When it comes to building a writing community, much depends on the quality of the feedback that writers provide to one another. Solid feedback is timely, aligned to the needs defined by the writer, and criteria specific. Compliments and criticism have no place at the table, and protocols like those I share in the LiveBinder below can ensure greater equity as well. Peer review is tough stuff. Writers rarely come to the table full prepared…
Over the last five years, I’ve had the good fortune to meet and write with a whole lot of kindergarteners, and when I ask them if they love to write, the majority tell me that they do. Enthusiastically. I’ve also had the good fortunate to meet and write with a whole lot of middle school students as well. But when I ask them if they love to write? The numbers are much lower, and their…
In my work with teachers, and in our fellowship programs at the WNY Young Writer’s Studio, I’ve become closely acquainted with a few kids who absolutely hate writing. What’s worse is that they believe they aren’t capable of it. Why? Well, mostly because they are unable to sit silently before a screen or page and push words out of the end of their fingers in a coherent fashion until every inch of white space is…
This inspiration board hangs on the wall right beside my desk. It’s become a catch all for ideas that are brewing, kindnesses paid by friends and students, and pictures that bring back wonderful memories. These are the things that are inspiring me right now. The board is important, because sometimes in my work-a-day life, things feel very orderly and tight and controlled. This is no way to think. It’s also no way to create, and…
Writers tend to be quietly reflective, and the ones that I work with will tell you that it can be hard to find company inside of their schools. Over the years, many of them have turned to online communities for support, and every time, I learn a little bit in the process. These are the writing communities that I’m happy to recommend, based on their experiences. One word of caution: I always let writers know…
As an education consultant, I know all too well how easy it is to stand before teachers and speak to best practices. This is enjoyable work, when I can get it. I meet wonderful people who are hungry to know things that I’m particularly passionate about. And pretending to know things? Well, that’s quite an ego boost. It’s also delusion. I’ve been a follower of Steve Shann’s work for many years, and I was thrilled…
Adult writers are often judged by their abilities to sell their work to the masses. In most schools, children are taught to pursue high grades. Both groups are conditioned to value the product they create over the processes they pursue, and while one can certainly understand how this reasoning is influenced by reality, it’s also significantly flawed. I’m thinking of two writers that I used to work with closely: one seemed to write at the…
Name of the Game: Synesthesia Timing: This game is best played once writers have drafted a text that rich and lengthy enough for review. Goal: Adapted from a Gamestorming game by the same name (say that three times fast), this game challenges writers to examine character, plot, setting, theme, or any other element of a selected piece through their senses, enabling a more somatic experience of the text. The intent is to surface new insights…
Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist, tells us that, “Nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original. Some people find this idea depressing, but it fills me with hope. As the French writer Andre Gide put it, ‘Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.’” He reminds us that, “If we’re free…
Being a writer and living a writer’s life is not all about publication. It’s not all about creating the perfect final product, either. In fact, I know some incredible writers who have never achieved that particular dream. And that’s okay. They have a different (and some would argue, bigger) contribution to make. Beyond publication, being a writer and living a writer’s life is all about sharing the things we make along the way with those…