Collaborative Story Writing for Kids (in the Digital Age)

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Our teenage babysitter gave us the BEST writing idea — and my kids took off with it!

A Collaborative Email Story Writing Idea

In a collaborative story, each person takes turns telling the part of the story.

collaborative story writing idea for kids (via email)

1. Pick the Writers

Invite trusted friends, babysitters, or family members to write the story with you.

If your kids have email like mine do, be sure that you have access to see all their messages or are blind copied on all their messages.

2. Decide the Author Order

Pick who will start the story, and if there is more than one writer, who gets to write the story next. Decide if everyone should be copied on all the emails or not. I think it’s more fun if everyone gets to see all the emails, don’t you?

3. Start the Story

Email Story

Everyone takes turns adding on to the story. YEAH! (For story ideas check out these online story generators for ideas.)

4. Story Writing Tips

  • The story needs to make sense. (Mostly. It can be silly, of course.)
  • Stories are best with characters, a setting, and a problem and a solution.
  • Action and adventure are always entertaining.
  • This is supposed to be fun. Use your imagination and get creative.
  • No need to worry about conventions – spelling, punctuation, etc. This is a rough draft. If you decide to share it later, you can revise and edit.

5. Ending the Story

Anyone can wrap up the story when the problem is solved and it seems like it’s time to end.

Revise and edit if you want to share the story.

Your kids might like to publish the story to their own blog or email / print out to share with friends and family.

Email Story 2

Note: You may have also heard of Exquisite Corpse for art and writing poetry or story. The big difference in Exquisite Corpse writing is that you’re not supposed to see what the other person has written (or drawn.) Sometimes this is called a Folded Story.

Happy writing!

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