Jo Knowles's Blog, page 4
January 29, 2015
A rubric!!
Hi everyone,
If you thought my last post about judging writing contests was helpful, check out what this amazing writer did with the information! She made a rubric!! :)
http://www.shannonrigney.com/2015/01/28/fun-with-rubrics/
If you thought my last post about judging writing contests was helpful, check out what this amazing writer did with the information! She made a rubric!! :)
http://www.shannonrigney.com/2015/01/28/fun-with-rubrics/
January 26, 2015
Some things I learned from being "judge-y" :-)
Hi everyone,
It's been a while since I posted here, and I have completely fallen down on the job for my Monday Morning Warm-Ups. Please forgive me! If you are ever looking for some prompts, you can always go to my Web site and check the resources page for some oldies but (hopefully) goodies: http://www.joknowles.com/Prompts.html
I came back today to share some thoughts I have about writing contests. It's very odd and awkward to be a "judge" when you've spent most of your writing career being the one in the other seat. So when I was asked to be a judge for several contests this year, I told myself I would try to use the experience to learn as much as I could and then share whatever that was with my writing friends.
Right away, I realized I was picking up on a lot of common mistakes (well, I hesitate to use that word but it's the best my tired brain can think of at the moment) when submitting first pages/chapters of their work. I decided to start taking notes on submissions, classifying them into groups. So below, you will see how, as I read, I would place subs into one of three categories: No, Maybe, Yes! and finally WINNERS. I can tell you that almost all of the no's were clear no's almost from the very first paragraph, though I continued to read the entire submission.
Note: These are comments come from more than one contest. Some are picture books, some middle grade, some YA, and I didn't include ALL of my notes on every single one, especially various winners, in the interest of keeping this very anonymous.
Looking at them all again now, it's fascinating to me how similar my comments were for so many, even the ones I loved. Obviously what spoke to me most was work that had:
• strong voice
• active pace
• engaging plot
• meaningful dialogue
• rich description that grounded me in the time and place
I offer these notes in hopes that you can use them to look at your own opening pages and wonder if a judge like me, or an agent or editor, would say the same thing. I hope you find them helpful!
Love,
Jo
Comments on No's:
Entry 1
Lacks voice
Sounds too adult
Main character not believable and therefore hard to connect to
Entry 2
Great first line
Too much info dumping
No action
Too agenda filled?
No voice
Entry 3
Nice dialogue and description
No voice
Fantasy element added with no surprise (too easily accepted by main character)
No character development
Entry 4
Inconsistent storyline
Too much physical description that doesn't actually work-characters are too perfect
A bit far-fetched
Dialogue forced
Entry 5
Very disjointed and hard to follow
Voice is very distant
Plot is vague
Not sure what the conflict is
Entry 6
No real conflict
Not clear what's at stake for character
No character development or growth
Entry 7
The writing is good, but the pacing is really slow.
Didn't have anything to pull me in.
Entry 8
Story starts without any introduction of time/place/character
No clue where person is, how old
No setting established
Entry 9
Interesting subject matter but text not very engaging
Needs some conflict
Needs to feel more like a story
Entry 10
Not really a story but a scene.
Needs more.
Entry 11
Interesting story but REALLY slow
Lots of telling but the details don't actually help build the story
Entry 12
Narrator feels too removed from story
Slow pace
Lots of explaining/info dumping instead of letting back story flow more naturally
Has potential! But needs lots of work.
Entry 13
Too much telling/explaining rather than showing
Launches into fantasy too fast
Nice writing but feels too preachy
Author's "cause" too strong on page
Entry 14
Too preachy
Voice is too young
More message than story
Too simple
Entry 15
No character development
Setting/time not clear
No idea what's happening or who main character is
Too much action without context
Not clear who audience is—feels adult
No connection to characters
Entry 16
Voice doesn't reflect time period (feels too modern for time depicted)
Agenda too obvious on page
Nice writing but story needs to feel less forced
Entry 17
Has great potential!
Not sure this is YA given age of characters
Overdramatic
Need to slow down pace and do more scene setting/character building
Entry 18
Nice writing
Captivating in some ways but not grounded in a familiar world and without stage setting, it's too confusing to follow or understand what's happening
Not really sure who the main character is or what her plight is
Entry 19
Writing is snappy and fresh but too much banter for too long—doesn't move the story forward
Dialogue is too light—doesn't reflect what's actually going on in a believable way
Entry 20
Too much dialogue that doesn't move story forward or provide secondary info.
Premise is interesting and has promise but tragedy made light of in a strange way—would be OK if it was clear why. Not really believable as is.
Entry 21
Good writing
Some really lovely phrases
Good dialogue
Story was a little hard to follow
Seemed to be a few inconsistencies in relationships
Slow beginning
Whose story is this?
Author withholding too much information
Entry 22
Well-trod ground
No real conflict
Entry 23
Chapters are too short and disconnected-nothing really seems to happen
Reads like a series of vignettes but the point of each isn't clear
Parents act in a way that doesn't make sense/not believable
Not sure what the point is
No clear conflict
Entry 24
Reads more like a summary than a story
Too much telling
Agenda on every page
Entry 25
Rhyming too forced
Powerful story but would be more effective in free verse or prose
Too bad because there is some really raw and powerful stuff here
Comments on Maybes:
Entry 1
Beautiful writing
Lovely scene/setting descriptions
Nice character development
Sweet characters, nice dialogue
No action until page 6
Lots of info dumping where there doesn't need to be
Agenda too visible on page
Entry 2
Very good writing but very slow pace
Story never really starts
Felt very distant from main character-didn't know enough
Entry 3
Good!
Like the pacing and introduction to the secret.
Compelling, but not a great voice.
Written in first person but feels more like a distant narrator, which isn't quite working.
Too much telling.
Entry 4
Sweet
Great writing but concept doesn't actually work
Entry 5
Very nice writing
Flow is OK
Lack of any character/setting development before the big conflict happens
Entry 6
Great voice
Wonderful writing
Loses threads
Not good choice of 2nd person
Not good choice of format-doesn't work
Plot/time span moves too quickly-summary vs. story
Entry 7
The fiction sections are good but too preachy
The nonfiction sections disrupt the story
Good writing but the format doesn't work
Needs to be more engaging
Entry 8
Excellent writing
Snappy dialogue but goes on a bit without moving plot forward
Does a nice job with character development
Wish this was written in first not third
Entry 9
Very nice writing but the agenda is too present on the page. Gets in the way of the story
Entry 10
So much to love
Great voice, wonderful writing, but SO SLOW
20 pages in and still getting backstory
Nothing has happened
Entry 11
Good writing but a bit too repetitive
Starts at an odd place
Very intriguing though!
