Writing Like Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes is an amazing author, one of my favorites. Any time you want to learn about writing a narrative - a story - you can read one of his books and try something that he does. We have worked on three of his strategies.

Kevin Henkes Strategy 1: Star Words

Kevin Henkes uses words that are intriguing, specific, fun, and unique. When he writes his books, he clearly spends a lot of time choosing these interesting words so that the book is more interesting to read. Good authors choose interesting words. We chose interesting words, too! We call these words star words.

Kevin Henkes Strategy 2: The Rule of Threes

Have you ever noticed that many authors from all around the world use groups of threes in their writing? It is incredibly common, and once you start looking for it, it is a strategy you will see everywhere. Kevin Henkes uses groups of three, too.

Kevin Henkes Strategy 3: Showing How a Character Feels

In Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kevin Henkes doesn't just tell you how Lilly feels, he shows you. As a reader, you can figure out from his description exactly what feeling she has.