If you ask a group of students what it takes to be a writer, you’ll get answers like:
For me as a writer, the answer lies somewhere between all of those things and none of those things. For me as a teacher, the answer is far more simple.
Find a story you want to tell and figure out how you want to tell it.
This is at the heart of all of my creative writing workshops, tailored for both primary and secondary school students. Are your students interesting in writing a screen play? A short story? The beginning of a novel?
DISCOVER YOUR VOICE encourages students to write their story their way, while teaching the important elements of setting, character, conflict and editing.
OVERVIEW
Setting: Incorporates inter-sensory exercises to teach students how to use the five senses to describe time and place.
Character: Focuses on show vs tell, using art to help to elicit more imaginative descriptions of main characters.
Conflict: Every story has a conflict. Students often struggle with conflict, especially if they think they’re writing a “happy” story. DISCOVER YOUR VOICE works to demystify conflict as it relates to theme.
Editing: Discussion of editing basics, including repetition, punctuation and consistency.
The above is a basic outline and may be customized to suit your students.
Full workshops are six hours long, and can be done as an all-day event (with breaks and lunch) or broken down over two sessions. Shorter sessions are also available, and I work with you to ensure the focus is on areas of need/interest.