Everything I Love About Writing I Learned in Fourth Grade
11th February, 2010 - Posted by Kathryn - 11 Comments
My fourth grader is taking the writing portion of the FCAT this week and with much excitement, she shared with me what she has been writing in preparation. Using prompts, wow words, and her favorite writing strategy- “said is dead,” she impressed with me tales of a high-flying puppy, a thriller involving bank robbers, and of course a story of a beautiful princess. Her enthusiasm for writing was infectious, her creativity an inspiration to me.
It is that love and joy of writing that I desperately want back.
I remember in fourth grade writing my first book for a Young Author’s program at school. I recall that same joy I had at her age spinning stories of courageous animals and girl detectives. I dug out that book I’ve long since tucked away and read it this weekend- a trip down memory lane.
I understood “show don’t tell” back then as Bianca understands quite well and my story wasn’t half bad. While children are taught so many formulaic ways of writing today, what can’t be taught is how to write a “good” story. What seems like a lifetime of academic writing has stifled my creative wonder, my excitement for storytelling.
I’m tapping into that childlike enthusiasm for writing again, imagining bucolic worlds and quirky characters and weaving a story I can be proud of. And I want to spread that enthusiasm.
So here is a writing prompt for you: Think about what first inspired you to write. When did you discover your passion for writing? Now share your story and tap into your childlike enthusiasm.
Posted on: February 11, 2010
Filed under: Miscellaneous
11 Comments
heather graham
February 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Life is strange and really believed I’d spend my days on a stage. I wasn’t going to be a rich of famous, just happy doing play after play, ingenue to character actress, and one day, wringing my hands as Lady MacBeth. Not, of course, I’d have to be her grandmother. But that would have been fine. I stumbled into writing, and not without trial and error and a great deal of rejection. Sadly, I remember my muse from teenage years. One of my friend’s dad was the caretaker at Flagler Memorial. We’d sneak into the graveyard at night, and I was known for telling the scariest stories. Looking back, I did have a great time. I was working very hard to entertain my friends, and it was fun. Kathy, you’re so right. Okay, my instance is a little pathetic, but it was the wonder of telling a story, weaving in characters and plots, that made it the strange enjoyment that it was. Now, it’s good to remember. It’s true, emotion charges words. Better than any technique in the world is love of telling that story!
Kristin W.
February 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I think the first clear “story” I remember writing was in grade school. The Miami Herald used to have a ghost story contest for Halloween and they’d choose winners and print the stories. I didn’t win, but I LOVED making up that story. Then at some point in high school I had a dream (an actual asleep dream not like MLK). It was basically a fully formed scene. Some kind of historical, girl is kidnapped by pirates kind of thing. It was so vivid and I remembered it even after I woke up. I wrote down that scene and then it became chapters and a big, honking long book that I never did finish. That led to other book ideas that I would write down (and never really finish) all done haphazardly with no real clue where anything was going. In my mid-20s (after I’d already finished college-wish I’d figured it out earlier so I could have done something with it) it occured to me that people actually did write books for a living and maybe I should try this. It took more than a decade, during which I stopped writing and went back to school, to get myself focused and going in the right direction.
My day job is working as a copywriter in an ad agency and though I chose it b/c I thought it would allow me to get paid for being creative I’ve found more and more that it leaves me mentally drained. Which is why I’m looking at changing jobs. (that and a bit more cash coming in would be fantastic.) It will still have to be writing-related as that’s my work experience, but maybe something that’s not so intense and that often includes 9-10-12-14 hour days, lol.
traci
February 11th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Kath! Great idea for a blog Okay, one of my first stories, which my mom gave me last year, was about a girl named Traci who had a pet ant named Blip. I must’ve been about eight, the illustrations leave a lot to be desired, but the story has a beginning, a middle and an end. The scary parts were all written in CAPS, lol. My ant looked more like a potato bug
Good thing I didn’t go into illustrating…
Allison Chase
February 11th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
First grade. I loved writing stories and I was usually the last to hand mine in because hey, I had lots to say! I remember by fifth grade saying I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, but I got hit with a lot of “Oh, that’s really hard to do. You need to be practical.” Maybe that’s true, but what it taught me was to NEVER say that to a kid, no matter what he or she wants to be. Better to see where their enthusiasm takes them. Maybe I did it to prove all the naysayers wrong!