Entry 12
Very nice writing but too many props to help story along
Too much looking back instead of showing story unfold
Inconsistent voice
Comments on Yes! -- considered for win but in end didn't make it:
Entry 1
Really beautiful
Original voice
Nice pacing
A little agenda-y at end
Entry 2
Beautiful writing
Great storytelling voice
Rich details
Nice character development
Good dialogue
Tension, heart, longing—all nicely conveyed
Entry 3
Wonderful!
Engaging tone
Mystery
Care about main character
Great connection to prologue
Beautifully written
Perfect pacing and dialogue
Winners:
Entry 1
Amazing voice!
Rich dialogue
Wonderful dialect
Strong female protagonist
ORIGINAL and ambitious story
Beautiful writing
Got lost in story and invested in character
Secondary characters very believable
Love the hint of adventure and danger
Perfect pacing
Entry 2
Excellent writing
Strong sense of place
Great character development from the first page
Fantastic dialogue
Powerful opening
Wonderful balance of tension/action/suspense
Rich descriptions that fit the scene and don't slow it down
Connected with and became invested in character's plight immediately
Entry 3
Lyrical, light, moving
So simple and beautiful
Perfect word choice with surprises that were a delight
Could see and feel every scene, sweet, but not too much so
Entry 4
Love!
Great storytelling
Perfect pacing
Nice balance moving story forward while still giving enough backstory and setting the scene/developing character
So original and engaging!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Soooo... what do you think? See some common threads in each category? I sure do! So, for your Monday Morning (really afternoon, sorry) Warm-Up: Go check out your opening pages and see what you think! Would your reader put you in a Yes! Or a Win? What can you do to take your work to the next level? Give it a try!
It's been a while since I posted here, and I have completely fallen down on the job for my Monday Morning Warm-Ups. Please forgive me! If you are ever looking for some prompts, you can always go to my Web site and check the resources page for some oldies but (hopefully) goodies: http://www.joknowles.com/Prompts.html
I came back today to share some thoughts I have about writing contests. It's very odd and awkward to be a "judge" when you've spent most of your writing career being the one in the other seat. So when I was asked to be a judge for several contests this year, I told myself I would try to use the experience to learn as much as I could and then share whatever that was with my writing friends.
Right away, I realized I was picking up on a lot of common mistakes (well, I hesitate to use that word but it's the best my tired brain can think of at the moment) when submitting first pages/chapters of their work. I decided to start taking notes on submissions, classifying them into groups. So below, you will see how, as I read, I would place subs into one of three categories: No, Maybe, Yes! and finally WINNERS. I can tell you that almost all of the no's were clear no's almost from the very first paragraph, though I continued to read the entire submission.
Note: These are comments come from more than one contest. Some are picture books, some middle grade, some YA, and I didn't include ALL of my notes on every single one, especially various winners, in the interest of keeping this very anonymous.
Looking at them all again now, it's fascinating to me how similar my comments were for so many, even the ones I loved. Obviously what spoke to me most was work that had:
• strong voice
• active pace
• engaging plot
• meaningful dialogue
• rich description that grounded me in the time and place
I offer these notes in hopes that you can use them to look at your own opening pages and wonder if a judge like me, or an agent or editor, would say the same thing. I hope you find them helpful!
Love,
Jo
Comments on No's:
Entry 1
Lacks voice
Sounds too adult
Main character not believable and therefore hard to connect to
Entry 2
Great first line
Too much info dumping
No action
Too agenda filled?
No voice
Entry 3
Nice dialogue and description
No voice
Fantasy element added with no surprise (too easily accepted by main character)
No character development
Entry 4
Inconsistent storyline
Too much physical description that doesn't actually work-characters are too perfect
A bit far-fetched
Dialogue forced
Entry 5
Very disjointed and hard to follow
Voice is very distant
Plot is vague
Not sure what the conflict is
Entry 6
No real conflict
Not clear what's at stake for character
No character development or growth
Entry 7
The writing is good, but the pacing is really slow.
Didn't have anything to pull me in.
Entry 8
Story starts without any introduction of time/place/character
No clue where person is, how old
No setting established
Entry 9
Interesting subject matter but text not very engaging
Needs some conflict
Needs to feel more like a story
Entry 10
Not really a story but a scene.
Needs more.
Entry 11
Interesting story but REALLY slow
Lots of telling but the details don't actually help build the story
Entry 12
Narrator feels too removed from story
Slow pace
Lots of explaining/info dumping instead of letting back story flow more naturally
Has potential! But needs lots of work.
Entry 13
Too much telling/explaining rather than showing
Launches into fantasy too fast
Nice writing but feels too preachy
Author's "cause" too strong on page
Entry 14
Too preachy
Voice is too young
More message than story
Too simple
Entry 15
No character development
Setting/time not clear
No idea what's happening or who main character is
Too much action without context
Not clear who audience is—feels adult
No connection to characters
Entry 16
Voice doesn't reflect time period (feels too modern for time depicted)
Agenda too obvious on page
Nice writing but story needs to feel less forced
Entry 17
Has great potential!
Not sure this is YA given age of characters
Overdramatic
Need to slow down pace and do more scene setting/character building
Entry 18
Nice writing
Captivating in some ways but not grounded in a familiar world and without stage setting, it's too confusing to follow or understand what's happening
Not really sure who the main character is or what her plight is
Entry 19
Writing is snappy and fresh but too much banter for too long—doesn't move the story forward
Dialogue is too light—doesn't reflect what's actually going on in a believable way
Entry 20
Too much dialogue that doesn't move story forward or provide secondary info.
Premise is interesting and has promise but tragedy made light of in a strange way—would be OK if it was clear why. Not really believable as is.
Entry 21
Good writing
Some really lovely phrases
Good dialogue
Story was a little hard to follow
Seemed to be a few inconsistencies in relationships
Slow beginning
Whose story is this?
Author withholding too much information
Entry 22
Well-trod ground
No real conflict
Entry 23
Chapters are too short and disconnected-nothing really seems to happen
Reads like a series of vignettes but the point of each isn't clear
Parents act in a way that doesn't make sense/not believable
Not sure what the point is
No clear conflict
Entry 24
Reads more like a summary than a story
Too much telling
Agenda on every page
Entry 25
Rhyming too forced
Powerful story but would be more effective in free verse or prose
Too bad because there is some really raw and powerful stuff here
Comments on Maybes:
Entry 1
Beautiful writing
Lovely scene/setting descriptions
Nice character development
Sweet characters, nice dialogue
No action until page 6
Lots of info dumping where there doesn't need to be
Agenda too visible on page
Entry 2
Very good writing but very slow pace
Story never really starts
Felt very distant from main character-didn't know enough
Entry 3
Good!
Like the pacing and introduction to the secret.
Compelling, but not a great voice.
Written in first person but feels more like a distant narrator, which isn't quite working.
Too much telling.
