Watch Where You're Going

[jbknowles]

Welcome to another summer of Teachers Write

Comments

re: Getting started

[ext_4722490]

Thanks for the helpful tips, Jo! I'm heading back to the classroom to teach 4th grade next year and want to help my students become better writers. Starts with me becoming one myself and that's why I'm here. Writing, especially the creative kind, was never easy for me. I guess it's never to late to start!

Jane :)

Re: Getting started

[jbknowles]

Never too late! So glad you're here!

Helpful Advice

[anonymous]

Thank you for this advice Jo! Going forward, I will keep my story description close by while I write. I think it's easy to feel like you don't need this with picture book writing, but it's equally as important in any writing. Personally, where I need to "watch where I'm going" is when I fall victim to going down rabbit holes. When I do this, I end up introducing unnecessary characters, adding way to many details for a picture book and confusing myself as to where I began in the first place. This technique is now added to my writing toolkit. Thanks!

Re: Helpful Advice

[jbknowles]

Yes! Exactly! Even short fiction can you this technique. And it works for editing, as well. :)

Helpful Advice

[ext_4183153]

Thank you for this advice Jo! Going forward, I will keep my story description close by while I write. I think it's easy to feel like you don't need this with picture book writing, but it's equally as important in any writing. Personally, where I need to "watch where I'm going" is when I fall victim to going down rabbit holes. When I do this, I end up introducing unnecessary characters, adding way to many details for a picture book and confusing myself as to where I began in the first place. This technique is now added to my writing toolkit. Thanks!

Re: Helpful Advice

[jbknowles]

Oops, replied to you above. :)

Watch Where You’re Going

[anonymous]

I am working on a picture book where the main character, a Burrito, gets eaten at the end, by the narrator. I’ve revised it many times and would LOVE if you, or someone from #TeachersWrite could take a look!!! Thank you! ❤️📖 -Ariel Franchak (arielfranchak@yahoo.com)

Re: Watch Where You’re Going

[jbknowles]

Hi,
I don't read manuscripts but it's possible you could share this with Gae on Friday for Friday feedback! :)

Great Exercise!

[ext_4722605]

I enjoyed this activity, and I think I will work it into my regular plotting/brainstorming process for starting new projects. I don't want to share the whole thing, but I will share a line--which I think captures the message I want readers to get at the end of the story:

"All of them have lost something, but their shared experience gives them the strength to recover together."

Thanks for the great activity :)

Re: Great Exercise!

[jbknowles]

Perfect!