creative writing about brave

32 Writing Prompts About Courage and Bravery

Stories about courage and trusting your gut are the best! You see them everywhere – in old-school myths, modern movies, you name it.

These stories remind us how to overcome tough stuff, be brave, and how awesome that feels!

So, if you’re into writing, I’ve got some cool prompts for you to play with.

Whether you want ideas for a whole novel, a short story, or just want to get your thoughts down, these questions will help you explore courage and bravery in your own way.

Dive in and let’s get creative!

Writing Prompts About Courage and Bravery

Reflection on Personal Trials : Consider an event in your life that tested your courage like never before. It could be a crisis, a significant life change, or an unexpected challenge. How did you react to it? Did it alter your perception of bravery? Explore your thoughts and feelings about this moment in your life, focusing on how it forced you to confront and demonstrate your bravery. Write a narrative recounting this event, examining your emotions, reactions, and the aftermath.

Bravery Through Others’ Eyes : We often perceive ourselves differently from how others perceive us. Think about an incident when someone told you that you were brave, but you didn’t feel brave at the time. Why did they think you were courageous, and why did you disagree? What did this incident teach you about the multiple dimensions of courage? Write a reflective piece exploring this incident and its impact on your understanding of bravery.

Courage in Everyday Life : Bravery doesn’t always involve grand gestures or life-and-death situations; sometimes, it’s the little things that count. Think of a day-to-day situation where you had to show courage — it could be as simple as speaking up for yourself or someone else, confronting a fear, or taking on a new responsibility. Write a short story about this situation, exploring how it called on your courage and how it changed you.

Inspiration of Bravery : Everyone has someone they admire for their bravery, whether it’s a real person or a fictional character. Reflect on why you admire this person’s courage and how it influences your own behavior. Are there any aspects of their courage you aspire to emulate? Write an essay analyzing the nature of their courage and how it has inspired you.

Fear Versus Courage : Fear is a natural part of being human, and true courage often involves confronting and overcoming our fears. Reflect on a fear that you’ve had to face head-on. How did you muster the courage to do so? What were the outcomes, and how did this experience shape your perception of bravery? Write a personal essay on this fear, your process of overcoming it, and its impact on your concept of bravery.

The Cost of Courage : Bravery can sometimes come at a price. There could be times when standing up for what you believe in led to loss or difficulty. Reflect on such a time and how you dealt with the consequences. Did it make you question your actions, or did it strengthen your resolve? Write a narrative detailing this experience and its effect on your understanding of courage.

Unexpected Acts of Courage : There are moments when we surprise ourselves by acting bravely in unexpected circumstances. Recall such a moment when your actions surprised you. What led you to act courageously, and what was the outcome? How did this incident affect your understanding of your own courage? Write a reflective piece describing this event and its impact on your self-perception.

Bravery in Leading : Being a leader often requires courage, as it involves making difficult decisions, facing criticism, and setting an example for others. Reflect on a time when you had to step up and lead, whether in a small group or a larger community. How did you show bravery in this role? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them? Write an account of your leadership experience, focusing on the role courage played in it.

Silent Bravery : There are moments of quiet courage that often go unnoticed – standing up to a personal bias, reaching out to someone despite past misunderstandings, or persisting in the face of consistent failure. Reflect on a moment of such silent bravery in your life. How did it transform you, and what did it teach you about the nuances of courage? Write a personal narrative focusing on this silent act of bravery and its impact on your personal growth.

Unconventional Acts of Courage : Society has defined sets of expectations and norms. Breaking away from these norms and being true to yourself often requires a lot of courage. Think about an instance when you displayed bravery by defying societal expectations to stay true to your convictions. Write a reflective piece on this incident, exploring your struggle, triumph, and lessons learned.

Bravery in Vulnerability : Showing vulnerability, opening up about our feelings, and seeking help can be some of the bravest acts. Reflect on a time when you had to open up about something deeply personal and how it demanded courage from you. How did it affect your relationships and your perception of strength and courage? Write a memoir-style piece about this event and its lasting effects on you.

