Q&A with Rick Williams Sr.

  

 

 

Rick Williams Sr. is the author, with Cherry-An Somoso, of the book Story Writing: A Workbook of Creative Writing Prompts for Kids 8-12. His other books include Star Life Keepers. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Story Writing?

 

A: All seven of my grandchildren live nearby, and writing stories with them has been one of the great joys of my life.

 

Again and again, I see that kids are bursting with ideas but often don’t know how to shape them into a finished story. Story Writing: A Workbook of Creative Writing Prompts for Kids 8–12 gives them an easy, structured way to do just that—while building imagination, confidence, and communication skills along the way.

 

The workbook grew out of our family’s Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles, which began with Star Life Keepers in 2024 and continued with Orion Fire Storm. It can be used on its own or alongside the novels.

 

Throughout its development, my grandchildren, our Story Apprentices (young writers who help shape our books), and education experts offered ongoing guidance.

 

Cherry-An Somoso, an experienced English teacher and tutor, played a key role in developing this workbook.

 

Q: As someone who writes both fiction and nonfiction, do you have a preference?

 

A: I don’t really see them as opposites—good storymaking matters in both. I learned that from Edwin Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, while writing my first history book, Chicago’s Battery Boys, which tells the story of six Union artillerists who received the Medal of Honor.

 

Ed was a master storyteller who went far beyond facts and dates. With his guidance, I wove narrative around firsthand accounts—letters and diaries—to bring untold Civil War stories to life. Years later, I used that same approach to blend fiction and nonfiction in Story Writing.

 

Q: How has your own fiction writing affected your ideas about teaching fiction writing to kids?

 

A: Writing with my grandchildren has been my laboratory. Years ago, I interviewed Jim Henson’s mother for a book project and learned how his grandmother nurtured his creativity.

 

I took the same approach with my grandkids, setting up an arts-and-crafts center and a kidlit library in my home. We focus on hands-on, non-digital storymaking, but I’ve also taught them to use online searches and generative AI selectively for research.

 

Respect is at the heart of it. When I write with my grandsons Brady and Caleb, they get 49 percent of the vote on characters, civilizations, and plot. (They get an even bigger say when we develop their creatures!)

 

Workshops at International Thriller Writers conferences taught me a great deal about suspense, heroic arcs, and pacing. Lisa Gardner, a bestselling author, helped me develop strong female protagonists so that Elisa and Amanda are determined and resilient in Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles—and victors, not victims. I want young writers to see that their characters can have real agency, too.

 

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

 

A: I hope kids discover that they already have stories worth telling. Story Writing uses our sci-fi/fantasy novels to inspire and equip young writers—we call them Young Creators—to make their own stories. They can start simply, writing about holidays, vacations, sports, hobbies, or family history, and build toward more complex tales.

 

Story Writing also reflects our family’s belief in adults and kids creating side by side. Many parents are short on time, but they can effortlessly work through the workbook with their children and make their own storymaking memories.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Our next workbook is for ages 10 to 14 and dives into story development, world-building, character development, and the Hero’s Journey.

 

Story Apprentices continue to support our projects. One of them continues to remind me that our stories need moments where we “let teens be teens,” and another helped build an Encyclopedia of Creatures for Orion Fire Storm.

 

I’m also writing Young Dragonriders, Book 3 in the Dragon & Dinosaur Chronicles (coming spring 2027), with my granddaughter Mia. It includes characters and subplots inspired by ancient Chinese scientific innovations—a tribute to my many years of working in China and to our family’s adoptions.

 

We’re also developing a crossover series set at the Orion Realm Academy, where children learn to become astronomers and explorers.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: One of my favorite moments came while Mia and Caleb were critiquing Story Writing. I took them out to a restaurant, seated them in the booth next to mine, and our server kindly treated them like grown-up customers while they worked through the workbook on their own.

 

Watching them collaborate, think critically, and stay focused was a perfect picture of Young Creators in action.

 

Families and educators can find thirty free downloadable resources, roadmaps, and Progress Trackers at our Creative Writing Lab at thestorymakinghub.com.

 

And for anyone in The Children’s Book Review community who would like to bring our family’s storymaking model into their home or classroom, I’m happy to answer questions at rick@rickwilliamsbooks.com.

 

As we say in our family, “It’s all about the kids.”

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Legacy KidLit Press. Here's a previous Q&A with Rick Williams Sr. Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win one of three Young Creator's Storymaking Kits! Each kit includes a signed hardcover copy of Story Writing: A Workbook of Creative Writing Prompts for Kids 8-12, a signed hardcover copy of Star Life Keepers, a blank writing notebook, a four-color pen, and a spot in a one-hour group Zoom with Rick on how stories are made and how to get started with the workbook. (Open to U.S. residents.)