Entry 4
Sweet
Great writing but concept doesn't actually work
Entry 5
Very nice writing
Flow is OK
Lack of any character/setting development before the big conflict happens
Entry 6
Great voice
Wonderful writing
Loses threads
Not good choice of 2nd person
Not good choice of format-doesn't work
Plot/time span moves too quickly-summary vs. story
Entry 7
The fiction sections are good but too preachy
The nonfiction sections disrupt the story
Good writing but the format doesn't work
Needs to be more engaging
Entry 8
Excellent writing
Snappy dialogue but goes on a bit without moving plot forward
Does a nice job with character development
Wish this was written in first not third
Entry 9
Very nice writing but the agenda is too present on the page. Gets in the way of the story
Entry 10
So much to love
Great voice, wonderful writing, but SO SLOW
20 pages in and still getting backstory
Nothing has happened
Entry 11
Good writing but a bit too repetitive
Starts at an odd place
Very intriguing though!
Entry 12
Very nice writing but too many props to help story along
Too much looking back instead of showing story unfold
Inconsistent voice
Comments on Yes! -- considered for win but in end didn't make it:
Entry 1
Really beautiful
Original voice
Nice pacing
A little agenda-y at end
Entry 2
Beautiful writing
Great storytelling voice
Rich details
Nice character development
Good dialogue
Tension, heart, longing—all nicely conveyed
Entry 3
Wonderful!
Engaging tone
Mystery
Care about main character
Great connection to prologue
Beautifully written
Perfect pacing and dialogue
Winners:
Entry 1
Amazing voice!
Rich dialogue
Wonderful dialect
Strong female protagonist
ORIGINAL and ambitious story
Beautiful writing
Got lost in story and invested in character
Secondary characters very believable
Love the hint of adventure and danger
Perfect pacing
Entry 2
Excellent writing
Strong sense of place
Great character development from the first page
Fantastic dialogue
Powerful opening
Wonderful balance of tension/action/suspense
Rich descriptions that fit the scene and don't slow it down
Connected with and became invested in character's plight immediately
Entry 3
Lyrical, light, moving
So simple and beautiful
Perfect word choice with surprises that were a delight
Could see and feel every scene, sweet, but not too much so
Entry 4
Love!
Great storytelling
Perfect pacing
Nice balance moving story forward while still giving enough backstory and setting the scene/developing character
So original and engaging!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Soooo... what do you think? See some common threads in each category? I sure do! So, for your Monday Morning (really afternoon, sorry) Warm-Up: Go check out your opening pages and see what you think! Would your reader put you in a Yes! Or a Win? What can you do to take your work to the next level? Give it a try!
October 20, 2014
Trying again to find peace and beauty in the depths of despair
Not long ago, I wrote this:
"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."
Early Saturday morning, my cousin Josh went missing, and soon later, his body was found in the woods near his home. He took his own life after years of battling depression.
Growing up, my sister and I babysat for him and his two little brothers. We spent vacations together in Maine every summer. We spent Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter together. But when he got older, his family moved away and we didn't see them for a long time. Long enough that we weren't close the way we used to be. In fact, we really didn't know each other at all.
Not long ago, he moved back to New England and I saw him last Christmas at my parents' house. He was quiet and reserved. I knew he'd had a hard life in our years apart. We didn't talk much. We were strangers linked by childhood memories. And I sensed he felt as uncomfortable and shy as I did, having let so many years go by without being in touch.
One day, not too long ago, he messaged me on Facebook and said he'd like to call and talk to me about writing a book. I put off replying because I felt like I didn't really know him, or what to say, and imagined how awkward it would be to talk to him over the phone. I told myself I would send an e-mail first, with tips to get him started, and then, if he had questions, we could talk. A few weeks later, I left him a note, "I owe you an e-mail and promise to be in touch soon!" Or some such. I was on deadline for school packets and told myself I didn't have time. And then I did have time but sort of forgot until I'd see him update his page with an inspirational quote, I would get mad at myself for not writing that e-mail yet. Just last week, I thought of some books I would recommend he read. Some good memoirs. Mentally, I made a list. And then I started to think of tips I could give him to help him get started. But I still didn't manage to write that e-mail.
And now he's gone.
For the rest of my life, I will always feel this aching regret that I didn't take the twenty minutes of effort that e-mail required to reach out. I will regret that I didn't try to get to know my cousin again. That I didn't know he was hurting. That I didn't do a single blessed thing.
Suicide isn't anyone's fault. I know that. But how we care about people and treat each other and reach out to each other is. And I'm ashamed.
On Saturday morning, I was sitting at a table with dear friends in Maine. We were about to start a weekend writing retreat. We were drinking coffee and laughing. And then my phone buzzed. "Call home immediately."
The ground shifted underneath me when my husband told me Josh had died.
A veil of grief and sadness and guilt and regret slid between me and the rest of the world. Nothing had changed on your side, but on my side, nothing will ever be the same. It's like looking at the world through some sort of gauze, as if I'm not a part of it anymore. On the other side, life goes on as usual, on mine, I can't seem to move.
My sister drove to Maine to come get me and bring me to her house so we could be with my parents, aunt and uncle. On the drive home, memories of losing my brother, wounds I thought healed, slowly reopened and all that pain wrapped around my heart. So much guilt. So many regrets. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I say that? Why why why? Why. Why did he have to die?
Life isn't fair. This was the year to see the beauty in the world and I have seen a lot. But I have also seen misery. I have seen it and felt it deep in my bones. I feel it right now.
Every day, there are people who die and people who are born and people who love and people who hurt. And every day, we need to remember this.
Every day, we need to be more kind.
We need to reply to the e-mail we've been avoiding. To answer the phone. To make the coffee date with the needy friend. To walk the dog. To pat the cats. To make the bed. To breathe the air. To shower. To love. To live. Every. Day. But on days like this it is so, so hard.
But I know. For those of us living behind the veil of grief, we need to remember that it's OK to slide it to the side again and walk back through. That eventually, we will have to. Eventually, we must.
It's OK to enjoy a blueberry. It's OK to keep living our lives and seeing beauty, even in the depths of despair.
It's more than OK.
It's necessary.
So I'm going to force myself out of this room and go walk my dog now. I'm going to honor Josh's memory by seeing the beauty in every step. I'm going to breathe in the peace around us, and try to be grateful that that's what Josh finally has now.
Peace to you now, Josh. Rest in peace.
"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."
Early Saturday morning, my cousin Josh went missing, and soon later, his body was found in the woods near his home. He took his own life after years of battling depression.
Growing up, my sister and I babysat for him and his two little brothers. We spent vacations together in Maine every summer. We spent Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter together. But when he got older, his family moved away and we didn't see them for a long time. Long enough that we weren't close the way we used to be. In fact, we really didn't know each other at all.
Not long ago, he moved back to New England and I saw him last Christmas at my parents' house. He was quiet and reserved. I knew he'd had a hard life in our years apart. We didn't talk much. We were strangers linked by childhood memories. And I sensed he felt as uncomfortable and shy as I did, having let so many years go by without being in touch.
