Running out of things to do with the kids this half term? Why not encourage them to enter our short story writing competition, which is now open for entries until June 21 ?
Here are some top tips to help guide younger writers while they compose their submission for The Story with 100 Endings.
READ MORE: Help us finish our story for a chance to be published in a special keepsake magazine
Young children often have brilliant ideas – they just need a little help to shape them into a story.
Whether you’re a parent, carer or teacher, the best support is gentle and practical: keep the child’s voice at the centre, make space for play, and turn big imagination into clear sentences.
Try these four tips to help them create an ending they’re proud to submit.
Tip 1: Talk it out first
Start with a chat, not a blank page. Ask simple, open questions: What do you think the moving thing is? Where does it go? What happens at the very end?
Let the child answer in their own words, and follow their lead – even if it sounds silly or surprising.
You can jot down key phrases as they speak, then read them back to check you’ve captured their idea.
This helps children organise their thoughts and builds confidence before they tackle sentences.
Tip 2: Use a simple story shape (beginning–middle–end)
Young writers do best with a clear route. Remind them the story already has a beginning, so they only need to add what happens next and how it finishes.
Try three quick prompts: What problem or surprise happens? What does Sam do about it? How is it solved – or how does it end?
You can draw three boxes and sketch ideas in each, or write one sentence per box. This structure keeps the ending focused and easier to write.
Tip 3: Let them be the author – you be the helper
Support doesn’t mean taking over. Keep the child’s wording wherever possible – that’s what makes their ending original.
If writing is hard, offer to be their “story scribe”: they say the sentence, you write it, then they read it back and choose any changes.
If they are writing themselves, help with tricky spellings by giving the word orally, or offering two options (e.g. is it ‘disappeared’ or ‘disapeared’?).
Praise effort and ideas first; save tidying for the end.
Tip 4: Make it vivid with senses and one ‘wow’ detail
To lift a child’s story from “and then…” to truly gripping, add small details.
Ask: What can Sam see, hear, smell or feel? Maybe the ink trail smells like strawberries, the book’s pages whisper, or the library floor turns to rippling water.
Encourage one standout ‘wow’ moment – a secret door in a bookshelf, a talking bookmark,
or Sam stepping into a world made of sentences. One strong image is enough. Then help them end on a clear final line that feels finished.
Most of all, keep it fun, keep it theirs, and celebrate the moment they write: “The end.”
The deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday, June 21, 2026. All entries must be submitted online at tinyurl.com/BornandReadinNorfolkStoryComp, where you can also find all the entry details, word counts, terms and conditions.
This article has been published as part of Born & Read in Norfolk – a year-long initiative highlighting the importance of reading and writing, delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Writing, headline sponsor RWE and sponsor YouGarden.
Follow the campaign throughout the year in our coverage and on social media using #BornAndRead2026 or get in touch at readingmatters@newsquest.co.uk
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