THE WRITING PROCESS
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot
and write a lot.” ― Stephen King
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
― Anaïs Nin
Icebreaker1. Imagine a simple scene with three
elements: A desert A sky A horizon line
2. Cube3. Ladder4. Flowers5. Horse6. Storm
1. The cube is how you see yourself. 2. The ladder is your friends or social support
group. The flowers are children or family. The horse is your lover. The storm is trouble.
There are two components to interpreting each element:
A. The item itself and its relationship to the other items
B. the relationship of the items to the overall picture(size, position, location).
What is your attitude towards writing?
1. Do you think writing is easy or difficult?2. When your teachers gave you a writing
assignment were you excited or anxious?3. Do you think that you are a good writer?4. Do you think that you are an excellent
writer?5. Can you express yourself better by
speaking or writing? What is difficult about it? What makes you nervous? What makes you think you aren’t
excellent?
Is it enough to have our students write a piece one time? What if to teach our Ss speaking, we asked
them to only record a speech for homework and hand it in to be graded? Would their speaking improve? Why not?
NO COMMUNICATION Can’t correct errors
Is writing a form of communication? So….is it good to ask our students to write a
piece one time and just hand it in for a grade?
Why not?
1. PrewritingBrainstorming
motivation
2. Writing1st Draft
3.Revising/Responding
Peer editTeacher conference
(clarification, organization)
3. EditingTeacher edit(grammar)
4. Writing2nd Draft
4. PublishingBulletin board
Website
PrewritingBrainstorming
motivation
Writing1st Draft
Revising/Responding
Peer editTeacher conference
(clarification, organization)
EditingTeacher edit(grammar)
Writing2nd Draft
PublishingBulletin board
Website
COMMUNICATION
Motivating ideas to get Ss writing
Internal monologue(talking yourself into doing something)- show gun debate
1. Put in hats: historical figures,, pop stars, children’s characters, and superheroes then pick to and write a dialogue between them.
3. Items in bag= character, place, verb or object 2. Write around(article on Guatemala – happy) Imagine yourself as an object in a room
Starting with a sentence or paragraph“beginning or end?
Famous people dialogue Form groups of 4 Write the name of a famous historical
figure Write the name of a superhero Write the name of a famous entertainer
popular now
Write the name of a childhood book/story character
Write Around (a written conversation about a topic)
Write for 1 minute(thoughts, reactions, questions, or feelings about the article)
Pass the paper READ all the entries on the page BEFORE
you write. You can respond to one or all of the above entries, ask questions, or raise a new topic.
Story boxes/bags Form groups Write the name of a person(famous, in
the class, imaginary, etc.) Write the name of a place Write the name of an object
*Can also use an active verb
Internal Monologue Good Me: Okay let’s go running! Bad Me: Sure, but I have to finish this
workshop PowerPoint first. I will go at 6pm
Good Me: 6 is too late, you know it starts to get dark and then you’ll decide not to go.
Bad Me: I can go tomorrow.
Motivating ideas to get Ss writing
Internal monologue(talking yourself into doing something)- show gun debate
1. Put in hats: historical figures,, pop stars, children’s characters, and superheroes then pick to and write a dialogue between them.
3. Items in bag= character, place, verb or object 2. Write around(article on Guatemala – happy) Imagine yourself as an object in a room
Starting with a sentence or paragraph“beginning or end?
Types of writing Narrative
Personal Narrative(nonfiction) Short Story(fiction)
Descriptive Describing an experience Sensory
Expository Newspaper writing How to….
Persuasive Letter to the editor
10 year time line
Graduated
university
Went to Yemen with
Peace Corps to
teach EnglishEvacuat
edTransferred to
Namibia to teach English
and Math
Taught English and
Math in Namibia
Traveled
through
Africa
Went to
New York City and
taught ESL in
the BronxMoved
in with
boyfriend
taught ESL in the Bronx
Broke up with boyfriend
Moved to Harlem
with PC friend
taught
ESL in
the Bron
xStart
ed Master’s program
taught ESL in the BronxContin
ued Maste
r’s progr
am1st
students in ESL
program get
accepted to colleg
es
taught ESL in the BronxFinish
ed Maste
r’s
taught ESL in the Bronx
Voted “Teacher of the Year” in
schoolFather Died
10 year time line from 20-30 years
Circle 3 of the most interesting that you would like to write about Exchange with a partner and have them
circle the 3 events that THEY think are the most interesting.
Take what they say into consideration and narrow it to one topic.
In pairs(help your partner get specific)
Ask the person questions about that event in their lives:
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? What are you interested in about this
event?
Read handyman Different kind of memoir- different point
of view – omniscient with a little 1st person(“I” thrown in
You can do whatever for your homework assignment
Personal Narrative It has to be about one moment in time-
one memory The first paragraph should “Grab” the
reader There should be descriptive words that
appeal to the 5 senses There should be an emotionBring us there with you
Homework
Write or type personal narrative one page – 1- 1/2
Bring in something that has a deep memory for you(can be from childhood)
