A Reflection On My Writing Workshop Method
My new non-fiction book for adult writers launches on October 17, 2024. It’s called The One Week Writing Workshop, and it’s for anyone who wants to write a novel (and enjoy the process!). I cover writing essentials while we write and take actionable, inspiring and methodical steps together.
In writing The One Week Writing Workshop, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I first came up with my writing workshop method—how and why I teach writing the way that I do…
How could I devise an interesting writing workshop method?
These days, I would describe my writing instruction style as “from the ground up”—where I encourage writers to start with their own ideas instead of story prompts. From there, we build and develop those ideas through my methodical (but flexible!) seven-step writing process. We let ideas grow into what they’re meant to be rather than focusing on satisfying an external checklist or story template.
I say that I approach writing “from the ground up”…and working with young writers helped me to figure out just where this ground begins. But not, as you might think, because I had to simplify things in order to work with kids. Quite the opposite! I had to find the absolute core of the various steps I take when it comes to writing a novel—and figure out for myself why I do them, what purpose they serve, and how others (anyone!) can harness the same steps to draw out and create with their own unique ideas.
When I got my first long-term ‘gig’ working with children—a two-week residency at an elementary school—I was thrilled. Then…I realized that I was also kind of terrified! What was I possibly going to do with 25 fourth graders for an hour at a time…for two weeks?
As a writer, I spend my time thinking, planning and sitting at a computer. How would I show that to others? How would I convey it? And not only that, unlike a sculptor who could bring in some super fun, squishy materials to inspire hands-on creativity, or an actor who could use props and do energizing drama exercises, I was going to talk about writing—something students were learning already. Or, as I suddenly realized, something many students even disliked already. Writing – ugh! That’s so school-ish!
I was worried. And my immediate response was (forgive me!): handouts. I made crossword puzzles and word jumbles related to “writing words”. I made fill-in-the-blanks adventure stories and templates with space for cute story-related doodles. I used little writing-supply graphics to jazz up pages for lists and notes about our stories…You get the picture.
I printed everything off and brought it to the librarian who was my point person at the school. I am eternally grateful to her for how gracious and kind she was to me as she reviewed my plan. She even praised the hard work that I’d put into the materials. But then she looked straight at me and said something like this: “But is this how you actually write?”
Of course, the answer was no. And of course, her implication was: we want you to bring your actual process into our classrooms, not busy work.
It was a wake up call. A good one. I went back to the drawing board before my first session. I ditched the fill-in-the-blanks worksheets, and dug out my own character webs. I grabbed my old storyboards and storyworld maps and notebooks full of different colors and rudimentary, for-my-eyes-only (but not anymore!) sketches. I decided that I would get vulnerable and show the students exactly how I planned, no matter how rough and clunky. I’d show them how I imagined and played with my stories as I planned and wrote them, and then invite them to try it for themselves. I thought deeply about why I worked the way I did, and experienced several personal epiphanies about my own process along the way (e.g., webs have organic connections between the parts, just like people— perfect for planning characters—no wonder they feel so right to me!)
The response was terrific. The creativity that came out of the students was astounding. And for me, there was no looking back. This was how I would explain my writing process to writers of any age—an authentic process that anyone could experiment with, discover with, see themselves and their stories in…and tailor and tweak for their own unique ideas.
So, I want to thank the youngest of my writing students and their teachers for giving me a chance to go deeper than I might ever have (or thought I needed to) in pondering the essence of the writer’s craft. When we get to that essence and mix it with our unique ideas and writing personalities, that’s when truly exciting stories come to life. That’s why I teach writing the way I do, no matter the age or stage of the writing group in front of me.
And if it weren’t for that question: “But is this how you actually write?”, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.
In addition to my new book, coming soon is the launch of The One Week Writing Workshop Online Video Course. Visit www.authorinyourcorner.com for more information!
