The New York Times runs a series called By the Book in which famous people are interviewed about their reading lives. I'm calling all readers out there to post their own answers to the By the Book questions. Please link to your post in the comments, so I can read about all of you fantastically non-famous readers! Visit … Continue reading Join Me: By the Book for the Common Reader
Slice of Life: The Walk
Beyond the walking path flanked by rustling trees and a babbling creek looms the grocery store's back, humming with cold milk and fresh-cut meat. Only the ducklings will hear you scream. Read more Slices of Life here, then write your own!
Slice of Life Challenge: Lyrical Imagery
The oak tree, black with wet, leers over the neighbor's fence, and from its skeleton, the last buds of spring transformed to sodden ochre paper. Read more Slices of Life here, then write your own!
Why Word Count Goals Matter
I once read about Jerry Seinfeld's writing process. Seinfeld uses a wall calendar with the entire year on it. For every day he writes, he gets to mark off the day with a big red X. He says, "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every … Continue reading Why Word Count Goals Matter
Having Something to Write, Part 2: A Vision
Flooding students with ideas is not enough to empower them to write. In fact, having many ideas without any direction can be just as overwhelming as having no ideas at all. This is why the second part of students having something to write is to help them find vision for their work. If they can … Continue reading Having Something to Write, Part 2: A Vision
Having Something to Write, Part 1: The Idea Flood
In my last post, I wrote that empowered writers have something to say. In order to have something to say, you must have an idea, or even better, many ideas. Kelly Gallagher, educator and author, encourages creating a book flood (i.e. a robust classroom library) to get students excited about reading. By providing plentiful book choices, all … Continue reading Having Something to Write, Part 1: The Idea Flood
Jennifer Brinkmeyer 