Discovering+the+Writer+Within

toc

Welcome to our writing workshop! This year we will explore and discover our inner writer. For some of us this will be and experience that we look forward to everyday and for others it will be an battle (maybe of epic porportions) as you fight to relase your writer. In the end (I hope) we will be more confindent writers, ready to share our voice with the world. Some of the activities activites are based on the activities described in the Barry Lane's and Bruce Ballenger's book (pictured above) and others will not be. Just like the writing, the prompts will be free flowing and free thinking. Note: the days are currently out of order, because we are under construction. Please don't work ahead, you will get lost! =Day One: Hunting is Not Those Heads on the Wall = 1. Maybe you don't but for most of use we have writing fears. I would like you to spend two minutes listing or writing about your writing fears. 2. Write for ten minutes starting with the four words: When I write, I... Write quickly, without thinking too much about what you want to say before you say it. 3.Stop your watcher! Let's write a letter to that nagging, "carping" voice that makes it difficult to write. Write quickly for five minutes: Dear Watcher,

=Day Ten: Climbing and Diving = Look at this photograph and imagine for a moment that you are the woman depicted. Go back to the place your wrote about in Day Nine (or anywhere else you choose) and freewrite for ten minutes about that place through this woman's eyes. Brainstorm first if you like. Read over what you wrote. Circle areas you like, thigns that surprised you. Step back a minute and write one word that describes the mood of this Place this word at the top of a page and freewrite another ten minutes about this word, drawing as many associations as you can.

=Day Nine: Slicing Open the World = 1. Go to a public place with your journal (We went to the closest and quickest place--the CHS commons/cafeteria.). Chose a place you go often, but never really notice: the mall, grocery store, fast food resturant. Sit for ten minutes and brainstorm a list of details that describe the place. Let you pen wander from a straight physical description to other details which may have more to do with your thoughts, feelings, and associations about the place (go beyond the obvious). Try to use all five senses. Don't censor words or thoughts. 2. Look back at the list and circle details that go beyond the obvious, that say something unique or surprising about the place. If there aren't any take another look and brainstorm another list. Take these few details and write a brief description of the place. Write quickly and don't worry about grammar or punctuation. 3. Seeing What You Said: How did it go? Did your writing go quickly or did it take some thought to get started? Were you able to go beyond the obvious and allow some emotional associations to take over? Do your words imply how you feel about the place or are they more objective and impersonal? 4. Writer to Writer: Initially when we describe something we focus on the impersonal or objective details, but those don't really tell our reader anything about the place. The reader is looking to get an "inside" look into how we feel about the place--they want to see what we see, which is different from each individual. The details of our writing do more than "pretty up the page." "They build a world in the process of describing, and more impostantly, they make that world come alive for both the writer and the reader." (Barry Lane) In your writing search out the details that make your world fresh. 5. Follow Through: Brainstorm for ten minutes a list of details to complete a paragraph beginning with this sentence: He/she had a strange taste in clothes. Let your imagination run wild with details. Show your world. =Day Eight: Breaking Habits of Seeing = 1. Return to the list of observations of the object you found outside on Day Seven. Read over it, then circle any observations that unusual, that wouldn't be immediately obvious to someone els looking at your object. Don't circle anything unless you really think it's a way of seeing the rock that is unusual. 2. Are just a few things circled? Did you find that the vast majority of observations were obvious, or did you discover that you were agle to see your object in some fresh and orighinal ways? 3. Writer to Writer: "What makes familiar things writing about is that we are able to fine a way to see them that makes them new, both for us and the people we write for." It isn't the object that is interesting but the story, lesson, or image it inspires. 4. Room snap shots: Spend 5 minutes pretending to take pictures from different vantage points of the room you are currently in. Write down what would show up in each photograph has you focus from place to place in the room (don't forget up and down). Remember that sometimes are photographs of a scene overlap so it is ok to have an object or item on more than on list. Now look over your list and see what you saw, then spend 5 minutes quick writing about you photography experience. What did you see? What didn't you see? Did you find a story?

