Book excerpt: Stimulating Story Writing! Inspiring Children aged 7-11 offers innovative and exciting ways to inspire children to want to create stories and develop their story writing skills. This practical guide offers comprehensive and informed support for professionals to effectively engage ‘child authors’ in stimulating story writing activity. Packed full of story ideas, resource suggestions and practical activities, the book explores various ways professionals can help children to develop the six key elements of story, these being character, setting, plot, conflict, resolution and ending. All of the ideas in the book are designed to complement and enrich existing writing provision in classrooms with strategies such as role play, the use of different technologies, and using simple open ended resources as story stimuli. Separated into two sections and with reference to the Key Stage 2 curricula, this timely new text provides professionals with tried and tested strategies and ideas that can be used with immediate effect. Chapters include: • Creating Characters • The Plot Thickens • Inspired Ideas • Resourcing the Story Stimulation This timely new text is the perfect guide for inspiring children aged 7-11 in the classroom and will be an essential resource for teachers and students on teacher training courses.