Cultivating Courage : Bravery isn’t an inborn trait; it can be cultivated over time. Reflect on your journey of cultivating courage. How did you recognize the need for it? What actions did you take, and how did you overcome setbacks? What were some significant milestones along this journey? Write an essay detailing your journey of cultivating courage, emphasizing the growth process.

Empathy and Courage : Empathy often requires courage as it involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can sometimes be painful or uncomfortable. Reflect on a time when your empathy for someone else’s situation led you to act courageously. Write a narrative exploring how empathy propelled you into an act of courage and how this event influenced your perception of bravery.

Bravery in Forgiveness : It requires immense courage to forgive, especially when the hurt is deep. Reflect on an experience where you demonstrated courage by choosing to forgive. How difficult was it to take this step? How did this act of bravery affect you and the other person involved? Write an introspective piece examining this act of forgiveness and its impact on your understanding of courage.

Sacrificial Courage : There are moments when we display bravery by making sacrifices for the benefit of others. Recall an instance when you had to make a significant sacrifice that required courage. What were the consequences, and how did they affect your outlook on bravery? Write a narrative detailing this sacrificial act and its influence on your perception of bravery.

Overcoming Physical Limitations : Often, we find courage within ourselves when dealing with physical limitations or illnesses. Reflect on a time when you or someone close to you showed courage in the face of physical adversity. How did this situation highlight the essence of bravery for you? Write a personal essay on this experience, focusing on how it shaped your view of courage.

Story Ideas About Courage and Bravery

• A small-town firefighter battling a citywide fire: Imagine a small town where everyone knows everyone else, and a dangerous fire breaks out, threatening to consume it all. Your main character is a local firefighter who is under-equipped but brimming with courage. The story should focus on their determination and the risks they take, exposing their bravery under intense circumstances. Write about how they rise to this daunting challenge, leveraging their deep connection with the community and their extraordinary courage.
• Stand against a corrupt regime: Picture a world where your protagonist lives under a tyrannical government. Despite the risks associated with dissent, they decide to take a stand against the regime. Their actions start small but gradually gain momentum, leading to unforeseen consequences. Delve into the story of their bravery, illustrating the courage it takes to stand against systemic corruption.
• An encounter with a wild animal: Your character is an average person who stumbles upon a potentially dangerous wild animal while hiking in a remote area. With no one else around to help, they must rely on their courage to manage the situation. Write a thrilling account of how their bravery plays a pivotal role in their survival.
• Facing terminal illness: Your protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Instead of letting the diagnosis rule their remaining days, they decide to face it with courage, living life to the fullest. Tell their heart-wrenching tale of bravery, depicting how they inspire others around them with their optimistic outlook and courageous spirit.
• The reluctant hero: Your main character is an everyday person who is unwillingly thrust into a crisis situation, such as a hostage situation, natural disaster, or act of terrorism. They must summon their courage and step out of their comfort zone to navigate this life-threatening situation. Craft a compelling narrative that explores their journey from reluctance to bravery.
• Revealing a personal truth: The protagonist holds a secret related to their identity, such as their sexual orientation or a hidden past, which, if revealed, could ostracize them from their conservative community. They decide to come out with the truth, despite the societal backlash. Write about their brave journey of self-acceptance and the courage to live authentically.
• An unexpected hero: Imagine a timid, introverted character who everyone overlooks. However, when a crisis arises, they surprise everyone by demonstrating unprecedented courage. Spin a tale that unfolds their transformation from an underdog to a hero, highlighting their journey of courage and self-discovery.
• Protecting a loved one at all costs: Your character is a pacifist who abhors violence. But when a loved one is in danger, they are forced to step into a violent confrontation to save them. Narrate this intense story of love-induced bravery, where the character must face their fears and take action they would never have imagined.
• Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking: Your protagonist suffers from a severe fear of public speaking, yet finds themselves having to deliver a speech at an important event. The story should focus on the mental and emotional preparation leading up to the event. Explore their journey of summoning courage to overcome their fear and bravely face the audience.
• Choosing a Difficult Career Path: Your character is passionate about a career path that is notoriously difficult and fraught with failure. Despite the odds, they choose to pursue it, navigating obstacles with relentless determination and courage. Write about their courageous choice and how their unwavering bravery propels them towards their dream.
• A Nurse During a Pandemic: Imagine your protagonist as a nurse working in a hospital during a global pandemic. Faced with uncertainty and danger, they show immense courage in tending to the sick. Narrate the stories of their brave acts in the face of life-threatening risk, painting a vivid picture of their everyday courage.
• Championing Environmental Conservation: The protagonist is an environmental activist in a region where ecological concerns are sidelined by economic interests. Despite threats and backlash, they dare to stand up for the environment. Tell their story, showcasing their courage to fight against powerful adversaries for the cause they believe in.
• The Unlikely Athlete: Your character has a physical disability, yet they have the courage to train and compete as an athlete. Craft an inspiring narrative highlighting their bravery and determination to overcome their physical limitations and societal stereotypes.
• Refugee’s Journey to Safety: Your protagonist is a refugee forced to flee their home due to conflict or persecution. Their journey to safety is fraught with danger, but they bravely push forward, holding onto hope. Depict their harrowing journey, emphasizing their bravery in the face of unimaginable adversity.
• Teacher in a Struggling School District: Your main character is a teacher in an underfunded and underperforming school. Despite the challenges, they take innovative measures to ensure their students get quality education. Detail their story of courageous dedication to their students and their brave fight against the systemic challenges of their environment.
• Against Bullying: The protagonist is a high-school student witnessing daily bullying incidents in their school. Instead of staying silent, they decide to stand up against the bullies, despite the fear of becoming a target. Write about their acts of courage, demonstrating how their bravery helps to change the bullying culture in their school.

