Creative Revisions at Bobby Bend!

I was very fortunate to be invited back a second time to the wonderful, welcoming and enthusiastic Ecole Bobby Bend this past school year! In 2017 I worked with the Grade 4s on getting started when it comes to creative writing. This year, we looked at the end stages of the writing process – doing creative revisions.

Teachers often tell me that ‘doing revision’ is the hardest part of the writing process to teach. Writers often tell me this is the hardest part of the job, too! I know what they mean. After all the hard work it takes to brainspark an idea, create characters and a rich story world, plan your story, and then write a first draft, it’s tough to think you haven’t yet reached the end…

That’s why I was SO proud to watch as you patiently worked through everything we talked about to take your writing from good to grrrrrreat!: showing more than you tell, choosing vivid words, using the five senses to inspire your writing, sharing and receiving feedback…That’s a lot to practice (and so much more than just ‘fixing mistakes’ which is what people sometimes think revision means)!

But what I hope you learned is that even though revision is tough, it’s your chance as an author to look again, to make your writing shine, and to bring your stories to life so that others can see, hear and feel what you’ve imagined! In other words, it can be a very fun, creative and rewarding step of the process, too.

Thanks you for one of the most memorable weeks of my ‘school year’ – as well as the lovely card and Timmy’s gift certificate (put to good use!). Have a happy summer full of activities that you enjoy (perhaps including some reading and creative writing!)

Till we meet again!

Karin 🙂