Stuck getting started with your next piece of writing or article? Not anymore you’re not — join session one to get your juices flowing…
If you want to work in the fashion industry (especially at a magazine), this is a must read! Hear from someone who worked at WWD.
When Øivind H. Solheim embarked on the creation of “The Man Who Stopped Aging: The Legacy of Eternity,” he could not foresee the considerable influence it would have on his life. This book is more…
The Lark, Lifestyle Today, Writers Daily, Hotspot Travellers, Flicks TV Hound, and Skinny is Best Publication would like to let writers and readers know that I will be away on holiday for a couple of…
I'm finally back for another writing workshop post! But, before we get to that I thought I would share a little something with you. I created some 2nd Grade Common Core EQs for a friend of mine and thought maybe some of you could use them as well. There's a chevron print in both ELA and Math and a Hollywood print in each. Click to download. How-To Writing Unit This is typically a short writing unit, but we pack a lot of fun into it! I always start this unit by telling my students that I want them to write directions for doing something that they know how to do very well - slide down a slide! I don't stress adding details, etc....I just let them write it how they think they should. Then, I put it to the test! That's right...we go outside and I randomly (okay, so not SO randomly, I'm kind of scanning these and putting them in order of weakest to strongest as we're heading outside) select some to read. I attempt to follow the directions EXACTLY as they wrote them. If they didn't write to climb the stairs, I don't. If they didn't write to sit down, I don't. I usually go through about 6 of them before FINALLY reading one that is clear enough to successfully make it down the slide! When we get back inside, I tell them that I have a friend from another planet {Al the Alien} and that he will be visiting our classroom soon. Since he's from another planet he doesn't know how to do ANY of the things we do here on Earth. I tell the students that I know he would love to slide down the slide, but they will need to be able to explain exactly what to do in order for him to be successful. They all revise their writing and the improvements are INCREDIBLE! Of course, I don't REALLY have a friend from another planet, but I do have some cool Alien hats and boots that I found in the Target dollar bin last year that I pull out the next day! I let some of them take turns being Al the Alien to attempt to follow their friends' writings. I also continue to bring up Al throughout the unit - "Would Al be able to follow those directions?" It works wonders!! The next day, students make an expert list as a prewriting activity (things they know how to make, do and be). I also have students hold "how-to" discussions with a partner (I do this for most of my writing units). I give them cards with topics on them and they have to take turns explaining in words how to complete the tasks. I find that these "writing talks" are very beneficial, as they let the students experience the genre through discussions before actually putting it into writing...this really helps those who struggle with IDEAS of what to write! Over the next few days, students work on How-To writings based on their expert lists. Read-Alouds I wish I had more read-alouds for this unit, but a couple that I love are... We use the second book toward the end of the unit, once students have mastered how-to writings. They always think it's hilarious! We write our own class book about "How to Visit the Principal's Office" where they write about how to get sent there! Of course, the last page assures readers that we would NEVER do any of those things....instead we would just ask for a tour. :) I'm wondering if anyone has used the above book (or other books in this "How-To" science series). They look like they might be a good addition to this unit, but I'm wondering if they might be a bit too easy for 2nd graders. Activities One of my favorite projects to do during this unit is the "Monster Exchange" or "Monster Swap" (won't that be perfect with my new theme this year?!) There's an actual website where you can pair up with another class from somewhere else in the world. I've done that before and it works wonderfully as long as your partner class follows through! Now, I usually do this project within my own class (partnering my own students with each other). Basically, each student draws a monster then writes directions for "How To" replicate his monster. These directions are given to the partner and they have to try to draw the monster using only the written directions (they can't see the monster beforehand or ask for any clarification). Then students compare monsters to see how well their "how-to" was written! We make several class books in this unit, also! You can see all of the How-To resources from this unit at Teacher's Clubhouse. Celebration As a celebration to this unit, I hold a "Teach It Day" where students actually teach their classmates how to do something that they are an expert at! I send a letter home to parents about this special day and students work on the writing at home to bring to school on "Teach It Day." I've had students teach their classmates how to make paper airplanes, how to draw monsters, how to braid hair, how to do a cartwheel....the possibilities are endless. They love being the "teacher" for a lesson! Do you have any activities that you love to incorporate while teaching "How-To" writing? All posts in this series: #1 - Writers' Notebooks #2 - Writing Workshop Schedule & Story Tees #3 - Publishing #4 - Friendly Letters #5 - How-To Writing #6 - Persuasive Writing #7 - Writing Memoirs/Personal Narratives
Although writing ability improvement is a gradual process, the following ten straightforward suggestions can help you improve your writing right away Write Every Day. Writing becomes better with…
A collection of more than 800 pictures offering a fascinating and rare glimpse into life in the former Soviet Union is to go under the hammer more than two decades after it was dissolved.
A lovely vintage edition of the classic cooking book. Sheila Hutchins is the most travelled, most flavorsome, most exciting daily newspaper cookery writers. Every week her column in the Daily Express sends yet another pilgrimage to thousands of kitchens to try what she has been writing about. This book is Sheila Hutchins’ most exciting collection of recipes. They were mostly contributed by Daily Express readers from their knowledge and recollection of what their grandmothers cooked. These are recipes full of the rich flavours of the past, the fascination of traditional dishes which are still alive in all parts of Britain now. The perfect gift for all lovers of classic cooking books. Title: Granny’s Cook Book Author: Sheila Hutchins Publisher: A daily express publication Publication Date: 1971 Format: soft cover Condition: This book is in good condition for its age other than some minor signs of wear. Some damage to the front cover and spines.
