafoam was swept into a mealstrom and afer many days of battling through it, Joe and The Seafoam were slowly getting sucked further into it. So Jow was forced to abandon The Seafoam and try his own luck. After several minutes, Jow could no longer see The Seafoam, and after several hours he could hardly see anything except when the lightning flickered.

After what seemed like days, Joe, who was exhausted from swimming all night, passed out.

There was a bright light and Joe felt warm and dry. He thought he must be in Heaven so he opened his eyes to see where he was and he saw sand, and water and a volcano. Being very hungry, Jow went to find some food. he found a few fish on the beach that must have been washed up last time the tide came in. He lit a fire and cooked the fish. Then he decided to search for shelter. After several hours, just as he was about to give up, he saw some wooden thing in the distance, so he went to inspect it.

It was a houseboat just like his own, but he knew it wasn’t The seafoam because it had been lost at sea. He went inside, found the bed, and went to sleep. When he woke up and looked out the window, he saw that night had fallen once more; and that he was out at sea once more. He decided to get a feel for his new ship. When he was done, he found that it was just like The Seafoam in every way. It was even furnished in the same manner. After a few days, he saw land, so he made for it and at noon set anchor, went out and looked at the houseboat. He saw the peeling letters that spelled out “Seafoam”, and so went home to spend a month with family before setting sail again.

Catherine, our epic poetess writes:

Joe sailed around the world
in a little houseboat
All alone he sailed the sea
with nothing but a goat
Both wore hats, boots and breeches,
and little lime green coats
Up and down the seas they sailed
while the houseboat floated
And while the waves went up and down
they sat around and gloated
They ran aground in Paris, France
Joe and his little goat
And everyone watched and stared
at the little houseboat
and also at the travellers two
in their funny green coats.
But instead of trying to help,
they sat around and gloated
until the people grew so mad
they finally had voted
to push the travellers and the boat
until by itself it floated
around the boat went to Japan
with Joe and his little goat
and there they landed cold and wet
with nothing but their coats
while all Japan came out to see
Joe’s worn out houseboat
Both Joe and his little pal
went begging for a groat
so that they might buy some food
or a little bucket of oats
But of course those in Japan
do not use the groat
and so instead they bid farewell
and pushed the boat afloat
Som on sailed Joe around the world
in his little houseboat
Alone of course, except for his pet
the funny little goat.
And then an idea came to Joe
about his little boat:
he could live on it quite happily
without his lime green coat.
And so they stopped in Ireland
Joe and his little goat
And is why leprechauns
wear little lime green coats
But even now, Joe thought aloud
“Though there’s food on the boat,
a day will come when we don’t have
the smallest bit of oats.
So to conserve the little I have,
it’s time to sell the goat.”
Off they sailed and to Peru
went the little houseboat.
And there in the summer sun,
Joe sold his little goat.
Then after a year and a day
aboard the little houseboat,
Jow grew weary of the world
and missed his little goat
So he stopped sailing round and round
and left his boat afloat.

And Carrie has written a poem as well - a nonsense poem by her account, and in couplets:

Joe sailed around the world in a little houseboat
in his sailor hat and his little blue striped coat

He had a peg leg and a boot
and he hauled lots of pirate loot

And like other pirates, always said “Arrrrgh”
while he pilaged and plundered from near to far

He had an eye patch and a parrot
he ate bread and meat that had started to rot

On his boat he had a brass canon
he like it so much that he named it Shannon

He woke up early every day
this went on til the fourth of May

Then came up a giant storm
while he was eating his corn

He saw a flock
and then a rock

The boat went crash
and Joe went splash

He was swallowed by a whale
who stank of kale

He saw some wood and made a raft
It was a funny little craft

And he got out
and is drifting around still without a doubt.

As you can see, stories need not be prose. Poetry is also a fun way to tell a story!

Marianne’s starter was: “Joe sailed around the world in a little houseboat.”