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52 Writing Prompts

Need freewriting ideas?   We've got you covered!

Here are 52 writing prompts,   one for each week of the year!

View them as sparks, not prescriptions. Use them as leaping off points to follow anywhere the imagination leads.

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Why Writing is an Act of Bravery: A Letter to Writers

Feb 7, 2014 | Writing Practice

“Only when we’re brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our life.” — Brene Brown

Writing is an act of bravery.

Each year, when I teach our writing workshops, I get to work with a small group of twenty-some writers, thinkers, and creatives. Inevitably, the process gets difficult in weeks two and week three, because I ask people to share parts of their stories—their wishes, hopes and dreams, who they are.

My students write with angst— “I’m behind! This is hard! I’m struggling!” —and I know this feeling all too well. I encourage them to continue, to press on in the face of fear or worry, and to get their pens to the page as often as possible. I am here to support, to encourage, and to push—just the right amount. Enough to get into it. Enough to push past the blocks and the barriers. Then the insights come: “Wow—I wasn’t expecting that I’d write about that,” and “That was fascinating,” and “I just got lost in a 2,000 word story and I’ve barely just begun.”

Writing is an act of bravery. Writing often means facing your own darkness and light. This is an essay for all of the students in my writing class, but it’s also an open letter to all writers, everywhere, struggling.

1. An open letter to all writers.

Dear writers:

The past few weeks have been deep, winding, and possibly full of emotions as we unpack the thoughts and ideas that have perhaps been long been locked inside of our minds. We have access to our thoughts, but not always a full understanding of them. Emotions can have such a mastery over us, and forging a relationship with your pen can help unwind parts of that. Through writing, we discover deeper truths about what we want, who we are, what we value, and the stories that we tell ourselves. Often we have to write the stories first before we can discover what it is that we’re trying to say.

