Including the mistakes she’s made \u2013 and how she fixed them.<\/p>\n
Take it away Lucinda!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Author Lucinda Gifford on encouraging kids to love writing<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s a joyful moment when you see your child put pen to paper of their own accord. They\u2019re being creative; they\u2019re building worlds; they\u2019re going to soar academically!<\/p>\n
So what can you do to inspire and encourage your budding author, without overwhelming them? It\u2019s a tricky balance, especially if you love books and writing yourself.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the mistakes I’ve made (and I know I’m not the only one) \u2013 and what I\u2019ve learned through them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
5 mistakes I made with my kids and writing \u2013 and how I made up for them<\/strong><\/h4>\nMistake 1 – Correcting small errors<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cI look over my child\u2019s shoulder to peek at their work. Oh no! The first sentence goes on for two paragraphs. The spelling is all over the place. They\u2019ve written the letter \u2018a\u2019 backwards.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong><\/p>\nRelax.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned not to point out small errors, especially at the beginning. It takes away the fun. And writing should be fun for as long as possible, so that kids keep writing.Now I focus on complementing what does work \u2013\u00a0illustrations, fun details, interesting words, character names\u2026 and ideas.<\/p>\n
If a child feels confident in their ideas, then they\u2019ll happily come up with more ideas. This means more creativity, more writing, more skill-building, more fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 2 – Forcing the narrative<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cSo what\u2019s it actually about, darling? Did you know that proper stories have a beginning, a middle and an end?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong><\/p>\nI realised quickly that rules like these are stifling early on \u2013 and that our kids will probably be told about story structure hundreds of times at school.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u2019m happy to sit back and enjoy my children\u2019s originality. I let their writing take me back to my own childhood thinking, before I became a grown-up immersed in Western narrative structures.<\/p>\n
Maybe a child has written a tale which starts off with a dragon called Alannah in a volcano and ends up with Pete the ice-cream being eaten by a llama. Great! I\u2019m happy to enjoy the journey (and any ice-cream that might be available).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 3 – \u2018Being the teacher\u2019<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cMaybe this is a good time to point out the difference between a verb and a noun. So they\u2019ll be ahead in class later.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nIt is not a good time. Children meet lots of teachers in their life. School curricula cover adverbs, verbs, nouns, synonyms, homonyms, similes, metaphors\u2026<\/p>\nInstead, I think about things I can do to bring their ideas to life \u2013 things that a teacher can\u2019t do in a busy classroom.<\/p>\n
For example: acting out a child\u2019s story with favourite toys chatting about characters and ideas in relaxed down-time, reading younger children\u2019s stories aloud in funny voices if permitted, and (our household favourite) discussing who would play the characters in a movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 4 – Oversharing<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cOooh! You\u2019re writing about a dragon! Has you read Dragon Rider<\/em>? Here it is! Oh look – here\u2019s a picture of a dragon on Pinterest! We could get \u2018Dragonology\u2019 from the Op Shop? Oh there used to be a show about dragons when I was a kid. Let me look it up\u2026 Hello? Hello!\u201d<\/p>\nHow I fixed it<\/strong>
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nStep back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n
Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n
And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n
After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/allisontait.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/the-wolves-of-greycoat-hall-196x300.jpeg\")
<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n
Mistake 1 – Correcting small errors<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cI look over my child\u2019s shoulder to peek at their work. Oh no! The first sentence goes on for two paragraphs. The spelling is all over the place. They\u2019ve written the letter \u2018a\u2019 backwards.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong><\/p>\nRelax.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned not to point out small errors, especially at the beginning. It takes away the fun. And writing should be fun for as long as possible, so that kids keep writing.Now I focus on complementing what does work \u2013\u00a0illustrations, fun details, interesting words, character names\u2026 and ideas.<\/p>\n
