Our Stories

A practical writing workshop on paper, sharing real student fiction and expert guidance to help young authors sharpen their craft.

Presents a selection of short fiction written by students in grades four through twelve followed by Bauer’s comments on each, detailing what works well and making suggestions for improvements.

Bauer selects thirty student manuscripts, examining specific story elements such as character motivation and narrative tension. The guide pairs short stories and excerpts with practical critiques, illustrating how young authors handle dialogue, point of view, and sensory detail.

Individual chapters invite readers to critique peer drafts and test their own revisions, showing how to turn early scenes into finished fiction.
Case Studies: Analyzes real student manuscripts, from Gretchen Yancey’s humorous farm tale "The Air Pie" to Jason Jaeger’s gritty thriller "A Measly Five Dollars."Creative Writing Guide: Breaks down core fiction skills across focused chapters, demonstrating how sensory details like cinnamon sticks and jingling harness bells bring scenes to life.Revision Strategies: Outlines constructive workshop methods that target story strengths before offering suggestions, helping young writers rewrite openings without losing their original voice.Also by This Author: A Writer’s Story.