The Importance of Volition in Writing


Volition is the need, desire, urge or the internal compulsion to write.’

Ross Young and Felicity Ferguson
Writing For Pleasure


The growth of volition is fed by a growing knowledge about writing, informing the writer that what they are doing is both pleasurable and desirable.

Volition can also be achieved through writing something so strongly and clearly that it energizes the writer and they persist in the hope of replicating the original sense of accomplishment.

 As teachers we are charged with responsibility to assist young writers to learn how to write. Equally we must work to instil within them a desire to want to write. We must assist them to develop a mindset that the benefits that flow from writing outweigh the time and effort they invest in producing those words.

 As teachers we must convince young writers of the intellectual, social and personal rewards that can be derived from writing. The pay off must be enticing to the writer.

If we are to be effective in our efforts to increase writer volition, we must also be reading advocates for they are inextricably connected. Reading stimulates the growth of volition. It builds word knowledge and world knowledge. It fosters curiosity. All these elements are part of a writer’s armoury.

 Encouraging volition—the willingness to initiate, persist with, and take ownership of writing—adds a dimension to the teaching of writing that goes beyond simply teaching writing skills. Young, inexperienced writers need to believe that their ideas matter and that they are capable of developing them.

As teachers we foster volition with the following actions:

  •  The provision of authentic reasons to write. This way young writers come to view their writing as meaningful, not just an assignment.
  • Offering choice. Allowing students to decide for themselves which topics, genres, or formats give them a sense of ownership, and the motivation to continue writing.
  • Creating conditions that encourage risk-taking. Writers are more inclined to experiment when mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn rather than something the writer must avoid.
  • Emphasizing the writing process. Celebrating each process milestone helps students understand that good writing takes time and effort to It does not land on the page fully formed.
  • Building confidence. Writing project’s that stretch the writer without overwhelming assist in the development of self-efficacy and this investment leads to improvement.
  • Providing constructive feedback. focus on ideas, growth, and specific next steps. Deliver feedback that acknowledges effort.
  • Modelling writing. Write alongside student writers, sharing your writing and the processes surrounding it. Discuss your successes and struggles and demonstrate that writing is a lifelong practice rather than a talent some people simply possess.
  • Encouraging reflection. By asking students what they learned, found challenging, along with what they are proud of helps them become self-directed writers.
  • Building a community of writers.  Help young writers see themselves as members of a supportive writing community by sharing and responding to writing and celebrating group and individual successes.
  • Nurturing curiosity. Through rich discussion, questions and the exploration of interests and ideas curiosity flourishes. Reading diverse texts and connecting writing to students’ interests provide the ideas and enthusiasm that fuel sustained writing. As teachers we must bring our own enthusiasm and curiosity in the quest to fuel thinking

 

Ultimately, volition grows when teachers resist controlling writing and creating conditions in which students feel empowered to make choices, supported as they develop and improve, confident that their voices are worth hearing. Over time, these experiences help inexperienced writers develop into resilient, self directed, independent authors who write because they have something they want to say, not simply because they have been told to write something to satisfy teacher demands.

 

Alan j Wright

https://www.alanjwrightauthorpoet.com/



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