If a child feels confident in their ideas, then they\u2019ll happily come up with more ideas. This means more creativity, more writing, more skill-building, more fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 2 – Forcing the narrative<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cSo what\u2019s it actually about, darling? Did you know that proper stories have a beginning, a middle and an end?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong><\/p>\nI realised quickly that rules like these are stifling early on \u2013 and that our kids will probably be told about story structure hundreds of times at school.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u2019m happy to sit back and enjoy my children\u2019s originality. I let their writing take me back to my own childhood thinking, before I became a grown-up immersed in Western narrative structures.<\/p>\n
Maybe a child has written a tale which starts off with a dragon called Alannah in a volcano and ends up with Pete the ice-cream being eaten by a llama. Great! I\u2019m happy to enjoy the journey (and any ice-cream that might be available).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 3 – \u2018Being the teacher\u2019<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cMaybe this is a good time to point out the difference between a verb and a noun. So they\u2019ll be ahead in class later.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nIt is not a good time. Children meet lots of teachers in their life. School curricula cover adverbs, verbs, nouns, synonyms, homonyms, similes, metaphors\u2026<\/p>\nInstead, I think about things I can do to bring their ideas to life \u2013 things that a teacher can\u2019t do in a busy classroom.<\/p>\n
For example: acting out a child\u2019s story with favourite toys chatting about characters and ideas in relaxed down-time, reading younger children\u2019s stories aloud in funny voices if permitted, and (our household favourite) discussing who would play the characters in a movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 4 – Oversharing<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cOooh! You\u2019re writing about a dragon! Has you read Dragon Rider<\/em>? Here it is! Oh look – here\u2019s a picture of a dragon on Pinterest! We could get \u2018Dragonology\u2019 from the Op Shop? Oh there used to be a show about dragons when I was a kid. Let me look it up\u2026 Hello? Hello!\u201d<\/p>\nHow I fixed it<\/strong>
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nStep back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n
Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n
And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n
After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n
Relax.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned not to point out small errors, especially at the beginning. It takes away the fun. And writing should be fun for as long as possible, so that kids keep writing.Now I focus on complementing what does work \u2013\u00a0illustrations, fun details, interesting words, character names\u2026 and ideas.<\/p>\n
If a child feels confident in their ideas, then they\u2019ll happily come up with more ideas. This means more creativity, more writing, more skill-building, more fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 2 – Forcing the narrative<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cSo what\u2019s it actually about, darling? Did you know that proper stories have a beginning, a middle and an end?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong><\/p>\nI realised quickly that rules like these are stifling early on \u2013 and that our kids will probably be told about story structure hundreds of times at school.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u2019m happy to sit back and enjoy my children\u2019s originality. I let their writing take me back to my own childhood thinking, before I became a grown-up immersed in Western narrative structures.<\/p>\n
Maybe a child has written a tale which starts off with a dragon called Alannah in a volcano and ends up with Pete the ice-cream being eaten by a llama. Great! I\u2019m happy to enjoy the journey (and any ice-cream that might be available).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 3 – \u2018Being the teacher\u2019<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cMaybe this is a good time to point out the difference between a verb and a noun. So they\u2019ll be ahead in class later.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nIt is not a good time. Children meet lots of teachers in their life. School curricula cover adverbs, verbs, nouns, synonyms, homonyms, similes, metaphors\u2026<\/p>\nInstead, I think about things I can do to bring their ideas to life \u2013 things that a teacher can\u2019t do in a busy classroom.<\/p>\n
For example: acting out a child\u2019s story with favourite toys chatting about characters and ideas in relaxed down-time, reading younger children\u2019s stories aloud in funny voices if permitted, and (our household favourite) discussing who would play the characters in a movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 4 – Oversharing<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cOooh! You\u2019re writing about a dragon! Has you read Dragon Rider<\/em>? Here it is! Oh look – here\u2019s a picture of a dragon on Pinterest! We could get \u2018Dragonology\u2019 from the Op Shop? Oh there used to be a show about dragons when I was a kid. Let me look it up\u2026 Hello? Hello!\u201d<\/p>\nHow I fixed it<\/strong>
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nStep back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n
Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n
And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n
