The Librarian's Internet--Scare Them into Writing
Monsters and other creepy topics can inspire young authors
By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 10/1/2005
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Also in this article: Monster Motel The Sugar Quill Harry Potter Haiku Goosebumps Write It!—Story Starters The Tolkien Trail—Rivendell Fan Fiction |
kotn.ntu.ac.uk/motel/motel/welcome.html
Want to get young children excited about writing? Then check into the Monster Motel and access more than 250 monster profiles written by students in grades three to five. Those inspired to create their own creature prose can click on the “Instant monster story” link on the home page. Created by: The Trace Online Writing Centre, Nottingham Trace University, Nottingham, England. Don’t Miss: The links to creepy lessons and related classroom printables in both Word and PDF formats.
The Sugar QuillThe Harry Potter series has inspired many teens and adults to try their own hand at writing. Here you’ll find lots of stories based on the Potter books, characters, or settings. All submissions are subject to fairly strict writing standards and content criteria. However, some entries are inappropriate for younger readers and are rated accordingly: PG13, NC17 or R. Kids under age 13 cannot submit their stories to this site (in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Act). Created by: Jennie Levine (aka Zsenya), Wilmington, DE.
Harry Potter Haikuwww.factmonster.com/spot/haikuharry.html
One of the first poetry forms kids encounter, and begin to write, is haiku. Factmonster encourages children to write Harry Potter–themed haikus for submission to their burgeoning collection of “Harry haiku” created by students ages eight to 16. Consider suggesting this as a fun writing project around Halloween. Created by: Pearson Education, Old Tappan, NJ.
Goosebumps Write It!—Story Starterswww.scholastic.com/goosebumps/writeit/index.htm
For writers, getting started is often the hardest part. Jump-start the imaginations of nine to 13-year-old students with a spooky “story starter” from Goosebumps creator R. L. Stine. Kids can select a starter—try “Snakes Alive” or the “Ice Scream Man”—then click “Choose this story” to complete their own tale, complete with creepy graphics and sounds. The best stories are posted on the site each month. Created by: Scholastic Publishing Inc., New York, NY. Plug-ins: Flash player is required to submit a story.
The Tolkien Trail—Rivendell Fan Fictiontolkientrail.com/rivendell/fanfic.shtml
Follow The Tolkien Trail to find fiction, art, and poetry inspired by The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). In the Rivendell section, you’ll find short stories and other so-called fan fiction based on characters and other aspects of the LOTR trilogy. To get a feel for the stories posted here, check out “A Meeting on Weathertop”—very nice! Created by: Benjamin Milder, Edison, NJ.