=Day Seven: Going out on Limbs = 1. Begin another cluster, but choose your nucleus word from one of the list below- an idea, a feeling, or a thing: Remember the principles of clustering: nucleus word in the center of a blank page, circled. Build as many branches as you can, circling what you write and connecting them with lines as you go along. Concentrate on whatever comes to mind; let you ideas wander; relax and have fun. The harder you try to be "creative", the harder it will be to do it. Now cluster for seven minutes. 2. Today's Writer to Writer was from Bruce Ballenger. He expressed that clustering mimics the way his mind works. I share this trait with Bruce (as you have probably noticed in the classroo); I tend to wander off onto varying subjects or topics in the middle of conversations and never quite make it back to where I started. I love clustering for this reason. When I do this activity, I am able to discover topics or thoughts that may have never come to mind otherwise. With these "discover" thoughts or topics I am able to get to the heart of what I really want to write about (my angle). This "hunt for fresh angles" on familiar topics is a crucial part of the writing process. 3. Set your cluster aside. Get up, go outside, and find a rock, leaf, stick, trash, whatever catches your eye. Return to your notebook and spend five minutes making a list of brief observations of the item. What do you see? What do you think of? Make the list as long as you can. We will use it next time.
 * Ideas**: religion, success, competition, justice, evil, family, friendship, aging, nature, birth, parenting, politics, education, war;
 * Feelings**: afraid, angry, insecure, joyful, strong, lonely, loving, forgiving, happy sad, depressed, prejudiced;
 * Things**: cars, trees, water, fire, guns, toys, money, houses, flowers, clothes.

=Day Five: A Roomful of Details = 1. Take time to imagine a room you have spent or you spend a lot of time in. It can be any room. "Transport" yourself back to that room and for 5 minutes brainstorm a quick list of everything you see there. Brainstorming follows the same rules as freewriting; list anything and everything that comes to mind. Don't worry about making sense. If you get to a point where you can't think of anymore details, then start the list over again (you may be suprised as to what comes out of "relisting"). 2. Now, take a look over your list. What images or details trigger memories, stories, emotions. Circle this object or image and begin a seven minute freewrite. Remember to let the writing "run ahead of you". Let it take you away; if you leave the room that is just fine. Think through the writing. 3. Writer to Writer: "We are warehouses of experience". I believe Bruce is right on. We are stuffed full of images that spark memories or ideas for stories. I encourage you to trust me and spend some time making lists of specific details and images until you find that "spark". 4. Choose another specific detail from your list or, if nothing on the orginal list begs to be written about, generate a new list. You could brainstorm a list of: heros, risks, toys, food, pets, music, books, movies, possessions you have or want, embarrassing moments, teachers, etc. Once you find that detail, image, object circle it, and spend seven minutes freewriting. Excuse your watcher and "think //through// your writing.

=Day Four: The Thinker Stew: = 1. Look back at your list of places and add some people or characters. These people can be those you know or those you encountered (even briefly, or at a glance) while at the place. The people are completely up to you. 2. You know what's next...Pick one and spend ten minutes freewriting. Let the writing take you away. Remember the rule: just write. 3. Writer to Writer: We "create" the people we write about. We make them thicker or thinner. 4. Make a "My People" or "My Characters" page in your notebook where you can add people to spend some time on later.  =Day Three: Let the Rivers Rush: = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">I have enjoyed all of these exercise so far, but this one had a special connection to me. Like Barry and Bruce have a two voices in my head when I write (I truly think we all can relate to that). I want to write; I have all of these ideas and stories running through my head and they beg to be written down. But, I have that critical voice that critiques my form. Through these activities I have taken the opportunity to write past that critic and let my pen go! I hope that you can do the same. 1. Close your eyes and image a think of an unforgettable place. This place can be close to home or far away; it can be from the past or the present. It's your place. 2. Freewrite about it for ten minutes. Transport yourself to your unforgettable place. Write anything and everything that you see, feel, hear, smell, remember. Follow the rules of freewriting...the only thing you have to do is keep writing. Let your pen wander off to another topic another place; if you run out of things to write, write about having nothing to write. 3. Look back. How did it go? How did it feel? Underline or mark words, lines, passages that stand out to you. 4. Writer-to-Writer pages 9-10 by Bruce- Let the Rivers Rush. Let the ideas flow. Write before you think. Free yourself from you watcher. 5. Take two minutes to compile a list of other unforgettable or significant places. Then choose one (if you want to go back or continue with the other place, that is your choice) and write for ten minutes straight. No Stopping! Let the ideas, the images, the feelings rush through your pen.

=<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Day Two: Look at the Flowers = 1. For two minutes list childhood experiences that left lasting impressions on you, either positive or negative. Pick one that wants to be written about. 2. Freewrite for ten minutes about the experience. Here are the principles to freewriting: 1) Write quickly, without thinking about what you want to say before you say it. Keep you pen moving. 2) Don't censor yourself. Resist the temptation to "fix" mistakes. If you write something that sounds stupid don't worry about it. 3) Don't worry about coherence. If you feel like wandering off subject, do it! If you get stuck, skip to the next line and write about another memory or idea. 4) Relax and have fun. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3) Look back at your writing. How did it go? Did anything surprise you? What did you think of the freewriting. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4) After a "Write to Writer" moment with Barry Lane (page 4-5), without looking back at your first attempt, free write about the same experience for another ten minutes. If your Watcher intrudes, wirte faster and more wildly. Push your critic out the door. Don't write words or sentences. Write thoughts, smells, sights, sounds, ideas.

=<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> =