Into a Writer's Head

Everything I need to know about writing I learned from my students

Here are some common thoughts from my students while working on their Fantasy Story projects:

• Revisions are not fun.
• But I don't feel like writing!
• Do I have to?
• Why can't I just leave it like this?
• What do you mean, it doesn't make sense?
• Where is Algeria? Is it hot there?
• Do we have to?
• Why can't my character die?
• Can there be a big fight?

Here are my answers to the above:

• No they aren't, but you still have to do them.
• Sometimes I don't, but I still have to. So you do too.
• Yes.
• Because I said so.
• Well, if your character fell through a whole in the floor, but wound up in space, can you tell me why he's in space?
• Look on a Map. Yes.
• Yes.
• Because I said so.
• I don't want to read any violence (c'mon people! These are 4th graders). You can show the beginning of the fight and the results.

And here is what I learned:

• Sometimes you just don't want to write, but there's always someone there to tell you to do it anyway (even if it's just that little voice in your head).
• Because I said so.
• Revisions stink, but we have to get through them anyway.
• If it doesn't make sense, you have to fix it. You can't just leave it there and expect your reader to know what you're talking about.
  
• Colorful illustrations make everything better.
  
• Do work you are proud of, even if no one but your teacher and you ever see it.
  

posted by Erin @ 8:35 AM