One day, not too long ago, he messaged me on Facebook and said he'd like to call and talk to me about writing a book. I put off replying because I felt like I didn't really know him, or what to say, and imagined how awkward it would be to talk to him over the phone. I told myself I would send an e-mail first, with tips to get him started, and then, if he had questions, we could talk. A few weeks later, I left him a note, "I owe you an e-mail and promise to be in touch soon!" Or some such. I was on deadline for school packets and told myself I didn't have time. And then I did have time but sort of forgot until I'd see him update his page with an inspirational quote, I would get mad at myself for not writing that e-mail yet. Just last week, I thought of some books I would recommend he read. Some good memoirs. Mentally, I made a list. And then I started to think of tips I could give him to help him get started. But I still didn't manage to write that e-mail.
And now he's gone.
For the rest of my life, I will always feel this aching regret that I didn't take the twenty minutes of effort that e-mail required to reach out. I will regret that I didn't try to get to know my cousin again. That I didn't know he was hurting. That I didn't do a single blessed thing.
Suicide isn't anyone's fault. I know that. But how we care about people and treat each other and reach out to each other is. And I'm ashamed.
On Saturday morning, I was sitting at a table with dear friends in Maine. We were about to start a weekend writing retreat. We were drinking coffee and laughing. And then my phone buzzed. "Call home immediately."
The ground shifted underneath me when my husband told me Josh had died.
A veil of grief and sadness and guilt and regret slid between me and the rest of the world. Nothing had changed on your side, but on my side, nothing will ever be the same. It's like looking at the world through some sort of gauze, as if I'm not a part of it anymore. On the other side, life goes on as usual, on mine, I can't seem to move.
My sister drove to Maine to come get me and bring me to her house so we could be with my parents, aunt and uncle. On the drive home, memories of losing my brother, wounds I thought healed, slowly reopened and all that pain wrapped around my heart. So much guilt. So many regrets. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I say that? Why why why? Why. Why did he have to die?
Life isn't fair. This was the year to see the beauty in the world and I have seen a lot. But I have also seen misery. I have seen it and felt it deep in my bones. I feel it right now.
Every day, there are people who die and people who are born and people who love and people who hurt. And every day, we need to remember this.
Every day, we need to be more kind.
We need to reply to the e-mail we've been avoiding. To answer the phone. To make the coffee date with the needy friend. To walk the dog. To pat the cats. To make the bed. To breathe the air. To shower. To love. To live. Every. Day. But on days like this it is so, so hard.
But I know. For those of us living behind the veil of grief, we need to remember that it's OK to slide it to the side again and walk back through. That eventually, we will have to. Eventually, we must.
It's OK to enjoy a blueberry. It's OK to keep living our lives and seeing beauty, even in the depths of despair.
It's more than OK.
It's necessary.
So I'm going to force myself out of this room and go walk my dog now. I'm going to honor Josh's memory by seeing the beauty in every step. I'm going to breathe in the peace around us, and try to be grateful that that's what Josh finally has now.
Peace to you now, Josh. Rest in peace.
October 17, 2014
Read Between The Lines
A big thanks to
wordsrmylife
for the very thoughtful review!
http://wordsrmylife.livejournal.com/230248.html
"One of this novel's great beauties is that the many different perspectives allow us to view one relationship--say the cheerleader who dates the closeted basketball star--from multiple perspectives. The reader, unlike the character, is able to understand how tricky and difficult a situation is for all involved."
Thank you Kathy!!
wordsrmylife
for the very thoughtful review!http://wordsrmylife.livejournal.com/230248.html
"One of this novel's great beauties is that the many different perspectives allow us to view one relationship--say the cheerleader who dates the closeted basketball star--from multiple perspectives. The reader, unlike the character, is able to understand how tricky and difficult a situation is for all involved."
Thank you Kathy!!
August 11, 2014
Giving the best you've got :-)
Hello Teachers!
I just learned that this is our FINAL week? What?! How did that happen? Why did summer have go by so darn quickly?
Today's Lesson on Kate's blog is about revision (thanks, Erin Dionne!). So, I thought I'd tie my final warm-up to that as well.
You've learned a lot this summer about making words count. We've talked about how to use specific actions or descriptions to reveal something about your character in a way more powerful than an explanation would do. This morning, look through some of your writing and choose your FAVORITE of these sentences. Now revise it a bit more. Make it sing. Make every word count. Make it something your reader will want to read again just because of its precision. Make it something to inspire your reader to say to the person sitting next to him or her, "You've got to hear this."
You can do it!!! And I hope you'll share here. I'm in the mood to read out loud a lot today. :-)
Thanks for joining all of us for Teachers Write! I hope you'll try to keep writing a part of your daily routine, even as life gets busy. Have a wonderful school year! And thanks for all you do.
Love,
Jo
I just learned that this is our FINAL week? What?! How did that happen? Why did summer have go by so darn quickly?
Today's Lesson on Kate's blog is about revision (thanks, Erin Dionne!). So, I thought I'd tie my final warm-up to that as well.
You've learned a lot this summer about making words count. We've talked about how to use specific actions or descriptions to reveal something about your character in a way more powerful than an explanation would do. This morning, look through some of your writing and choose your FAVORITE of these sentences. Now revise it a bit more. Make it sing. Make every word count. Make it something your reader will want to read again just because of its precision. Make it something to inspire your reader to say to the person sitting next to him or her, "You've got to hear this."
You can do it!!! And I hope you'll share here. I'm in the mood to read out loud a lot today. :-)
Thanks for joining all of us for Teachers Write! I hope you'll try to keep writing a part of your daily routine, even as life gets busy. Have a wonderful school year! And thanks for all you do.
Love,
Jo
August 4, 2014
What routines say about us
Good morning again, teachers!
We've rounded the bend into August. I hope you've all been productive and are having a great time putting your stories into the world.
Today, I want to talk about how your character's actions can give your character personality and depth. How your character moves, responds, and just generally functions throughout the day says a LOT about the kind of (hopefully unique) person he or she is. What kind of cereal does your character eat? Why? How does your character dress? Is there a lot of care put into it, or none at all? Is your character aware of labels? Is your character sarcastic? Grumpy? Quiet? Boisterous? How does your character interact with his or her parents? Siblings? Friends? Enemies? Teachers? Strangers? And how on earth do you get all this across in your writing?
Here's an idea. Write a scene showing your character waking up and getting ready for school in the morning. Look at the list above and see how much you can get across by SHOWING us how your character gets up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and gets to school. Here are some more questions to consider:
Will your character be chipper when he or she wakes? Scared? Filled with dread? Excited?
What does his or her room look like? Is it messy or clean? Does it smell?
How will your character go about finding clothes and getting dressed? Will they be neatly hung in a closet or pulled from a heap on the floor?
