Teaching Writing--from an author's viewpoint

This post is about how I teach writing differently these days--now that I get to hang out with children's authors like Ashley Bryan (pictured), attend SCBWI conferences, and keep up with editors and publishers.

For example, every Fall, I would give my high school creative writing students a handout about 50 Ways of Saying Said--until I learned that said is the invisible word preferred by editors, so that readers aren't thrown by stronger verbs like exclaimed, remarked, answered, and (I got his one more than once:) articulated. Take a look at some of the stories in your classroom. Yes, you'll find words like mumbled, whispered, boomed, barked, blubbered, and more but they are used sparingly when writing dialog.

That being said (sorry--couldn't resist!) here are some other insights that might change the way you teach young writers:

To outline or not to outline: Many published authors like to outline, or use a story map, but many do not. Our students work in various ways too. I remember as a student, creating my required outline after I'd written my essay--not before--, so I could get full credit. Here are a few other author opinions:

I outline and then I don’t stick to the outline. As new possibilities emerge, I outline again. If I follow the first outline, the book stinks. If I don’t outline at all, the book stinks. The key is to find the nice-smelling ground between.      

Gennifer Choldenko    

 

Before I write, I know exactly what the emotional resolution will feel like; know what the climax will be.     Marion Dane Bauer

 

Have a map. Know where you're going but get off the beaten path sometimes...

   Agent Ken Wright

 

I can’t work from an outline. If I have an idea for a novel, I mull it over while I’m writing something else. I have to let it grow in my subconscious. Once I’m committed to start the novel, I brainstorm ideas and create a loose outline—a series of possible scenes—in my journal document, on my computer. Marisa Montes

 

I don't normally outline when I write. Rachel Vail 

Rachel also told writers at a recent SCBWI conference she tried using the one act play structure--but that didn't work out either. Her advice (sure to be a hit with your middle grades kids:) "Barf out your first draft."

 

And speaking of Rough Drafts:

I've included my most recent video ROUGH (ruff!) DRAFTS by MAX the Dog below, if you'd care to show your students my driveway full of sloppy copies. Yes, these are truly my rough drafts. Keep your fingers crossed that some go farther than the recycle bin...

 

REvisions:

When you're at a plot juncture, list 12 options--even the bad ones---stay away from easy morals and endings. Gail Carson Levine

 

I'll never forget what I heard at an SCBWI conference, where Christopher Paul Curtis talked about his Newbery Award winning novel, The Watsons Go To Birmingham. He told us that in his first draft, the Watsons went to Florida! “When I got them to Florida, nothing happened so I had to rethink.” His son brought a poem home from school that he was supposed to memorize, called The Ballad of Birmingham. The rest is history.

 

Writing Groups, Writing Circles, Editing Groups:

I've read some discussion on EnglishCompanion.ning.com recently about this, and I agree with author Gennifer Choldenko that, "writing groups aren't for everyone." Even though I am lucky to be part of a great group of published authors, I don't always bring chapters to the group for critique. Sometimes, I prefer to trust my gut. Some of my writing friends avoid Critique Groups entirely.

 

Your young authors know the story they're trying to write, and it's hard to figure out which crit group suggestions will help their story--and which will take it in another direction entirely. If you do use writing groups or writing circles, consider telling students to sift through the student comments and use the ones they feel will help their story.  

 

This post is long enough so I'll save the rest for another day. But just for fun, check out two of my favorite quotes from the recent SCBWI conference in LA:

 

It's amazing to me that everyone thinks they can write children's book--my dentist, my golf buddies, neighbors, ...the Pope...I mean come on--I don't read on his turf! Jon Scieska*

  * rhymes with Fresca... : )

 

Why don't we teach humor? Which do we use more in life--humor --or the ability to recognize foreshadowing?    Gordon Korman

 

Happy Back to School, everyone. (No, that is not an oxymoron! You can do this!) Have fun sharing these with your students:  

The Writer's Rap

ROUGH (ruff!) DRAFTS by MAX the Dog 

Comments

[Connie]

Very good, Erin! Loved the quotes, and the videos are SOOO you.

[Book Chook]

It's so good to see someone telling teachers NOT to jam a thesaurus down kids' throats for speech tags. Sure I used to do it too, but after becoming a writer, I cringe when I read those "exclaimed John"s. I love when kids can have access to real live writers - even via Skype, there is so much they can learn and become enthused about.

[Erin]

It's kind of like having kids. You teach differently once you're a parent. You teach writing differently once you're a writer...

[anabelle]

nice thought, Erin..very much agree with you. i would love to attend one of your classes, if you'd do an workshop tour or such a thing for the young writers it would be great.