I’m often asked what young writers can do to seek and connect with authentic audiences. Sure, writing for themselves, their friends, their family members, and their teachers might be rewarding, and it is absolutely authentic when the purpose is to move the reader rather than simply earning a grade, but how might young writers produce dynamic content for a wide readership? I find that when I think of influence in terms of degrees, it helps.…
Recently, several colleagues asked me to begin a professional writing support group. If you are eager to begin blogging, publishing articles, or drafting a manuscript, you are welcome to join us. If you have any of these things in the works and are in need of good company, you are welcome to join us. And if you can’t attend face to face but would still like to be a part of things, you may still plan to join…
Guess what? I wrote a book! That’s right: Make Writing: 5 Teaching Strategies that Turn Writers Workshop into a Maker Space debuted Friday and quickly became an Amazon Best Seller. A big thank you to everyone at the WNY Young Writers Studio for being an important part of this project, and hats off to editor Ruth Arseneault, cover designer Tracey Henterly, and interior designer Steven Plummer for their careful attention and incredible work. I’m grateful to Mark Barnes…
During conversations with teachers last week, one mentioned how overwhelming it is to move writers through the revision process and how, all too often, what comes from the effort is more a reflection of the teacher’s thinking and work rather than the writer’s. “If I don’t do the work for them, their revisions are never deep enough. Their final drafts are still pretty weak,” she said. Truer words are rarely spoken, and this is why…
Like most who live in western New York state, I love spring for many reasons. The snow has melted, the robins have returned, and the lake is beginning to look inviting again. Spring is a special time for the writers and teachers I support, too. Many of them have devoted a year to improving their craft, and they’re eager to publish their pieces and connect with other writers who share their interests. These are the…
It’s important for young writers to share their work with audiences who are truly interested in receiving it, yet time for exhibition is often tight, and when it comes time to let something go, it’s this phase of the process that often falls by the wayside. During my conversations with middle school teachers this spring, someone asked if I could recommend a quick but fabulous approach for organizing a writing celebration. I can, and I’m…
Celebration is a cornerstone of traditional writing workshop models. Here, writers share their work with eager audiences, typically in their local school communities. Exhibition differs celebration in important ways. Here, learners are encouraged to share works in process instead of completed products. Rather than rewarding writers for their work, we invite them to reflect aloud on their process, the challenges they faced and met, and how they would continue to improve the work, if given…
On the first two Wednesdays of every month, I get to hang out with some of the friendliest and most talented writers in Buffalo. These meetings of our adult writing group at the WNY Young Writer’s Studio have become very important to me over the last two years. Writing can be a lonely endeavor, and a good peer review group is hard to find and sustain. I’m fortunate and so very grateful for the company,…
Anyone can write, but few people write exceptionally well. Myself included. I’ve been blogging for nearly eight years now, but I’ve always defined myself as a teacher who writes rather than a writer who teaches. I make no apologies for this, and in fact, if I had waited until I felt confident in my writing skills to share my stuff with others, I never would have grown as a writer. I wouldn’t have learned half…
I am BEYOND EXCITED to be hosting this event with everyone at the WNY Young Writer’s Studio! For the last several years, our annual writing celebrations were inspired by the spirit and the structure of the unconference model. Writers of all ages shared their growing expertise by leading conversations and mini-sessions that featured their favorite strategies and resources. Some of my favorite Studio memories were made on these days. Now that we have our own…