Will your character eat breakfast? Why or why not? If so, what will it be? Will your character eat in silence or talk to family members? Or eat on the bus?
Will your character walk to school, ride the bus, get a ride, drive?
What do each of the answers say about who your character is and what he or she is going through? (Because each detail SHOULD say something about your character or else it shouldn't be there. Every word and every description need to earn their place on the page. They must have a purpose.) You see what I'm getting at. You can do a tremendous amount of worldbuilding and characterization in a simple scene like this.
How much can you tell us about your character's world without explaining it all, but showing it through dialog and action? Let's find out!
We've rounded the bend into August. I hope you've all been productive and are having a great time putting your stories into the world.
Today, I want to talk about how your character's actions can give your character personality and depth. How your character moves, responds, and just generally functions throughout the day says a LOT about the kind of (hopefully unique) person he or she is. What kind of cereal does your character eat? Why? How does your character dress? Is there a lot of care put into it, or none at all? Is your character aware of labels? Is your character sarcastic? Grumpy? Quiet? Boisterous? How does your character interact with his or her parents? Siblings? Friends? Enemies? Teachers? Strangers? And how on earth do you get all this across in your writing?
Here's an idea. Write a scene showing your character waking up and getting ready for school in the morning. Look at the list above and see how much you can get across by SHOWING us how your character gets up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and gets to school. Here are some more questions to consider:
Will your character be chipper when he or she wakes? Scared? Filled with dread? Excited?
What does his or her room look like? Is it messy or clean? Does it smell?
How will your character go about finding clothes and getting dressed? Will they be neatly hung in a closet or pulled from a heap on the floor?
Will your character eat breakfast? Why or why not? If so, what will it be? Will your character eat in silence or talk to family members? Or eat on the bus?
Will your character walk to school, ride the bus, get a ride, drive?
What do each of the answers say about who your character is and what he or she is going through? (Because each detail SHOULD say something about your character or else it shouldn't be there. Every word and every description need to earn their place on the page. They must have a purpose.) You see what I'm getting at. You can do a tremendous amount of worldbuilding and characterization in a simple scene like this.
How much can you tell us about your character's world without explaining it all, but showing it through dialog and action? Let's find out!
July 28, 2014
Changing magic to power, inspired by Holly Black
Hello Teachers!!!! Today I'm going to cheat a tiny bit and share with you a post I wrote back on July 19, 2010, which I wrote after attending a lecture by Holly Black. Yes, the Holly Black. It was a lucky day! And since that day, I have been using what I learned to help my own students understand world building and why it's important no matter what your genre. I hope you'll give the exercise a try! :-) And THANK YOU, Holly, for inspiring me yet again. <3
Using world building techniques in realistic fiction via Holly Black
Original link: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/382006.html
This Saturday I attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts Special Day on fantasy. Holly Black (blackholly) was the first speaker and I believe had everyone in that room aching to go home the minute she finished to tackle our projects and answer the insightful questions she proposed when creating a magic system.
Hold up.
Magic system?
I know. The theme was fantasy after all. And no, I'm not writing one.
But as I sat there listening to how Holly builds her brilliant plots, I realized all the questions she asks of magic can be directly asked about the underlying theme running through the microcosm each of our characters lives in (home, school, community).
Here's one example. Change the word "magic" to "power" when thinking about realistic fiction. (You can use another word, too, this is just the first example that came to me.)
1. Who has the magic?
2. What does it do?
3. How do you make it happen?
4. How is the user affected?
5. How is the world affected?
6. How are magic users grouped and perceived?
Let's try it, with some tweaks/notes:
1. Who has the power? (parent, relative, friend, teacher, bully—or the "who" could be a "thing" such as a disability, disease, economic situation, etc., which gives the illusion of having power)
2. What is it? (money, influence, abuse, manipulation, a secret, pain, threat of death, etc.)
3. How is it used? (physically, psychologically, emotionally, as a threat, etc.)
4. Why does the person use it? (to gain power, feel superior, survival, etc.)
5. How is the world/victim affected? (weakened, hurt, victimized, drawn inward, scared, etc.)
6. How are those in power (the bad guy/thing) grouped and perceived? The victims (our hero/main protagonist)?
Well, this is rough but you see what I mean. And you can see how having a clear understanding of the ins and outs are essential in developing plot and character no matter what you're writing. Even if they may seem obvious to you on the surface, going deeper you may discover a lot more. In fact I'm sure you will.
Holly went on to discuss in depth how to look closely to really understand the world you've created, and how important it is to understand all the costs of magic (to those who have it and don't), to understand the limits, and what the rules of the magic say about the world. And again, all of her points made me think deeply about the real worlds I've created for my own characters, grounded in the contemporary landscape we know, and what those say about the world, too.
Holly said, "How we set up our magic system reflects how we feel about the world... In writing fantasy, you're telling us what you think about the world." And aren't we doing that in everything we write? Fantastical or not? I love that. And I would add that it's not only what we feel, but what we believe we know. (I say believe, because sometimes, we end up being wrong. But part of that journey from saying things with such conviction, to opening your mind to other possibilities, to seeing the light in a place you once condemned to darkness, is how we make sure the world keeps changing.)
Finally, Holly noted well that when we write, we are in conversation with every book we've read. Every time we write we add to that conversation. She said it far more profoundly, but I love that notion. It's how we get better.
Well, I think I probably got this a bit jumbled but I loved the way Holly posed these questions and how they got me thinking more closely about the how's and why's of the dynamics within my own character's household, group of friends, etc., and what they mean more globally. Because there are different rules within each setting, and you do have to understand where they come from and why they stick in order to fully understand your character's motives, flaws, desires—and what they say about your character's world, as well as the one you—all of us—live in.
Don't you think?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Answer the questions above in relation to your own current work-in-progress.
Using world building techniques in realistic fiction via Holly Black
Original link: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/382006.html
This Saturday I attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts Special Day on fantasy. Holly Black (blackholly) was the first speaker and I believe had everyone in that room aching to go home the minute she finished to tackle our projects and answer the insightful questions she proposed when creating a magic system.
Hold up.
Magic system?
I know. The theme was fantasy after all. And no, I'm not writing one.
But as I sat there listening to how Holly builds her brilliant plots, I realized all the questions she asks of magic can be directly asked about the underlying theme running through the microcosm each of our characters lives in (home, school, community).
Here's one example. Change the word "magic" to "power" when thinking about realistic fiction. (You can use another word, too, this is just the first example that came to me.)