For the newest of writers, I often hear that these first few exercises are somewhat surprising, bringing up past ideas and thoughts that perhaps haven’t fully percolated or settled in ways that you had thought. Often rough with emotion and tenderness, I find that writing brings up ideas and thoughts that I’m not sure how to frame, or what to say, or where to go next. It is within this context that I offer up a thought of gratitude for showing up to practice, and thank myself simply for embracing the pen and paper as a way to discover new (and existing) thoughts and ideas.

Writing is a spiritual practice, a soul-cleansing, deep-dive into the emotions and ideas we might not even be at first aware that we have.

Writing is a spiritual practice, a soul-cleansing, deep-dive into the emotions and ideas we might not even be at first aware that we have. Some days writing brings out the best in us, and other days I have to thrash through words before getting up angrily to go for a long walk, dance out my thoughts, or drown my ideas in coffee, water or wine. As we uncover the deeper truths and ideas—we become aware of who we are, and possibly the painful moments within us that have been buried for so long.

Write to discover.

Writing lets me figure out what it is that I’m thinking, by putting words onto pages and telling the story of my life, my experiences, and the world as I see it around me.

When I come back to it, I recognize patterns and ideas and realize much more about my perspectives and point of view. One of the kindest things I’ve done for myself is take the time to make space on a page, write some words down, and allow myself to come back whenever I want to talk through my ideas. Not every day is a glamorous day by any stretch, and I often struggle to sit down at the computer in the first place. In fact, it’s amazing how appealing laundry and dishes become when I’m avoiding saying the thing that needs to be said. What keeps me coming back to my practices, however, is that this is the place where I’m allowed to think what I think, write what I want to write, and tell the stories no matter how fantastical or horrible they might feel. I have permission to explore these ideas, without consequence. I can write them down. So, I write them down.

When we look at ways to talk to other people and develop communications (and stories) that teach, share, and explain—or moreover, that persuade—it often requires a deep understanding of the self, as well as a deep understanding of another person. Whether you’re a marketer trying to explain your product to an audience that could benefit from your design, a teacher trying to clarify a new idea to students, or an individual seeking understanding from a close friend or loved one, it is through our words that we take the ideas in our minds and give them shape for other people.

Words and writing are one way that we tap into our soul and ideas—words are a connection device between humans, a way to tell stories and share parts of ourselves with other people.

Words and writing are one way that we tap into our soul and ideas—words are a connection device between humans, a way to tell stories and share parts of ourselves with other people. The more we practice using our words and explaining our thinking, the larger our repertoire of sentences and stories that we can pull from to explain ourselves to other people. The more we write, the better we can teach, explain, love, persuade. Writing, as a practice, gets easier the more that you do it.

Writing is about bravery and courage.

“Give me the courage to show up and be seen.” — Brene Brown.

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are. We all have shame. We all have good and bad, dark and light, inside of us. But if we don’t come to terms with our shame, our struggles, we start believing that there’s something wrong with us –that we’re bad, flawed, not good enough—and even worse, we start acting on those beliefs. If we want to be fully engaged, to be connected, we have to be vulnerable.” —Brene Brown, Daring Greatly.

The beauty of writing, and this is true for me quite profoundly, is that we can often make our way out of suffering through the act of writing itself and often just by writing alone. It is not always the action or the striving that must be reconciled, but rather the understanding and acknowledgment of feeling itself.

As Spinoza, the philosopher, is quoted:

“Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” – SPinoza

In re-reading Man’s Search for Meaning, a gut-wrenching first-person account of surviving the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, Harold Kushner details the quest for meaning in his introduction to the account:

“Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning. The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life. Frankl saw three possible sources for meaning: in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it.”

Forces beyond your control can take everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.

Writing is not just about sadness and suffering, either (and nor is life). Writing also lets us write the good things, write the ways we want to feel, and give permission to the greatness in emotion that needs as much encouragement to expand as do the emotions that make us seek understanding. Good feelings need space to expand, too. Write about all of it. Tell it.

Perhaps we are afraid of writing because we’re afraid of knowing our own story.

