Writing for Fun

Writing for Fun!

Before you read do the know and what you want to know on the KWL Chart at the link below.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/creator-30846.html

Click on the Charecters below to find out more information about the book or find out what you are to do on the assignments.

So you want to write, but then ask, what do I write about? Where do I start?  The best way to get idea’s for writing is by having a writer’s notebook.  In it is born a seed of an idea that can grow into an extensive  essay or story.  So when you’re making your writers notebook here are some tips.

1. Make it yours, add stickers or photos or art.

The idea here is to let your personality shine through because the things you like are the things you will want to write about.

    2. If you are in need for seeds of ideas picture and children’s books can be a great place to start. 

Picture book links.

http://www.magickeys.com/books/gingerbread/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6rp0SZX7lg

You try it.  Listen to or read the book and see what idea's you get for your own story.  Write it down in your writers notebook.

      3. Songs can also be a great inspiration .

Song links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jtpf8N5IDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc

Write in your writer’s notebook what they songs make you think about.

       4. Nature

Sometimes just taking a walk and looking at nature can inspire  you.  Or writing down thoughts that make you wonder.

       5. Diary

Sometimes just a daily kind of diary can be inspiring .   Did someone in class do something silly that made you laugh, or even things that irritate you or make you mad?

 You can grow smaller ideas from that big idea just like leaves from a stem.  In fact if it helps you draw a stem with your big idea and let the smaller idea’s come out.  Word webs can work for this as well.

Online interactive word web builder.

So you finally got your ideas together and now what.  Well now you’re ready for your first draft.  Here are some tips for writing rough drafts:

Ideas are still developing  

At this point anything goes.  If you need to draw a picture to help develop the story then do it.

Spelling doesn’t count yet. 

If you stop to worry about how to spell every word you’ll choke the creative process and lose your ideas.  An example of this is as follows: 

Idea:  The dragon picked up the magical sword and slayed the evil princess. 

Spelling worry:  How do I spell dragon? 

Idea gone:  What was I writing about?

So it’s okay to have spelling errors here don’t worry you’ll get a chance to fix them in the editing process.

Beginning Middle and End

Make sure your story has a good beginning, middle and end when writing your rough draft.  Not sure how to do it don’t be afraid to pick up a book and see how another author did it.  Here is an example with the book The Three Billy Goats Gruff. 

Hero’s and Villains

While every story does not need have a hero and villain like in the comic books.  It does need a protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist is the main character or “hero” in a story who is trying to reach some sort of goal or goals.  The Antagonist   is the “Character or thing”  That causes problems for our “hero”  because they either have goals that conflicts with the hero’s goals or they get in the way of the hero's goals.

Antagonist can be nature itself.  For example if a Volcano is threatening to destroy the hero’s village the antagonist can be the volcano itself.

Sometimes a hero’s Villain can be something like a disability or problem they have to overcome.  For example you could have a story about a soldier who lost his legs in a war who now has to learn to live life without his legs.

Setting

Creating an interesting setting for your story can be a very powerful tool indeed.  Here the thing about setting.  Make sure you do your research on where you set your story.  For example if you set it in the Civil War make sure you know something about the Civil War.  If you set it in France make sure you know something about France. 

Now it’s time to revise.   Revise once, revise twice, revise as many times that you need to.  No, you’re not to editing  yet. With revision your looking at how it sounds. Read your writing out loud.  Does it sound right?   Is there another word that might have worked better or an idea that could be made better.  Revision  takes rereading and often another pair of eyes to look at it as well.    

Six traits as a revision tool

Take a look at a six traits writing rubric. Score yourself on the six traits, consider what you need to improve in everything don't score your conventions. (That's editing not revising)

Look at the chart below or get a chart from the internet.  You wouldn't believe how many times on an editing sight I wanted to tell someone who I helped to revise their piece.  Did you look at a six traits writing rubric?

It's easy to do and important to.  Don't skip this step.  You don't have to be a teacher to use it.

For more detailed information on it go to http://www.literatelearner.com/6traits/page_template6t.php?f=main.

