When my daughters were growing up, we had Friday Night Pizza, and they always, always, always put on a dance or a play.  Oftentimes, these kids (6 or 7 pre-teen girls)  would put on Fractured Fairy Tales.  We video taped them because they were incredibly creative, and it validated the girls to keep on writing and creating, and it kept them out of trouble.

Here’s how it works:  You take one of your favorite fairy tale characters, and you write the story from their point of view, much like the book, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  If it’s an evil character, you plead their innocence.  If it’s a sweet character, you show their shadowy side…all in the name of fun.  This exercise reminds us that EVERY CHARACTER HAS REDEEMING QUALITIES and FATAL FLAWS.  It’s good for novel writing too!

THE PLUS ONE!   – Do this same exercise with CHARACTERS FROM YOUR book.  It’s a fun, safe way to explore and also a chance to really get to know your characters.

Plus Two – Get your kids in on writing with you – You could write these fractured fairy tales together.  I’ve done this with four year olds because their imaginations are free to roam!