Writing is intimidating for so many reasons. We’re scared that we won’t capture the ideas or know what to say—and we’re afraid of what we’ll discover or become if we do pencil out those terrifying thoughts.  in your life do you feel brave or have you been brave? Perhaps your writing journey can begin with a highlights reel: describe a moment in your life when you encountered an opportunity to be brave. How did you react? What was the call to action? How long did it take you to decide to do something? How did you feel before, during, and after? What was the result? Who was changed as the result of this event?

Bravery is something different to every person.

To me, I can find it tremendously difficult to act upon one of my biggest dreams—the dream that I’m almost afraid to make real, the one that seems so simple to everyone else but me. In contrast to this seemingly simple thing, this act that everyone but me seems to find easy, I would rather jump in an ocean naked, swim a hundred miles, or work myself to the ground than admit to myself how important it is. When I discovered the extent to which I was avoiding doing the practice of my deepest dream, I wondered to myself whether or not taking steps to fulfill this dream was even brave. Did it matter that it seemed like the hardest thing in the world was getting on that bus and taking myself to the class I was so scared of? Did each of these actions—even just saying what my dream was out loud to those closest to me—was that even bravery?

Speak up for something you believe in.

The answer is yes. Speaking up for something you believe in, even if it’s just a laugh and a smile; holding your daughter’s arms, saying no with your eyes, writing about a story that hurts to tell, taking a class that terrifies you even though it doesn’t seem difficult to anyone else—this is bravery.

Write, tell the story of your life.

Thank you for reading and writing,

Look! We're Learning!

Early Learning. Happy Teaching.

Fifth Grade Creative Writing: Brave Writer Review

September 7, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

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Creative writing is one of the most difficult subjects I’ve ever had to teach in our homeschool . I was an English major in college and I love the writing process, but letting go of what English “should” sound and look like has been a real issue for me personally, so it’s hard for me to teach my kids to write freely.

So I was thrilled to get a chance to post a Brave Writer review after trying the program’s Faltering Ownership for fifth grade creative writing! In fact, I loved Brave Writer so much that it’s going to be our creative writing program for this homeschool year!

Check out our review to see how we used Brave Writer to make creative writing accessible and fun!

*Disclosure: I received access to this resource in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.*

The Faltering Ownership Philosophy

For fifth grade, we used “Faltering Ownership” , the Brave Writer program that’s geared toward 11-12 year olds. I was a little puzzled by the title until I read the introduction to the program, but it turns out that the title fits the program perfectly!

As Julie explains in the intro, middle school is the time when children begin to “take the wheel” of the writing process. It’s kind of like giving your child the keys to the car for the first time and riding in the passenger seat as they drive.

They make turns you’re not expecting and the loss of control can be unnerving for parents, but the experience is essential for kids so that they can take ownership, even if it’s faltering, over their own direction. And Julie applies that analogy to writing.

In middle grades, kids need to develop more confidence in their writing ability. As parents, we shift from teachers to consultants, giving our children direction but also instilling them with confidence to write what they feel. And that means letting them learn to look at language differently.

Once I read the introduction to the program, I had a new outlook on what it means to teach creative writing, even though I’ve already finished a degree in English! So Brave Writer taught me quite a lot as well. 🙂

We jumped right in with the activities in month 1 – Word Collecting and Building.

One of the first monthly exercises in “Faltering Ownership” is to collect words and learn to use them as building blocks for writing prompts and expressions. Tigger started off by listening to television shows and conversations, as well as by reading signs, snippets of books that were lying nearby, and product labels in stores.

Once she filled several pages of paper with various words, she copied them onto trimmed pieces of index cards.

As you can see, we ended up with quite a lot. She  really liked collecting those words.

When we had all of our index cards completed, it was time to group the words into piles. In Faltering Ownership, the instructions are quite liberal, so Tigger could group the words however she wanted: alphabetically, adjective/noun pairs, similar topics, or any other way she could think of.

We aimed for about six or seven words per pile.

Then she started matching them up to create two-word phrases. Faltering Ownership suggested pasting the words on household objects, so we started with our homeschooling space: the dining room .