 Now you’re done with your first revision now it's time to revise it again.  This time look at your descriptions in your narrative writing.  Do you have something that reads like this?

The man sat in the shadows sad that he lost his wife.

Turn it into a scene like you like you would see in a move.  Basically show don't tell.

A tear dripped of the end of the man’s nose.  "Daddy, when is mommy, coming home from heaven?

"She's not.  She's not."

You see, in that scene I told you the same thing I did in the sentence above, but because I showed that he was sad, and his wife died, it is a much more powerful read.

Watch your adverbs

Be careful of adverbs, they are more often than not your enemy not your friend in writing.

The boy snuck down stairs quietly.

That sounds fine right, but remember what I said about turning it into a scene.  The adverb sometimes keeps us from doing that.

The boy paused and held his breath as the board creaked.  He glanced over at his parents’ door, swallowed and continued to tiptoe down the stairs.

You see what taking an adverb out and describing the scene did.  I even avoided the word "nervously" when he looked at the door.  Let the readers figure that out for themselves it's what makes good writing and good reading.

Now do a readers theater piece and choose a play to practice reading at https://www.dramanotebook.com/plays-for-kids/scripts-based-on-childrens-books/.  Read it with the feeling that is behind the words.  

Think about the feelings that you are wanting to tell the reader about, how can you add that feeling to your writing? Think about how they turned these pieces into plays.  You want to do something like that in your writing.  In fact down below practice turning your writing into a play.

Beats

No, No, not the beet that you eat nor is it the beat that means I beat you.  This beat means your describing what your characters are doing as they are talking to people in their dialog .

"That cat is crazy!"  Yelled George as he clung to the branch of the tree.

Here is my advice on beats.  Go in and add beats to all your dialog when you are first learning to do beats.

Then go in and take it away were it is too much or takes away from the story.

"That's stupid."  Jan rolled her eyes as she sipped at her tea.

"I know, I know, but that's what he did."  Said Cara as she added sugar to hers.

"What is he planning on doing with it when he's done making it?"  Jan leaned back in her chair.

"Beats me, but he's spent hours working on it."  Said Cara sipping her own tea.

Now take beats away

As you can see the beats have become too much here.  So erase them in fact if you are having a conversation between just two people you can get rid of the he said, she said parts after your introduced them.  So now read it after I've redone it.

"That's stupid."  "That's stupid."  Jan rolled her eyes as she sipped at her tea.

"I know, I know, but that's what he did."  Said Cara as she added sugar to hers.

"What is he planning on doing with it when he's done making it?"  

"Beats me, but he's spent hours working on it."  

It's a simple edit but it reads much better.

Beats are important, they help build the scene, but be careful not to overdo them.  It is better to add then take away than to not have enough in writing.

Here is a sight to help you practice but they're calling them dialog tags not beats.

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/dialogue-tags/

Now you’re ready for some self-editing.  Read over your piece out loud and ask "Does it sound right? And does it make sense."  Again you ask?  Didn't I just do that with revision.  Yes but it is important that you do it a final time to put the final polish on your writing.  

Conventions

Now's the time to get really concerned about conventions.  (Spelling and grammar)  If you need a little help don't be afraid to use your grammar and spell check tools on your word processor.  Then after you edit it ask a friend to edit it for you.  Because after all that work there will be things you miss.

Don't be surprised if an edit turns into another revision.  That is the nature of writing after all.

Need some practice editing.  Go to https://www.studyladder.com/games/activity/editing-text-in-sentences-22743 to practice.

Yeah, now you’re ready to publish!  No this does not have to be professionally with a publishing company.It's about adding the finishing touch to make it nice and fancy.   Perhaps even ask a friend who can draw to add some illustrations.

Share it!

It is also simply the thrill of sharing your work with others. Here are some ways you can publish or share your work.

Create your own e-book.

http://bookbuilder.cast.org

Create your own Blog.

https://www.blogger.com/about/?r=1-null_user

or you can try your hand at self or professionally publishing.

Also you can just share your writing with family and friends.

So now your ready to let the dreams in your mind come to life on paper.  Have fun writing.  Ready, begin.