When my daughter was in 4th grade she had ongoing assignments to write stories using her spelling words. Hers became a this wild adventure saga that continued throughout the year. I saved each story and made them into a book that we still have. It’s the coolest thing.
Lyn Armstrong
February 12th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Hi Kathryn,
Great idea. I remember in the seventh grade, I finally had a teacher that I adored. Having no father figure in my life, I really wanted to impress my teacher when he asked for a story with illustrations.
I worked so hard on that story, I just knew I was going to win and be the best in my class. I wanted to win so badly, I asked an artist friend of mine to draw the pictures for my story. Needless to say, my friend created the best art I had every seen.
Anyway, on the day my teacher chose which story was to win, it was between mine and another girl’s. I was so excited. My story was sooo much better than hers, hands down. Her’s was about boring horses while mine was an epic adventure.
He ended up picking hers because she drew her own art and mine was clearly done by a professional.
Yes folks, as you can imagine, I walked home crying that day. But I still knew, my story was the best in the class, no matter what my teacher said.
I guess that was the start of getting used to the industry’s rejection.
I should contact that teacher and tell him that I am award winning, multi-published author. And I now have professional artists who work on my book covers. LOL.
Lyn
Debbid
February 12th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Reading the blog and all the above comments, I wonder, maybe I missed my calling. Maybe I should have stayed in Art. I remember being very small and people would comment about how well I drew pictures. Later, when I wanted to quit Art class in High School, because my friends were in study hall, my teacher called my mom and said I was crazy to give up art. (I had won contests.) Hmmmm, well I did quiit accept for an occassional oil painting class. Maybe I’ll take another class….
However, I digress, This blog is about writing. Although both are outlets for a desire to create. I wrote a horror story in 4th grade, which I did pretty well with. However, I didn’t save the story. (With seven kids my mom threw most of our stuff away.) Later I loved Regency romance stories and attempted to write a few, but I never knew how to finish the story. I figured I had a snowballs chance in hell to get published.
And then much later, I thought, “Why not ME!”
Hopefully, one day one of my creations will see the light of day and be published. (I’m facing the fear that holds me back, too.) This time I’m going all out and writing comes before all of the other things in my life, except family.
heather graham
February 12th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Kristin!
I made my very first 15 dollars when the now defunct Miami News had their Halloween contest!
Jan Washburn
February 12th, 2010 at 11:27 am
I remember making up stories and poems long before I could write. I must have been 4 or 5 when I made up a poem about a cow named Mormon who lived on Boston Common. (If you’re from Massachusetts those words are perfect rhymes.) Most of the plot of my first completed book was stolen from Louisa Mae Alcott. I wrote it in study hall in 9th grade and the girl who sat behind me did the illustrations. I still have that masterpiece. Jan
Kathleen PIckering
February 12th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
8th Grade. Sister George Ann read us a poem of e.e. cummings, The Chipmunk. Whe she diagramed it on the board as he wrote it:
a chipmunk (dreaming)
I was hooked. There was the chipmunk caught in the parentheses of his dream. I thought, man, what you can do with words!!
Sometimes I think I AM still caught in my parentheses of dreaming about being an author. It’s a tough market out there!! But, I love it, and nothing’s gonna stop me!
xox, Piks
Aleka Nakis
February 15th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
My ‘trigger’ was to write about a vegetable I would NOT want to be.
I thought real hard, and it came to me…an onion. I’d be so tasty, sweet, and in almost all foods, but I’d still make people cry.
Kath, Bianca’s enthusiasm is contagious. Get real close to that girl–for sure you’ll be infected.
Great blog post.
Mary Ricksen
March 1st, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I wrote a science fiction story where there had been a terrible disaster and people where trying to find a place to live. They traveled along and heard of this wonderful new colony up North. Along the way were trials, deaths, danger, fear and the need to find that safe place to live.
I left this handwritten story with a friend to read. I wrote it in two of those black composition books and filled booth. My friend lived in Boston and took both home over vacation. That was the last I saw of that manuscript.
Years later Steven King used my idea. Well at least he wrote a book exactly like mine.
Mmmmmmmm.
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