From the random word pairings, we got some great phrases, including “fuzzy television”,

“teetering library”,

…and “beautiful friendship”. Awww… 🙂

After creating another phrase “cheeky station”, Tigger wrote a short story:

A Land Where Objects Talk

“You should go to Weirdoland. Objects talk, flowers and trees dance, and MUCH MORE. For instance, one day the sun said, “I will shine.” The clouds said, “We will glide.” A grumpy train pulled in. “You’re the grumpiest object I’ve ever seen!”, laughed a cheeky station. “STOP!” snapped the grumpy train. (Psst…they’ve never gotten along.)”

Faltering Ownership recommended asking students how their perspective on language has changed after completing the word building activity. When I asked Tigger, she wrote down her answer:

“Before when I learned language, especially in school, I used to think that language was easy. Now I’m learning that sometimes you have to think about some things. And guess what? IT’S NOT BORING!”

She’s absolutely right. Creative writing is not boring, especially when you can learn to look at words differently and free your mind to use them in new ways.

How to Use Faltering Ownership

Faltering Ownership is designed to be used along with The Writer’s Jungle , the focal point of the Brave Writer curriculum. The Writer’s Jungle is a homeschooling creative writing course that is geared toward  parents. 

It’s a complete overview of language arts in general – from narration and freewriting to editing and publishing. If you’re unsure where to begin when you’re teaching creative writing, The Writer’s Jungle is basically a guided journey through teaching language arts to your kids.

Since Faltering Ownership is a year-long curriculum, there are exercises for an entire year of creative writing. Naturally, we began with Month 1: Wild Words, but the program continues for 9 months more, covering topics such as historical writing and composing reports. There are also two bonus activities, in case you teach year-round or just want to round out your program with more activities.

Faltering Ownership is based on three core segments: language arts, oral language, and writing projects. One of the things I’m truly enjoying about the program is its emphasis on appreciating language in  general before beginning to write. So children can learn to use copywork, narration, and dictation (core components of the Charlotte Mason approach) as keys to examining literature. These are great stepping stones to building their own creativity for what they’ll write later.

Plus, the ebook is beautifully laid out, complete with pictures, diagrams, and prompts. All of the instructions are included for each activity, so you don’t have to be an expert on teaching English before you begin. I can’t tell you how much of a help that was, especially when you’re teaching kids with ADHD and you need to get a lesson done before their attention span goes out the window. 🙂

We can’t wait to use Brave Writer for our fifth grade creative writing program to see how much further we can stretch our writing muscles! If you’re interested in trying Faltering Ownership or another one of the Brave Writer programs, you can save 10 percent on your purchase with the code  iHomeschoolDiscount .  This code is valid through September 21, 2015 only.

To learn more about Brave Writer, visit the program’s website or keep up with Brave Writer on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest , or Instagram !

February 7, 2016 at 2:22 pm

Thank you so much for explaining this so clearly. I’m trying to get my head around Bravewriter (which I’m fast falling in love with!). I’m wondering what you did after Faltering Ownership?

Kind regards, Susan

February 18, 2016 at 9:18 pm

Hi! We’re still working with it for the rest of this grade. After this, I’m not quite sure. We may go on to the next level with Brave Writer. I’ll decide sometime over the summer. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

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A Thorough Review of the Brave Writer Curriculum for Literature

Before I found the Brave Writer Curriculum, I felt like Tarzan.  Or Jane.  Swinging all day from various trees in the language arts forest, never knowing if it was going to be enough.

I was leaping from workbook to workbook to cover these skills, but what was I achieving? Spelling.  Vocabulary.  Comprehension questions.  Grammar.  Writing.  Would my kids ever connect all of these branches?

All of the Language arts skills felt so jumpy and disconnected in our homeschool.   And I was tired.  I didn’t want to swing like Tarzan from topic to topic anymore, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.

