Summer Writing Topics for Boys

Tweet I know, it's hard enough to get some kids to read over the summer, let alone write. However, some of my writing ideas have come from my son's storytelling. And remember, your children don't have to write a story, they can tell one as well. I found one trick to getting them to write one is to ask them a question and get them going on a story. Then when they are finished, I say, "That was a great idea. Do you think you could write it down for me so I don't forget. Maybe when you are done, you can read it to Dad, or Grandma, or so on."

Here are some great story starters.

1. What would happen if you had a pet snake that grew legs?
2. If you could be the general of an army, how would you make it a good army?
3. If you got lost in the woods, what would you do to survive?
4. If you could have the house to yourself for a whole week, what would you do each day?
5. What if you lived in a real Candyland?
6. If you could be a superhero, what kinds of things would you do? What would you look like? What superpowers would you have?
7. What would it be like to be taken hostage on a pirate ship?
8. What would it be like to live in a land with no parents and no rules?
9. If you were president of your country what would you change? What would you keep the same.
10. Create a new soda flavor and tell me what you would use for the ingredients, how it would taste, what it would look like. Draw a picture of the can when you are done.
11. What would it be like to shrink and be the driver of a remote control car?
12. What do you think it's like to grow really old?
13. If you were stranded on a remote island, how would survive? How would you get off?
14. Describe what would happen if you had an imaginary friend that became real? Describe your friend. What he looks like. What is his name? What do you like about him? What do you hate about him?
15. Describe what it would be like to be a cowboy or bank robber in the 'old days'.

You can create questions of your own, but make sure they are open ended questions. If you ask a yes or no question, that is the only word you will see on the paper.

One of my sons wouldn't write, but I found something to talk to him about by having him describe an Underground adventure he always talked about as a younger child. It gave us something to talk about and I was able to channel that adventure into a book I wrote for him. He has loved giving me ideas and at 17, he still gives me feedback on the book that we both hope to publish one day.