A new phase of life: I'm being asked to teach people how to write. This throws me into something of a panic because I don't know how I learned how to write so how can I teach someone else?
True, I took writing classes, but I can't remember exactly what I learned. It felt like the teachers simply affirmed and guided what I somehow already knew.
So, can writing be taught? And if so, how? Or is it simply a matter of affirming and guiding what's already there?
Who taught you to write? How did they do it?
And, if someone "hates" to write, how can they be convinced otherwise?
(I am of the "if you can talk, you can write" persuasion, which is probably as annoying as those people who tell me if I can talk, I can sing.)
Quote of the Day:
"I used to think that Joan of Arc was Jonah Vark."
--Ben
I think writing is a talent. You can teach someone all the rules and methods and if they don't "have it", their stories will still creak like machines. Just like you can know all the mechanics of music and still not be able to sing like Byran!. I do, however, think that it's a good thing to have a short writing class at school so you can discover those who have talent...and encourage them. Pauline
ReplyDeleteI've struggled with your exact predicament. No one really taught me how to write--I've always written or made up stories. Yet I've found myself teaching writer workshops and homeschool writing classes from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI think someone can be taught (or at least encouraged, inspired) to persevere in the process of writing, and to revise their work.
You don't say what age you'll be teaching. My advice: for younger people, find games and fun ways to get them started (I know a couple if you're interested); for adults, let them know how you've started and kept going, what your failures and disappointments have looked like, and what the hard work of revision entails. The rest is up to them!
Rule of thumb in sports: "The great ones can't teach and seldom can they coach." You may be the exception that proves the rule...imagaine a whole cadre of little Dorcas' blogging and the rest of us trying to decide which one to read first.
ReplyDeleteSeems that all writing styles are so different, I'm not certain we can all fit into the same box. We can be taught English and how to compose sentences, but it seems what makes a good writer is often a matter of opinion.
ReplyDeleteI read a lot and have noticed lately that many authors don't even follow grammar rules or use complete sentences anymore. I just read your book and I think you are a great writer. I believe all writers get better as they continue to write, so probably the best thing to do is to keep writing! I agree that anyone can write, although unfortunately spelling is a different matter.
And yes, I live in Eastern Oregon, although I just moved here a week ago from Eugene. My mother-in-law gave me your book for my birthday and I enjoyed it very much. I will continue reading your blog.
To the anonymous that said, "The great ones can't teach and seldom can they coach." Here is one for you...:) Wayne Gretsky was the great one in Hockey and now he is a wonderful coach!!LOL!!
ReplyDeleteYea Dorcas, teach us to write.
Cheers to your influence on up-and-coming writers! Your writing style is so much like that of my late creative writing professor--a godly man who loved his family fiercely, survived two kidney transplants, and fought valiantly against a brain tumor. The ability to connect apparently unrelated particulars into a meaningful whole; finding the transcendent in the mundane; demystifying the unfamiliar--that is the art of writing you master so well. Two books on writing that I've enjoyed are "Writing Life Stories" by Bill Roorbach (great prompts) and "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott.
ReplyDeleteI teach a high school composition class using the book "The Lively Art of Writing" by Lucille Vaughn Payne. This is my first year of teaching the class but the book has been used for this class for many years at our high school. It focuses on essay writing, the logic being that learning the mechanics of that genre is the best general preparation for all types of writing.
ReplyDeleteContact me if I can be of any further help.