Writers are often asked: “where do your ideas come from?” This is usually considered an irritating question. It implies, I suppose, that it is easy to “find” ideas. I have heard writers answer provocatively with something like: “Oh, I get my ideas from the bottom right-hand drawer of my bureau in the bedroom” or “I find them at the bottom of the garden on the first of each month.

But as a teacher I need to help my students come up with imaginative ideas all the time—whether it is writing a story or a poem or a scene to act. I guide them in realizing that they can mine their own lives for writing material—this is a lot more difficult than teaching sentence structure or vocabulary or plot.

Children eventually understand that every day provides them material to write about: a thought, a feeling, an opinion, a question, a daydream, an observation ….And it is the uniqueness of their experiences that makes writing compelling. One student may enjoy the poet Siobhan Swayne comparing the sea to a cat (“think of the ocean as a cat with her grey fur pushed high upon her back white boots kneading the shore”) while another may instead relate to the more sensory poem of Judith Thurman (“with shoes on, I can only feel how hard or soft the rock or sand is where I walk or stand. Barefoot, I can feel how warm mud moulds my soles …”). The child must be aware, of both his* internal and external worlds. The more parents and teachers authenticate the child’s unique perspectives, the easier it is for him to feel confident about having access to material to write about and the more rewarding the writing process is.

How do we do this? We relate our own stories, we share our own feelings and thoughts, we provide a safe environment where there are no “wrong” ideas, we encourage questions and curiosity and then we listen intently. We also read aloud, preferably daily, and help our children associate reading with joy (definitely not as an assignment or chore) and demonstrate that words are fun and interesting and aid in our communication.

That’s in a perfect world. In the real world, we do as much as we can!
* substitute her for your daughter