Stacy and Overcoming Hesitation in Writing
Stacy is an 11 year old Russian girl that has kind of wanted to do some writing. She didn't say it, but I could tell over the last few weeks that she's just been a little hesitant to get started. We've mostly been talking and reading so far.
I emphasized that it would probably be a good day for writing. I said I would begin.
She was wearing a unicorn outfit, so that's where I started. She was quite uncertain how to continue the story, and at first the parts she wrote were small, but they grew over the course of this hour of writing. I encouraged her to take the story in any direction that she wanted. And, I purposefully made it obvious that writing can get wild and that is fine. She had never heard of Lewis Carol, although she saw an "Alice in Wonderland" movie once. This story reminded me a little bit of that spirit.
She had no idea where to go at the end, so she just finished it off in that one line about rainbow cake.
I made a decent number of corrections in her writing. But, that's not really the important part. The important thing is that by the end of this session she was feeling a lot better, and a lot less hesitant, about writing whatever popped into her mind. She was second-guessing herself less, and moving forward more. It's a great thing to see.
I emphasized that it would probably be a good day for writing. I said I would begin.
She was wearing a unicorn outfit, so that's where I started. She was quite uncertain how to continue the story, and at first the parts she wrote were small, but they grew over the course of this hour of writing. I encouraged her to take the story in any direction that she wanted. And, I purposefully made it obvious that writing can get wild and that is fine. She had never heard of Lewis Carol, although she saw an "Alice in Wonderland" movie once. This story reminded me a little bit of that spirit.
- - - - - - -
"I don't think this is the right way." Susan said again. "We've been walking and walking, and nothing is even changing."
Ron the Unicorn didn't respond, he just shook his head and kept walking across the wide open grassy field.
They saw the magic rainbow, and it was a catbow taxi. So they thought it was a great idea to take the taxi.
Ron took up the entire backseat, so Susan sat in the front. They had to role down the window because Ron's horn stuck out of one end, and his tail stuck out of the other window. The taxi driver said, "Where to?"
Ron and Susan looked at each other, and Susan said, "Forward!"
Susan and Ron got to Forward town as quick as a flash, because the taxi was the magic rainbow car. "Forward town is the greatest place in the whole galaxy! Isn't it? asked the unicorn.
"Yes, it's really great, everything is unicornful here!" Susan said.
"Come to my house, it's great there!" Ron screamed, and they jumped to the unicorn's home.
The barn gleamed red in the fading light of the setting sun. They walked through the wide open doors and Susan asked, "Where exactly is this?"
To which Ron the Unicorn replied, "It's the back of Backward. Which is where we want to be."
"Do you mean to say," started Susan with an inquisitive look, "that Forward is just the back of Backward?"
"Precisely!" said Ron.
They ate rainbow cake and lived a long happy life!
HAPPY END
- - - - - - -
"I don't think this is the right way." Susan said again. "We've been walking and walking, and nothing is even changing."
Ron the Unicorn didn't respond, he just shook his head and kept walking across the wide open grassy field.
They saw the magic rainbow, and it was a catbow taxi. So they thought it was a great idea to take the taxi.
Ron took up the entire backseat, so Susan sat in the front. They had to role down the window because Ron's horn stuck out of one end, and his tail stuck out of the other window. The taxi driver said, "Where to?"
Ron and Susan looked at each other, and Susan said, "Forward!"
Susan and Ron got to Forward town as quick as a flash, because the taxi was the magic rainbow car. "Forward town is the greatest place in the whole galaxy! Isn't it? asked the unicorn.
"Yes, it's really great, everything is unicornful here!" Susan said.
"Come to my house, it's great there!" Ron screamed, and they jumped to the unicorn's home.
The barn gleamed red in the fading light of the setting sun. They walked through the wide open doors and Susan asked, "Where exactly is this?"
To which Ron the Unicorn replied, "It's the back of Backward. Which is where we want to be."
"Do you mean to say," started Susan with an inquisitive look, "that Forward is just the back of Backward?"
"Precisely!" said Ron.
They ate rainbow cake and lived a long happy life!
HAPPY END
- - - - - - -
She had no idea where to go at the end, so she just finished it off in that one line about rainbow cake.
I made a decent number of corrections in her writing. But, that's not really the important part. The important thing is that by the end of this session she was feeling a lot better, and a lot less hesitant, about writing whatever popped into her mind. She was second-guessing herself less, and moving forward more. It's a great thing to see.
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To read more from Jeff go to JeffThinks.com or JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com
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