1. Who has the magic?
2. What does it do?
3. How do you make it happen?
4. How is the user affected?
5. How is the world affected?
6. How are magic users grouped and perceived?
Let's try it, with some tweaks/notes:
1. Who has the power? (parent, relative, friend, teacher, bully—or the "who" could be a "thing" such as a disability, disease, economic situation, etc., which gives the illusion of having power)
2. What is it? (money, influence, abuse, manipulation, a secret, pain, threat of death, etc.)
3. How is it used? (physically, psychologically, emotionally, as a threat, etc.)
4. Why does the person use it? (to gain power, feel superior, survival, etc.)
5. How is the world/victim affected? (weakened, hurt, victimized, drawn inward, scared, etc.)
6. How are those in power (the bad guy/thing) grouped and perceived? The victims (our hero/main protagonist)?
Well, this is rough but you see what I mean. And you can see how having a clear understanding of the ins and outs are essential in developing plot and character no matter what you're writing. Even if they may seem obvious to you on the surface, going deeper you may discover a lot more. In fact I'm sure you will.
Holly went on to discuss in depth how to look closely to really understand the world you've created, and how important it is to understand all the costs of magic (to those who have it and don't), to understand the limits, and what the rules of the magic say about the world. And again, all of her points made me think deeply about the real worlds I've created for my own characters, grounded in the contemporary landscape we know, and what those say about the world, too.
Holly said, "How we set up our magic system reflects how we feel about the world... In writing fantasy, you're telling us what you think about the world." And aren't we doing that in everything we write? Fantastical or not? I love that. And I would add that it's not only what we feel, but what we believe we know. (I say believe, because sometimes, we end up being wrong. But part of that journey from saying things with such conviction, to opening your mind to other possibilities, to seeing the light in a place you once condemned to darkness, is how we make sure the world keeps changing.)
Finally, Holly noted well that when we write, we are in conversation with every book we've read. Every time we write we add to that conversation. She said it far more profoundly, but I love that notion. It's how we get better.
Well, I think I probably got this a bit jumbled but I loved the way Holly posed these questions and how they got me thinking more closely about the how's and why's of the dynamics within my own character's household, group of friends, etc., and what they mean more globally. Because there are different rules within each setting, and you do have to understand where they come from and why they stick in order to fully understand your character's motives, flaws, desires—and what they say about your character's world, as well as the one you—all of us—live in.
Don't you think?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Answer the questions above in relation to your own current work-in-progress.
July 21, 2014
Maybe I was wrong...
Hello and welcome to Week #3 of Teachers Write! I hope you're all having a wonderful time writing and creating and thinking and learning. I know I have!
Today I want to talk about moments of clarity. Moments of realization. In real life, these can come like a slap to the forehead, or sometimes more deeply, like a fist to the heart. I'm going to give an example.
Last week, my son and I spent five days volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. We got up early, met with an incredibly inspiring group of people, received our goals for the day, and got to work. By the end of the day we'd be tired and sweaty, and extremely grimy. My job for most of the week was putting up vinyl siding which had been stored in a wet spot of ground that received little sun. Each strip was covered in mud, leaves, pine needles and a fair amount of slugs which I continuously stuck my fingers in. We'd sweep the siding off (there was no electricity or running water for a hose) cut it with what we lovingly called "snips" which had my hands bruised by the end of the week, and cross our fingers that we'd measured correctly and hung them true. Most of the time, our fearless leader would come around the corner, inspect our work, and have us start over. It was difficult, and frustrating, but we kept our sense of humor.
As you can imagine, coming home to electricity, water, soap and (honestly) a toilet, was pretty nice. On one day, I went out to check our blueberry bushes and discovered several were ripe and ready to eat! Plus, they were HUGE. Beautiful, plump and oh so sweet. I took a photo of one and posted it on Facebook. Then, since I'd been away from electronics all day, I started to read headlines from the BBC, and catch up with friends' posts. And I realized that while I was off feeling so good about building this home and then celebrating the glory of a blueberry, horrifying events were happening. In that moment, I thought of that stupid blueberry photo and how insensitive and lost in my world I'd been. It was my punch to the heart moment.
Here's what I wrote on my Facebook wall:
"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."
After that initial punch of guilt over the blueberry I realized that the world continues to spin no matter what happens on it. I have had my share of grief and I know what it feels like to not understand how this is so. There have been days in deep sorrow when I couldn't understand how people could keep going on with their daily lives, oblivious to the pain next door. But they do. We all do, eventually. And this, too, is another type of moment of clarity, or realization: That when faced with despair, we have a choice. We can feel the despair, and carry on trying to make the world a better place, or we can feel the despair and let it win.
The day after the blueberry incident, after feeling that despair and anger over all that senseless killing, I was filled with more determination than ever. I wasn't changing the world, but small acts of good work add up, and they do make the world a little better. I really believe that. I went back to that frustrating siding with a vengeance. I was determined to work harder. To make that house more beautiful. Liveable. Loveable. It fueled me. On the last day, we nailed the final piece of siding up. But the walls were still dirty-looking and it was hard to feel 100% proud. So another woman and I (she is a teacher!) filled a bucket with water from a nearby stream, got some rags, and washed every last strip until it looked new. We had to refill that darn bucket over and over because the water got muddy so fast. I fell in the stream up to my knee and had to spend half the day with one wet foot. It was gross and stinky but I didn't care. Because in the end, the siding did look just like new.
So what does all of this have to do with fiction? I would argue that this is how stories work. The protagonist makes a big realization, usually early on in the story, and it's what sets the story in motion. It's how quests begin. They hinge on a choice: give up or carry on and try to fix the problem. Fixing the problem, solving the mystery, trying to survive, whatever the situation, that's your story. And whatever it is that fuels your character to try, that's your characterization.
So what, specifically, is your character's big realization and what fuels him or her to try to make things better, or survive?
I started this entry talking about my work with that gross siding. And it seemed like kind of a drawn out story to get to my point. But I told it because of all the parallels I see in writing, and in particular revision. We almost never get it right the first time. We think we've measured correctly, or at least well enough, but when we step back and look, we can see it's a little off balance. So we take things down. We get help. We get feedback. we remeasure. We try again. We get dirty. We get frustrated. (Luckily there are no slugs!) But something in us doesn't let us give up. Something fuels us to keep going. And eventually, we get it right. Then we clean it up. And hopefully we feel good about it. Hopefully we feel proud. :-)
Today, I want you to think about your story, your protagonist, and what he or she is facing. Why is his or her story important to you? Why is this story worth telling? Try filling in the blanks:
This is a story about a _________________ who realizes/learns that _____________________________________________________ . So, he/she __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ .
This story is important to me because ______________________________________________ .
OR...
If you aren't working on a particular story, try writing to the prompt, "Maybe I was wrong..."
I hope you'll share what you come up with!
And as always, have fun. :-)
Love,
Jo
My son and I, working for Habitat for Humanity
Today I want to talk about moments of clarity. Moments of realization. In real life, these can come like a slap to the forehead, or sometimes more deeply, like a fist to the heart. I'm going to give an example.