So I did what any homeschool mom does.  I googled.  And I googled.  And I googled.  I knew I could find a program that would help me teach Language Arts as a  cohesive set of skills for communication .  I knew I could find a guide to take us into the world of language and communication.

And I stumbled upon the Brave Writer Curriculum for homeschooling families and I decided to give it a try.

{This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure .}

Understanding Language Arts and the Brave Writer Curriculum

Language Arts is a broad term used to describe the variety of skills included in the subject areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Language Arts includes many of the following skills:

reading/phonics literature comprehension/analysis grammar punctuation handwriting formal and informal writing spelling vocabulary speaking listening …and more

As a homeschooling parent, teaching all of these skills to several different children each day felt quite overwhelming. I was desperate to find an easier way, and the Brave Writer curriculum became the solution.

But first, let’s take a look at the problem I was experiencing.

My Homeschool Experience Teaching Language Arts

Picture the subject of language arts skills as a lush forest of trees.  Using various workbooks with my kids made me feel like I was leaping around the Language Arts forest all day, swinging from tree to tree to tree.

To make teaching language arts even more complicated, I have four children. That means that all four of my children were working in different workbooks so they could work on material at their grade level. That was a lot of jumping around without much family cohesiveness. There was no joy in a day that felt so jumpy and checklist-y.

Things needed to change, so in a moment of inspiration and a little bit of desperation, I decided to purchase the literature guides from the Brave Writer curriculum. The guides promised to walk us through the forest of language arts together, using ONE literature title for the whole family.

Using the Brave Writer Curriculum

Once our family decided to take the plunge and begin using the Brave Writer curriculum, we started with the literature guides . These guides made it easy to teach a variety of language arts skills to all of my kids.

The Arrow and Boomerang guides include spelling, grammar, and vocabulary instruction through copywork in addition to discussion questions to help develop comprehension and analysis skills.

Getting Started as a Family

When we began our first Arrow guide as a family, a path through the language arts forest began to appear. Suddenly, I was walking through our daily language arts instruction with all four of my children. Together. Hand in hand. I was no longer swinging from tree to tree with each individual child.

–> Grab Your Crossover Book Club Guide <–

Everyone was working, learning, and discussing literature together and I suddenly felt sane.

Each month, we read one title together as a family and that title became our path through the language arts forest. The Brave Writer Curriculum became our trail guide, directing us to the various “trees of Language Arts” along the way.

Brave Writer Curriculum Guide Overview

Our family began our literature studies using the Brave Writer Arrow Guides. We used one guide a month and followed the four-week plan for each book. The Brave Writer Arrow and Boomerang Guides are each divided into four weeks of instruction. Each week contains:

1.  Weekly Copywork

The copywork passages serve as the basis for grammar, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Sometimes there is more information provided to talk about literary elements being used in the passage as well, such as similies, hyperbole, and more.

Each passage is accompanied by teacher notes to guide your instruction. These notes contain tips and details for parents so they can effectively use the passage as a teaching tool for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and literary style.

2.  A Literary Element

Each literature guide in the Brave Writer curriculum focuses on a single literary element based on the content of the book. An explanation of the element as well as suggestions for discussion, writing, and teaching activities are included in the guide. Occasionally other literary elements and writing techniques are mentioned as part of the copywork instruction.

3.  A Writing Activity

The writing activities each month are included as a way to expand your child’s understanding of the literary element. Some are short and simple while others are a bit more involved. The best part is that you can elaborate and dive deeper into any of the projects if your kids are really enjoying them.

4. Big, Juicy Questions

Nine Big, Juicy, Questions are included to help facilitate a discussion with your children about the book. These questions are excellent for a family discussion or as part of a kid’s book club , which is how I used them for many years.

5. Book Club Ideas

The final section of the guide contains food, game, and activity ideas for a themed book club. If you read this blog, you know that I love a themed book club. You can find several of my themed book club ideas on this blog as examples of how you can implement these ideas.

