Step 1.  Set up your club.  Create your group -- yourself and friends who would also like to tap into their creative genius.  As few as four kids can make a very good start, and up to about ten a good limit.  This will allow each member to be able to share stories with the group and get feedback as you begin your writing together. Meetings should be held in places where your group can be private, away from other people.  They should last about one hour, and be held once a week.  A regularly scheduled time helps your members want to keep coming, and writing!

Step 2. Get copies of the book Pawprints © for yourself and a few friends who would also like to write more and have fun doing it! (Or have the friends get their own copies).  Ask everyone to order at once -- Amazon.com offers the books and you get free shipping on orders of $25 or more!

                                    
Step 3.  Have each member join our Pawprints Writing Club!  You and your friends will receive special members-only writing prompts by e-mail, plus you can send Ina up to 3 private questions per month on how to help each other be more creative, how to keep yourself and others writing, and other valuable tips. Use this button to sign on with a secure payment by check or credit card:

Special for Pawprints KIDS Writing Club FOUNDERs (kids who start the club):  Just send us proof that your group has bought at least 4 copies of Pawprints, and you'll receive a free copy of our Official Pawprints Journal!  Scroll down to see how.*

Step 4.  In your first meeting, go through the Pawprints Table of Contents, and ask everyone to name the story they would like to read aloud. Take a vote. The story with the most votes will get read first. Ask for a volunteer (usually the person who named the story first) to do the reading. Have everyone close their eyes, and take a moment to picture what the stories bring up from your own experiences. Then jump into talking about what you each just saw in your mind's eye.  Get as clear as possible.  Think about the way you all were feeling during the adventure you describe to the group. 

STEP 5. Take 10 minutes while everyone begins writing these memories of their own real-life meetings with animals, and funny moments with humans, the outdoors and furry, feathered and slithery creatures. 

Step 5 alternative.  Or get crazy and invent adventures that come to mind!  No holds barred -- this is your chance to create and start a whole new adventure! And by the way, the stories don't have to be funny -- sometimes sad moments will also come up, begging you to write them on paper (or computer).  And sometimes, you'll want to invent a mystery!

STEP 7. If there is time, vote on a second story from “Pawprints” to read next. Repeat the steps 4-5 as you did for the first story.

Step 8, and on A continuing basis:  If you're a member of our Pawprints Writing Club as an individual or as part of a writing group, you'll get more tips on next steps for your group or your own writing project, plus ideas for continuing your creativity.  From time to time we'll also discuss writing structure, and vocabulary words.

Anytime inspiration:  Go to the Zoo!  Talk to the animals, And if you can't get there, visit any zoo online.  Then think about the best part of your visit, and make up a story about what it would be like to live in the zoo yourself!!!!

FREE STUFF:  We have other special creativity tools you or your group may also want to use to start stories.  Try our free  prompts, picking one per meeting and seeing where they lead the group.  Get more on a regular basis as a Pawprints Writing Club Member!  And send in yours to share with others in the Club!

* For PAWPRINTS KIDS club founders only:

Mail or fax us a copy of the receipts for 4 copies of the book "Pawprints" your club members bought, and we will send you an e-mail to confirm we got it. This e-mail will contain a way for you to tell us if you want the FREE copy of The Official Pawprints Journal, or an official Pawprints star  sticker,

You can mail us at:

Pawprints Kids Club
Brentwood Village, PO Box 492213
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Our fax number is 1.310.471.7528.

You could also scan your receipts and e-mail them to us at:

annap@InasPawprints.com

Make sure you put "Pawprints Kids Club" in the subject line.

When members sign up again in six months, everyone will receive a new prize -- to be announced! Look for special Pawprints Kids Club Gear, coming soon!!!!