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Writing Activity: take a character on a believable journey from zero to hero

by Jane Levi

Published April 24, 2021

'Tom Green,' a story by 10-year-old Zahra Batteh, is a classic redemption tale. Tom Green, a horrible, spoiled, lazy young man loses all his money and privilege, and through a series of misfortunes and (eventually) hard...

Stone Soup Author Interview: Shelby Miller

by Stone Soup Editors

Published February 23, 2021

Weekly Creativity #125 | Flash Contest: Write a Story with Traditional Opening and Closing Lines

by Jane Levi

Published November 2, 2020

Write a short story that begins with “Once upon a time, in a land far away...” and ends with “...and they all lived happily ever after.” This prompt is our November Flash Contest. Please check...

Daily Creativity #50: Change a Key Word in Your Story

by Jane Levi

Published May 29, 2020

What if a misplaced letter in a word changes everything? A story about someone who wins a million dollars would be very different if they actually won a million collars; a painting of a world...

Daily Creativity #45: Write About a Miscommunication

by Jane Levi

Published May 22, 2020

Sometimes a plot turns on a mistake or a miscommunication. What if the crucial email, letter, text or phone message never arrived? It could be a disaster, or it might mean a lucky escape. Write...

Daily Creativity #40: Think about Endings and Try Writing a Different One

by Jane Levi

Published May 15, 2020

Daily Creativity #12: Write a Story in the Second Person

Published April 7, 2020

More often than not, we write stories in the first person (I) or the third (she or he). Today we have a new challenge: write a short story narrated in the second person—i.e. “You open...

Daily Creativity #8: Write a Story with a Twist Ending

Published April 1, 2020

It's April Fool's Day! Write a story with a twist ending that will totally surprise your reader.

Writing Activity: Using Framing to Add Depth and Power

by William Rubel

Published October 18, 2019

Writing Activity: challenging prejudice and developing empathy through storytelling

by William Rubel

Published August 23, 2019

The story by 11-year-old Nate Sheehan, "Conrad and Fate" is about prejudice based on a student's ethnicity. This story, set in the late 1950s is about prejudice against Japanese people, something that was very strong...

Writing Activity: take a character on a believable journey from zero to hero

Post Published April 24, 2021 by Jane Levi

Stone Soup Author Interview: Shelby Miller

Post Published February 23, 2021 by Stone Soup Editors

Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks with Stone Soup newcomer Shelby Miller, 11, about the inspiration she gets from her author grandfather, writing scary stories, and the lovely privacy of writing in her own room. 0:16 - How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 0:32 - Do you subscribe to Stone Soup? 0:39 - What have you submitted to Stone Soup?

Weekly Creativity #125 | Flash Contest: Write a Story with Traditional Opening and Closing Lines

Post Published November 2, 2020 by Jane Levi

Daily Creativity #50: Change a Key Word in Your Story

Post Published May 29, 2020 by Jane Levi

What if a misplaced letter in a word changes everything? A story about someone who wins a million dollars would be very different if they actually won a million collars; a painting of a world under the sea would look very different to a world inside a pea. Play around with a key word in one of your ideas and see what happens to your story or your artwork!

Daily Creativity #45: Write About a Miscommunication

Post Published May 22, 2020 by Jane Levi

Sometimes a plot turns on a mistake or a miscommunication. What if the crucial email, letter, text or phone message never arrived? It could be a disaster, or it might mean a lucky escape. Write a story where an important message never got through, and that changes the outcome for the better.

Daily Creativity #40: Think about Endings and Try Writing a Different One

Post Published May 15, 2020 by Jane Levi

Endings are hard. Try thinking about endings as punctuation: Period: it’s all neatly tied up and finished. Question mark: a few things are left open - whatever will happen next? Exclamation point - no one expected that, SURPRISE!!!!! Take a look at one of the stories you have written recently–or, you can do this as a collaborative exercise using someone else’s story (swap with ...

Daily Creativity #12: Write a Story in the Second Person

Post Published April 7, 2020 by

More often than not, we write stories in the first person (I) or the third (she or he). Today we have a new challenge: write a short story narrated in the second person—i.e. “You open the door. You see this…”

Daily Creativity #8: Write a Story with a Twist Ending

Post Published April 1, 2020 by

It's April Fool's Day! Write a story with a twist ending that will totally surprise your reader.

Writing Activity: Using Framing to Add Depth and Power

Post Published October 18, 2019 by William Rubel

Emma McKinny's story "Windsong," is about going to a performance of Dr. Atomic, an opera by John Adams with libretto by Peter Sellers. Her father is the lead singer. You can use your research skills to get information on the actual performance and its reviews online, but here we want to focus on one element of the story–the way in which Emma frames her narrative.

Writing Activity: challenging prejudice and developing empathy through storytelling

Post Published August 23, 2019 by William Rubel

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