Living Life Twice

  I am constantly pondering the art of storytelling... One of the continuing 'narratives' of my work in schools has been to promote the idea of writers as storytellers. I have always been a person who enjoys sharing stories and jokes, whether from first-hand experience, or relating stories gifted across a lifetime. These stories have greatly informed my writing. I always encourage developing writers to tell their stories, too. It is a rehearsal tool for the inexperienced writer. Telling their stories before they write not only eliminates the notion of cold starts, it frequently results in a much enhanced end product. The story is well established in the inexperienced writer's mind before it emerges on the page. Often, a writer's story may be told many times before it emerges as written words. I often tell my stories numerous times before I commit them to the pages of my notebook.  It is in the telling of the story the words are refined, sharpened. Ultimately, it is ...

            Talk And The Developing Writer. Talk is an integral part of learning, and no less so within the writing workshop. The legendary writing researcher, writer and educator, Donald Graves, regularly encouraged young writers to think aloud and articulate their writing intentions. He wanted young writers to give voice to the intended direction of their, soon to emerge, writing. It is said, the more we articulate our intentions, the more likely we are to actually pursue them. So, providing opportunities for inexperienced writers to engage in this kind of targeted talk needs to be embraced within the working structures of the writing workshop. Graves further prompted young writers to explain their individual writing processes - the journey and its associated actions that brought about the writing piece. Increasingly, the importance of sharing process is being recognized as a critical component within the writing workshop. Young writers need min...