Last week, my son and I spent five days volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. We got up early, met with an incredibly inspiring group of people, received our goals for the day, and got to work. By the end of the day we'd be tired and sweaty, and extremely grimy. My job for most of the week was putting up vinyl siding which had been stored in a wet spot of ground that received little sun. Each strip was covered in mud, leaves, pine needles and a fair amount of slugs which I continuously stuck my fingers in. We'd sweep the siding off (there was no electricity or running water for a hose) cut it with what we lovingly called "snips" which had my hands bruised by the end of the week, and cross our fingers that we'd measured correctly and hung them true. Most of the time, our fearless leader would come around the corner, inspect our work, and have us start over. It was difficult, and frustrating, but we kept our sense of humor.
As you can imagine, coming home to electricity, water, soap and (honestly) a toilet, was pretty nice. On one day, I went out to check our blueberry bushes and discovered several were ripe and ready to eat! Plus, they were HUGE. Beautiful, plump and oh so sweet. I took a photo of one and posted it on Facebook. Then, since I'd been away from electronics all day, I started to read headlines from the BBC, and catch up with friends' posts. And I realized that while I was off feeling so good about building this home and then celebrating the glory of a blueberry, horrifying events were happening. In that moment, I thought of that stupid blueberry photo and how insensitive and lost in my world I'd been. It was my punch to the heart moment.
Here's what I wrote on my Facebook wall:
"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."
After that initial punch of guilt over the blueberry I realized that the world continues to spin no matter what happens on it. I have had my share of grief and I know what it feels like to not understand how this is so. There have been days in deep sorrow when I couldn't understand how people could keep going on with their daily lives, oblivious to the pain next door. But they do. We all do, eventually. And this, too, is another type of moment of clarity, or realization: That when faced with despair, we have a choice. We can feel the despair, and carry on trying to make the world a better place, or we can feel the despair and let it win.
The day after the blueberry incident, after feeling that despair and anger over all that senseless killing, I was filled with more determination than ever. I wasn't changing the world, but small acts of good work add up, and they do make the world a little better. I really believe that. I went back to that frustrating siding with a vengeance. I was determined to work harder. To make that house more beautiful. Liveable. Loveable. It fueled me. On the last day, we nailed the final piece of siding up. But the walls were still dirty-looking and it was hard to feel 100% proud. So another woman and I (she is a teacher!) filled a bucket with water from a nearby stream, got some rags, and washed every last strip until it looked new. We had to refill that darn bucket over and over because the water got muddy so fast. I fell in the stream up to my knee and had to spend half the day with one wet foot. It was gross and stinky but I didn't care. Because in the end, the siding did look just like new.
So what does all of this have to do with fiction? I would argue that this is how stories work. The protagonist makes a big realization, usually early on in the story, and it's what sets the story in motion. It's how quests begin. They hinge on a choice: give up or carry on and try to fix the problem. Fixing the problem, solving the mystery, trying to survive, whatever the situation, that's your story. And whatever it is that fuels your character to try, that's your characterization.
So what, specifically, is your character's big realization and what fuels him or her to try to make things better, or survive?
I started this entry talking about my work with that gross siding. And it seemed like kind of a drawn out story to get to my point. But I told it because of all the parallels I see in writing, and in particular revision. We almost never get it right the first time. We think we've measured correctly, or at least well enough, but when we step back and look, we can see it's a little off balance. So we take things down. We get help. We get feedback. we remeasure. We try again. We get dirty. We get frustrated. (Luckily there are no slugs!) But something in us doesn't let us give up. Something fuels us to keep going. And eventually, we get it right. Then we clean it up. And hopefully we feel good about it. Hopefully we feel proud. :-)
Today, I want you to think about your story, your protagonist, and what he or she is facing. Why is his or her story important to you? Why is this story worth telling? Try filling in the blanks:
This is a story about a _________________ who realizes/learns that _____________________________________________________ . So, he/she __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ .
This story is important to me because ______________________________________________ .
OR...
If you aren't working on a particular story, try writing to the prompt, "Maybe I was wrong..."
I hope you'll share what you come up with!
And as always, have fun. :-)
Love,
Jo
My son and I, working for Habitat for Humanity
July 14, 2014
But underneath that...
Welcome to Week #2 of Teachers Write!
A few years ago I was on a panel with our own Kate Messner. We were sharing tips and techniques we use in workshops with kids, and Kate provided this simple yet brilliant worksheet she gives kids to help them pinpoint what their story is about.
Here it is:
Fill in the blanks...
This is a story about _______________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's a story about ________________________________ .
These two very basic and seemingly simple questions go straight to the heart of the book, don't they?
When I introduce these to my own students, I give Harry Potter as an example.
This is a story about a lonely boy being raised by a cruel aunt and uncle who discovers he's a wizard, and not only that, he must defeat an evil wizard in order to save the day.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who wants to be loved.
As you all know, these two themes run through the entire seven books of Harry Potter. But it's the second one that is what endears Harry to us. It is the deeper, more meaningful and emotional one, that brings us to tears. This underlying theme is a shadow moving through every chapter. It's the real thing that drives Harry forward.
I would argue that this is the case in every story. There's the overarching drive, and then there's the more emotional one. Think about the book you're currently reading, or one you've read recently and fill in the blanks above. See what I mean?
For your Monday Morning Warm-Up, try it with your own work-in-progress. Can you do it? Don't worry if you're struggling. Sometimes those questions are hard to answer early on. It's in revision that you really need to know, and start weaving the deeper thread through your work. But keep those two sentences near your workspace, ready to be filled in, or reread as reminders. This is the big want that will keep you on track as you move your story forward. Because naming that "underneath that" part of the equation is where you'll find the true heart of your book. As I said, it's OK if you don't know how to answer it yet. But soon, you will need to. It will be your anchor, and it will be the emotional arc of your story. The piece that allows you to add depth and meaning and heart to your work.
Since that panel with Kate, I've come up with additional fill-in-the-blank questions to help my students go even deeper into the heart of their books. Again, the questions are simple, yet the answers help lead students to the core of their journey, the real purpose.
Try these:
This is a story about a boy/girl who wants ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really wants _______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who wants to defeat Voldemort.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who really wants to be loved.
This is a story about a boy/girl who needs ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really needs _______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who needs to fulfill his destiny in order to survive.
But underneath that, it's about a boy who really needs to keep his friends and new-found family.
This is a story about a boy/girl who is afraid of ________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who is really afraid of ______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who is afraid of Lord Voldemort and the dark wizards who threaten to destroy Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who is really afraid of losing the world and people he loves.
I hope you all have fun with this warm-up. And feel free to share in the comments! I will be away working on helping to rebuild a home with Habitat for Humanity all week, but I will be back in the evenings to reply to your comments if you leave them. I'm looking forward to hearing what you come up with!
Love,
Jo
A few years ago I was on a panel with our own Kate Messner. We were sharing tips and techniques we use in workshops with kids, and Kate provided this simple yet brilliant worksheet she gives kids to help them pinpoint what their story is about.