These guides assist homeschooling parents each month so you can use one book title to teach language arts skills to all of your children. Over time, you will continue to build a wonderful foundation of knowledge for future literary analysis while developing the mechanics of writing.

Implementing the Brave Writer Curriculum

It takes little trial and error but every family will find their own groove with the Brave Writer literature guides. For many parents, they can be very confusing at first because they don’t have a daily schedule included. Instead, there is information included for each week and it is up to a parent to determine the best way to use the copywork and content.

I have previously shared our weekly schedule but will provide a general overview here. If you need more detail then you can check out how we implement the guide day to day:

–> How We Implement the Brave Writer Arrow Guides <–

Our family uses one literature guide each month. We read the book together as a family and implement the copywork and language arts during the week.

I introduce the copywork on Monday and we discuss the passage. My kids begin copying the passage on Monday, but if the passage is long, my kids might take another day or two to finish the lesson. Sometimes they practice writing a particular word or two a few times if it was difficult.

We continue the lessons and conversations during the week though the bulk of my instruction is completed on Wednesday. If I want to use the passage for dictation, then I will typically dictate all or part of the passage on Thursday or Friday.

A Detailed Look at Week One with the Brave Writer Arrow

I also shared a very detailed walk-thru of the Brave Writer curriculum guide to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” on my YouTube channel . Here is a look at week one:

Does the Brave Writer Curriculum work to Teach Language Arts?

Short answer…yes.

Longer answer…I have seen enormous growth in my kids’ understanding of literature and their ability to discuss it in a thoughtful manner.  They continue to make progress in spelling and grammar. This is all happening through a planned exposure to a variety of literary genres.

Best of all, our family has created bonds through reading about memorable characters, hysterical situations, and heart-breaking stories because we were all walking on the same path and using the same trail guide!

Comprehension and Literary Analysis

After several years of using the Arrow and Boomerang Guides, I can affirm that this curriculum has done an excellent job of laying the foundation for high school literary analysis . My children gained skills and knowledge in a “brick by brick” fashion each year and are able to recognize literary elements and concepts.

Brave Writer literature guides offered a wonderful variety of titles over the years so my children were exposed to a variety of voices and genres in their literature. This was very important to me and I was happy with the variety of titles to choose from.

Spelling, vocabulary, and grammar

Honestly, the curriculum laid a wonderful foundation for these areas of language arts, but I found that I felt more comfortable doing a little bit more for both spelling and grammar. That means that sometimes, I returned to a few workbooks to support what we were doing with our Brave Writer curriculum.

Grammar workbooks were one of the tools I turned to occasionally, but I used them differently. If we are studying adjectives in the Arrow Guide, then I might pull a few adjective worksheets from a workbook or website to support our discussion. This allowed everyone to review the same grammar concept so I could continue to focus my energy and lessons. In addition, my kids spent at least one year in middle school learning with a full grammar program to drive home all of the skills in a more systematic fashion.

I also used a spelling curriculum with two of my kids who struggled more with spelling. The other two kids were natural spellers so copywork was enough for them.

We didn’t use any additional workbooks for vocabulary, but many families use Wordly Wise 3000 to help their children develop higher-level vocabulary words. Instead, we used Marie’s Words for vocabulary development . We have such a good time with these vocabulary words that using them and reviewing them doesn’t feel like school work. Best of all, we are all learning and using the same plethora of SAT words.

If you love the Brave Writer curriculum then you will also love:

Live, online book clubs for kids book club discussion questions for any book celebrate a book: themed book club guides how to plan a fun book club for kids.

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Great post! Glad these are working for your family

THanks Jamie!

Hi, I have enjoyed reading your review. I have been eyeballing Brave Writer for over a year now and am getting ready to just make a purchase. I have a 9 year old and 7 year old and am wondering if you could recommend an Arrow guide that would be a good one to begin with. Do you also use the Partnership Writing as well?

I have really loved all of the Arrow Guides. The new site now includes more information about literary content, so you might peek around. I own all of the writing programs and we dabble in and out of them. We have also taken some online classes.

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