by Laura Hill
My 11 year-old daughter doesn't think she’s a good writer. This is despite the fact that she has co-written five
children's fiction books and two non-fiction books as part of our Great Story
World Mix-Up chapter book series. This also goes against the sentiment of
her teachers who say she has a strong original voice, and that of her friends
who log onto her blogs to read posts about funny things that happen in school.
So why does she think she’s a bad writer?
I have a little insight. When
my daughter gets a writing assignment she is completely focused on fitting her
idea into the model the teacher has provided. So if it’s a small moment about
an adventure she is dead-set on writing about the most important small moment
in the greatest adventure she has ever had. As she thinks about the
mounting choices she tends to talk to her friends, usually suggesting ways they
can turn their small moments into great stories. By the end of the period
she has no idea what she is going to write about, is behind in the
assignment and is frustrated.
My daughter's writing problem is
two-fold. Her first problem is that she is a perfectionist and very hard
on herself, a personality trait I am constantly puzzled by coming from a
"mistakes are great" school of thought. None of her ideas are
good enough to turn into a story. I often remind her of how she helps her
friends embellish their ideas, but for herself it just doesn't gel.
The second part of her writing
problem is that she is trying to squeeze her idea into the model her teacher
provided. Is it a big idea, is it
an adventure, does it have small moments, is it good enough? It’s
painful to hear her rattle off all the ideas she has rejected because in her
mind they do not fit the assignment, when in reality they sit quite neatly
within the parameters.
My daughter is not unique. She is suffering from two of the
biggest problems facing young writers today, the belief that their ideas aren't
good enough and the thought that their ideas need to fit into a model.
Writing is tough enough. An innocent
request like writing a small moment can be a huge task when a blank sheet of
paper sits in front of you. Here’s a question to ask yourself, do you
remember what you had for dinner last Thursday? Can you write about the
meal, the setting, the dialogue at the table, the texture of the food, the
smell and the feeling it elicited? Maybe you can but chances are it would
be tough.
Try this when starting your next
writing project. Instead of asking
the students to work in a model give them each a big piece of paper, or roll
one out to cover a group of desks. Then ask them to these five questions,
have them answer quickly drawing or writing down the first thing that comes to
mind:
1) Jot down something you did this
week.
2) Write or draw three things you
remember about the experience.
3) Write or draw one sound, smell and
feeling you associate with the experience.
4) Write down one thing that was
said.
5) Draw a picture of the place where
you had the experience.
What you have done is re-create a
rich memory with a subject (1), action (2), senses (3), dialogue (4), and
setting (5) for the student to pull ideas from. Now plug in your model by
instructing the students to use this memory as a basis for writing a small
moment, fairytale, narrative...you get the picture.
Once students have a rich idea to write about they can easily
concentrate on the form.
You’ll be surprised at how quickly
your students advance their writing once they have the basis of the story
down. Most stories aren’t grown in
a single brain pop, our books certainly aren’t. Instead they are woven like a
rich tapestry full of many colored threads with different textures that create
the layers of the story. By having the students write the idea quickly without
worrying about spelling and form helps shape a stronger story premise full of
rich detail, and chances are since they are already thinking about action,
senses, narrative and setting, they will add more, effortlessly, with your
guidance.
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| My co-authors |
Expressive and powerful writing may be the singular most important thing a student can learn today as they live their
personal narrative live, on-line, in front of a global audience. It permeates technological creation in
gaming and programming, explains scientific and mathematical discoveries and
communicates the most integral cultural aspects of who we are to a world
populace that sees no barriers.
By teaching children to organize
their thoughts quickly, efficiently and richly, you are teaching them to
express their ideas in a way that will be heard. And who knows, that one
student voice may be the one that sparks the next great innovation. You’ll never know if you don’t
try. I’m counting on you, so are my
daughters, so are your students.
Laura Hill is an author and producer best known for helping
children find their voice and talents through creative arts and technology. To find out how you can bring her writing programs to your school email Laura Hill or tweet @candylandcaper.