After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n
I realised quickly that rules like these are stifling early on \u2013 and that our kids will probably be told about story structure hundreds of times at school.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u2019m happy to sit back and enjoy my children\u2019s originality. I let their writing take me back to my own childhood thinking, before I became a grown-up immersed in Western narrative structures.<\/p>\n
Maybe a child has written a tale which starts off with a dragon called Alannah in a volcano and ends up with Pete the ice-cream being eaten by a llama. Great! I\u2019m happy to enjoy the journey (and any ice-cream that might be available).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 3 – \u2018Being the teacher\u2019<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cMaybe this is a good time to point out the difference between a verb and a noun. So they\u2019ll be ahead in class later.\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nIt is not a good time. Children meet lots of teachers in their life. School curricula cover adverbs, verbs, nouns, synonyms, homonyms, similes, metaphors\u2026<\/p>\nInstead, I think about things I can do to bring their ideas to life \u2013 things that a teacher can\u2019t do in a busy classroom.<\/p>\n
For example: acting out a child\u2019s story with favourite toys chatting about characters and ideas in relaxed down-time, reading younger children\u2019s stories aloud in funny voices if permitted, and (our household favourite) discussing who would play the characters in a movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 4 – Oversharing<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cOooh! You\u2019re writing about a dragon! Has you read Dragon Rider<\/em>? Here it is! Oh look – here\u2019s a picture of a dragon on Pinterest! We could get \u2018Dragonology\u2019 from the Op Shop? Oh there used to be a show about dragons when I was a kid. Let me look it up\u2026 Hello? Hello!\u201d<\/p>\nHow I fixed it<\/strong>
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nStep back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n
Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n
And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n
After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIt is not a good time. Children meet lots of teachers in their life. School curricula cover adverbs, verbs, nouns, synonyms, homonyms, similes, metaphors\u2026<\/p>\n
Instead, I think about things I can do to bring their ideas to life \u2013 things that a teacher can\u2019t do in a busy classroom.<\/p>\n
For example: acting out a child\u2019s story with favourite toys chatting about characters and ideas in relaxed down-time, reading younger children\u2019s stories aloud in funny voices if permitted, and (our household favourite) discussing who would play the characters in a movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 4 – Oversharing<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cOooh! You\u2019re writing about a dragon! Has you read Dragon Rider<\/em>? Here it is! Oh look – here\u2019s a picture of a dragon on Pinterest! We could get \u2018Dragonology\u2019 from the Op Shop? Oh there used to be a show about dragons when I was a kid. Let me look it up\u2026 Hello? Hello!\u201d<\/p>\nHow I fixed it<\/strong>
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nStep back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n\u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong>
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n
Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n
And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n
After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n
How I fixed it<\/strong> Step back and be subtle. (ps. If anyone has tips on subtlety, please get in touch.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut you started off so well – aren\u2019t you going to finish it?\u201d<\/p>\n How I fixed it<\/strong> I\u2019ve learned to accept this might be it. In time they\u2019ll need to develop their perseverance and learn organisational skills. But for now, writing is fun!<\/p>\n Pushing a child to keep working on an idea they\u2019ve moved on from is not the same as encouragement. I mutter a favourite phase of my school art teacher \u201cProcess not product\u201d, and leave it for a while.<\/p>\n And if my child doesn\u2019t go back to this particular story idea, I put the fabulous dragon cover on the wall. Maybe I\u2019ll write my own story about a dragon.<\/p>\n After all \u2013 writing is fun!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nThis is the mistake I make the most often. I get overexcited and can\u2019t wait to share my knowledge, swamping my children with references. Much better to imply one has fascinating information, and then wait to be asked.<\/p>\nMistake 5 – Expecting a finished piece of work<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nMy child had a grand vision. They designed a fabulous, multicoloured dragon cover for their story and wrote a short but promising blurb for the back. Now, half a page in, they\u2019re staring out the window.<\/p>\n<\/a>Lucinda Gifford is the author\/illustrator of The Wolves Of Greycoat Hall <\/em>(Walker Books) and\u00a0the Whitney and Britney<\/em> picture books (Scholastic), along with a host of others, as well as being the illustrator of a slew of titles ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels. <\/strong><\/p>\n