Here it is:
Fill in the blanks...
This is a story about _______________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's a story about ________________________________ .
These two very basic and seemingly simple questions go straight to the heart of the book, don't they?
When I introduce these to my own students, I give Harry Potter as an example.
This is a story about a lonely boy being raised by a cruel aunt and uncle who discovers he's a wizard, and not only that, he must defeat an evil wizard in order to save the day.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who wants to be loved.
As you all know, these two themes run through the entire seven books of Harry Potter. But it's the second one that is what endears Harry to us. It is the deeper, more meaningful and emotional one, that brings us to tears. This underlying theme is a shadow moving through every chapter. It's the real thing that drives Harry forward.
I would argue that this is the case in every story. There's the overarching drive, and then there's the more emotional one. Think about the book you're currently reading, or one you've read recently and fill in the blanks above. See what I mean?
For your Monday Morning Warm-Up, try it with your own work-in-progress. Can you do it? Don't worry if you're struggling. Sometimes those questions are hard to answer early on. It's in revision that you really need to know, and start weaving the deeper thread through your work. But keep those two sentences near your workspace, ready to be filled in, or reread as reminders. This is the big want that will keep you on track as you move your story forward. Because naming that "underneath that" part of the equation is where you'll find the true heart of your book. As I said, it's OK if you don't know how to answer it yet. But soon, you will need to. It will be your anchor, and it will be the emotional arc of your story. The piece that allows you to add depth and meaning and heart to your work.
Since that panel with Kate, I've come up with additional fill-in-the-blank questions to help my students go even deeper into the heart of their books. Again, the questions are simple, yet the answers help lead students to the core of their journey, the real purpose.
Try these:
This is a story about a boy/girl who wants ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really wants _______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who wants to defeat Voldemort.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who really wants to be loved.
This is a story about a boy/girl who needs ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really needs _______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who needs to fulfill his destiny in order to survive.
But underneath that, it's about a boy who really needs to keep his friends and new-found family.
This is a story about a boy/girl who is afraid of ________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who is really afraid of ______________________ .
This is a story about a boy who is afraid of Lord Voldemort and the dark wizards who threaten to destroy Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who is really afraid of losing the world and people he loves.
I hope you all have fun with this warm-up. And feel free to share in the comments! I will be away working on helping to rebuild a home with Habitat for Humanity all week, but I will be back in the evenings to reply to your comments if you leave them. I'm looking forward to hearing what you come up with!
Love,
Jo
July 7, 2014
Welcome Teachers! :)
Hi, everyone, and welcome to Teachers Write!!!!
This is such an exciting day. I love the thought of all you teachers all over the country writing together and putting your stories into the universe. It's a beautiful thing.
My role in Teachers Write is to provide a weekly writing prompt to all of you to help get you warmed up for the week. These prompts are meant to be fun, but also inspiring. I will try to help you think more deeply about your work: your intent, your stories, your characters. I hope you'll stop by each week to check in, try the prompts, and share how things are going!
To start you off, I want to ask you to think about finding the beauty in your work, no matter what your story is about. Why beauty? Every year, I choose a theme to try to live by, or live up to. It helps me stay grounded on hard days, and it helps remind me of the big picture when little things get me down. This year, my theme is "Finding Beauty". You can read more about what I mean by that here: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/480410.html
Even in the grittiest, saddest, hardest stories we read (or live), there is almost always a glimmer of hope somewhere. It's what makes us read on, or live on. And that's the point. In fiction, this glimmer, this promise, is the heart of your story.
Often when we start writing we give our characters a big conflict. Even in picture books, the theme is to try fail, try fail, try fail, succeed! What's the beauty there? The willingness to keep trying after each failure. The beauty is hope.
The beauty in our work is why we write in the first place. It's why the story called to us. It could be triumph, it could be love, it could be survival. Joy. Discovery. Truth. Understanding. Forgiveness.
Many of you are beginning your stories today, so you may not even know exactly what you'll be writing about, or where your character's journey will lead. But you can still think about the themes that are important to you, and how underneath that, lies something beautiful. It's where the heart is, or will be, pumping life into your story.
Today, I ask you to consider the work you plan on doing this summer for Teachers Write. First, think about the over-arching story. Then, think about why this story is important to you. What's calling you to write this particular one? What do you think the beauty of it will be?
I hope you'll share in the comments. But I also know that sometimes, these are the things we want to keep close to our hearts. (And if that's the case, I hope you'll just say hi.) But do keep it, either way. And revisit what you've written as you write your story, and especially when you get stuck, as an important reminder of why you are doing this, and why you must keep going.
Good luck everyone! And next week, we'll get to more specific exercises/prompts as you dig deep into your stories. I can't wait!!!!
Love
Jo
This is such an exciting day. I love the thought of all you teachers all over the country writing together and putting your stories into the universe. It's a beautiful thing.
My role in Teachers Write is to provide a weekly writing prompt to all of you to help get you warmed up for the week. These prompts are meant to be fun, but also inspiring. I will try to help you think more deeply about your work: your intent, your stories, your characters. I hope you'll stop by each week to check in, try the prompts, and share how things are going!
To start you off, I want to ask you to think about finding the beauty in your work, no matter what your story is about. Why beauty? Every year, I choose a theme to try to live by, or live up to. It helps me stay grounded on hard days, and it helps remind me of the big picture when little things get me down. This year, my theme is "Finding Beauty". You can read more about what I mean by that here: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/480410.html
Even in the grittiest, saddest, hardest stories we read (or live), there is almost always a glimmer of hope somewhere. It's what makes us read on, or live on. And that's the point. In fiction, this glimmer, this promise, is the heart of your story.
Often when we start writing we give our characters a big conflict. Even in picture books, the theme is to try fail, try fail, try fail, succeed! What's the beauty there? The willingness to keep trying after each failure. The beauty is hope.
The beauty in our work is why we write in the first place. It's why the story called to us. It could be triumph, it could be love, it could be survival. Joy. Discovery. Truth. Understanding. Forgiveness.
Many of you are beginning your stories today, so you may not even know exactly what you'll be writing about, or where your character's journey will lead. But you can still think about the themes that are important to you, and how underneath that, lies something beautiful. It's where the heart is, or will be, pumping life into your story.
Today, I ask you to consider the work you plan on doing this summer for Teachers Write. First, think about the over-arching story. Then, think about why this story is important to you. What's calling you to write this particular one? What do you think the beauty of it will be?
I hope you'll share in the comments. But I also know that sometimes, these are the things we want to keep close to our hearts. (And if that's the case, I hope you'll just say hi.) But do keep it, either way. And revisit what you've written as you write your story, and especially when you get stuck, as an important reminder of why you are doing this, and why you must keep going.
Good luck everyone! And next week, we'll get to more specific exercises/prompts as you dig deep into your stories. I can't wait!!!!
Love
Jo
