“Turn someone you dislike into an animal. It can be a camel or a caterpillar or any kind of animal. Describe the animal. Tell what happens to it in a story.” This is one of the many fun writing prompts you’ll find in Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine, award-winning author of Ella Enchanted. The 160-page paperback is aimed at children ages 8 and up, but the book’s time-tested advice is helpful to writers of all ages. If you’re looking to add creative writing to your homeschool curriculum, consider this book. In an easy-to-read, conversational style, Levine guides writers through developing engaging plots, credible characters and realistic dialogue. With ample doses of humor, the veteran author discusses setting, point of view, voice and more. Each chapter ends with a fun and thought-provoking writing exercise. By the end of the book, the writer should have a portfolio of written work. And, who knows? Some of it may even be worthy of publication.
Allegra's take: I’ve found Writing Magic to be immensely useful both in homeschool creative writing and on my own time. Students interested in writing will find Levine’s advice valuable, and it will quickly interest kids who might not otherwise enjoy creative writing. The advice presented in Writing Magic is important yet easy to follow, with numerous examples and comparisons. I highly recommend this book to all students working on creative writing.
