Develop Stories

"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from – more than what you tell them. They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are."

Jim Henson

For this section of the STORYMAKING HUB, we offer a three-tiered approach to help children learn how to develop their own stories. In Writing Collaborations, you can find useful information about kids and adults from around the world that have developed, written, and published books.

do it yourself

Guides for family
creative writing projects

Developers can create their own Hero & Heroine Journeys from scratch for potential books, games, TV shows, movies, etc.--or just for fun.

We will shortly provide a PDF with highlights from Fantasy Storymaking & Kids: A Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles Handbook.

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Simple

Intermediate

Complex

Crafting Compelling Characters

Making Your Own Stories

Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson is a prolific sci-fi/fantasy author who has used dictation to produce more than 120 traditionally published books, including projects with Star Wars, Dune, and X-Files.

Kevin was a personal friend of Neal Peart, the deceased drummer for the rock band Rush. Neil was known as one of the great lyricists of our generation and co-wrote a fantasy series with Kevin based on Rush albums. Clockwork Angels, Clockwork Lives, and Clockwork Destiny are three of my favorite fantasy books!

Brandon Sanderson

"Owning things of value is secondary to creating things of value where none once existed."

Brandon Sanderson, Shadows of Self

Brandon Sanderson has played a key role in my writing-with-grandkids adventure. I read many of his series—e.g., The Way of Kings, Mistborn, Wax & Wayne, and Skyward—and listened to his podcasts to better understand fantasy worldbuilding. In his YouTube training sessions, Sanderson shares details about creating his fantasy books.

My approach to midgrade books took an unexpected turn when I introduced Sanderson’s Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series—which he wrote with input from his young sons—to Brady when he was ten years of age.

Brady sent me the following text on 8:57 PM on January 8, 2021

Text: “I finished the 1st book of Evil Librarians!!! I am so happy ☺”

Sanderson’s abundant illustrations, tied to the text, made it easier for Brady to transition from humor books to a text-driven novel.

Brady’s reading accomplishment inspired me to add illustrations and maps to Star Life Keepers.

Heroes & Villains
Other Characters & Creatures
The Quests
Conflicts & Problems
Plots, Twists, & Surprises
Time
Place
Everyday Life
Mapmaking
Names
Spirituality & Magic Systems
Science & Technology
Warfare
Themes
The Grand Finale

15 Steps to Storymaking

Here is the model we follow in creating the Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles world along with some examples.

Kids Love Animals

Brady wanted to include a dog in Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles based on Max, my Golden Retriever.

So, we created Max the Wolfhound, which the midgrade beta readers asked us to put in more scenes.

Fun Stuff

As you sign up for our newsletters, you’ll receive PDFs about our creative processes, a free chapter from Star Life Keepers about the attack of a flying raptor, etc.