I’ve actually really grateful for that, because it’s helped me to be a better writer. I’ve said this before and I really believe it: teaching is how we learn best. Here are the issues I find myself…
Painted in a palette reminiscent of his scandalous Luncheon on the Grass, this very formal portrait of Émile Zola, the rising novelist and tireless defender and of The Impressionists, represents the writer a year after the publication of his first novel Thérèse Raquin. The book was a commercial and artistic, although not a critical success for Zola.
2000+ writers inspiring 18,000+ readers
As a lover of books, I believe my novel We Never Talked About Love will undoubtedly pique your interest. The contemporary romance novel We Never Talked About Love takes us on a captivating journey…
Where should you put quotations marks? Inside or outside of other punctuation marks? Find out how to properly use quotation marks in your writing.
.css-1sgivba{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;gap:0.5rem;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-2);} .css-cosgki{font-size:16px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);} Product Type: Giclee Print Print Size: 9" x 12" Finished Size: 9" x 12" .css-1336n79{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-8);margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-8);} Product ID: 53766590276A
Daily newsletter about entertainment. Click to read Dirt, a Substack publication.
If you’re new to writing (or even if you’re not) you’ve definitely received this advice: write every day. People tell you about Stephen King and how he writes several thousand words a day. And of course you want to be successful like Stephen King, so you need to do that too: write a thousand words, every single day, whether it’s Christmas or you’re sick or you’re on family vacation. Except…this is terrible advice. Consider this scenario: You’ve decided to start running. While asking for tips for new runners, you’re continually told to run every day. Run five miles every day, regardless of the weather or how you feel. That’s crazy, right? We have been taught that our bodies and muscles need a break—you can’t push them to their breaking point every single day, or eventually they’ll just break. It takes time to build up stamina, and even when you’re an experienced runner, you still need to take a break so you can rest and give your muscles time to recover. This may look like not working out at all that day or it may mean cross-training. But somehow when it comes to writing, we’re told to write every day, and specifically work on your main project every day. While this sounds like a good goal, in reality it will burn out your creative muscles, just as running long distances every day will be detrimental to your physical muscles. This advice comes from a good place, and the idea behind it is correct. You should be writing regularly. Especially as a new writer, it can be easy to think you should only be writing when you feel “inspired,” when really you need to learn how to force yourself to write even when you don’t feel like it. If you decided to start running, but only run when you feel like it, you’re not going to be running very often! So the advice to “write every day” is meant to teach new writers that you can’t just wait until you feel inspired to write, but you need to write regularly. Just like you can build up your muscles and stamina by running regularly, you can do the same when you write regularly. It’s even possible to write daily, without burning out. The key to doing this is the same as exercising daily: mix it up. You don’t need to write 2,000 words on your main project every day. That will lead to burnout. Rather, make your goal to do something related to writing every day. Mostly, this will be writing your main project. But it can also mean editing. Or working on a side project, or smaller projects like short stories. If you have a blog, writing a post is still “working out” your writing muscles, but gives you a break from the more intense process of writing your novel. Even when you exercise regularly, you need to incorporate what are called “active rest” days. This means you’re not just sitting on the couch all day, but you’re not doing intense workouts—maybe you go for an easy hike, or walk for several miles. In writing this might be working on something like fanfiction, spending some time journaling, or even reading a good book with the critical eye of a writer to see why it works. These are all useful and can help you become a better writer, but are a little bit easier on your creative muscles. So, the advice to write every day stems from good intentions, but take it with a grain of salt. I tend to make weekly writing goals as opposed to daily writing goals. This way, if I have a crazy busy and exhausting day, I don’t need to feel guilty about not writing—I can focus on using time on less busy days that will be more productive, and still hit my goal. Ultimately, your goal should be to write consistently, not constantly. If you stick to this, you’ll see yourself begin to grow, and the chances of burnout will lower significantly. How often do you write? Have you ever felt burnt out before? How did you recover from it and how do you prevent it from happening again? Let me know in the comments! If you liked this post, pin it to share and save it for later! Featured image by Dmitry Ratushny
Jean-Paul Sartre quote about reason from Nausea: “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness and dies by chance.”
This post originally ran several months ago at the Girls With Pens blog. It’s one of my favorites because I’m always looking for checklists to make sure I’m not missing anything while editing and revising. I hope you find it useful. Whether we plot our stories ahead of time or write by the seat of our […]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation kept files on more than 50 African-American writers, some of whom, such as Langston Hughes, were on a list of people to be jailed during national emergencies.
Seven hour jet lag, starting last Monday, and a fall back to standard time has messed with my internal clock and I rose with the birds this Sunday morning. Okay, before the birds. I’ve been l…
When you talk to most writers, you'll find that they often discuss how difficult it is to write a novel. And in many ways they are right. Writing a novel is grueling. It requires endurance, patience, and a lot of persevering through your own ideas. As a result, there are tons of resources available
Camille Paglia, an American author and lecturer, said the late Diana and the 24-year-old Bajan superstar were both adept at using every photo opportunity to convey 'allure, defiance or revenge.'
Newspapers in black and white.
“It’s Freezing in LA!” walks the razor’s edge between science and activism, inviting writers and illustrators from a variety of fields to share their views on how climate change impacts all our lives.
Do you want to work from home as a writer? Here is a massive list of paid writing gigs, where to find them online, and how much they pay.
All successful authors do one thing: they write. The more consistently the better. While you don´t have to stick to a daily writing habit to be productive, it certainly helps. So, if you are a binge writer wanting to give daily writing a try here are 5 sure-fire ways to get started.
