What in the world????
Good morning, teachers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to Teachers Write 2017! I am so happy you're here, and honored to be a part of your writing journey this summer.
I'll be here every Monday to help you get back into the writing groove after the weekend with some thoughts on writing and a writing challenge/prompt to warm you up for the week! I hope you'll post your own thoughts or even writing samples in the comments, and please feel free to comment on each other's posts to offer advice and encouragement.
To get inspired for the coming weeks, I asked friends on Facebook to fill in the blank with no more than three words:
This summer, I want my words to ________________
I received over 160 inspiring responses! Here are just a few:
This summer, I want my words to sing, keep you riveted, represent my passions, inspire future readers, entertain, flow and grow, heal hurting hearts, keep you riveted, instill hope, bring peace, make a difference, soar, whisper with longing, change the world, delight, make people think, inspire a revolution, ponder difficult questions, give me joy, tell my story, shine a light, take me home, dance, be true, rain, lift the downtrodden, unravel your emotions, dance, make an impression, be remembered, mean something to someone who needs them, surprise me, delight, make people happy, shimmer, mean something, cool a fever, linger in the wind, awaken the soul, not hurt others, soar, tell our story, matter, glow, pop, resonate, ring, set me free, enlighten, give you goose bumps, sizzle, break me open, rise above, dance with wonder, heal hearts, GET WRITTEN.
Whatever your words do this summer, I hope the act of writing, of creating stories or sharing ones you've carried for years and are only just now finding the courage or time to tell, brings you joy and satisfaction.
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Think about your character's world. By "world," you might think of your character's home, of community, of school, or of society. Some things to consider:
• Who has the power here? A parent? A bully? A teacher? A creature? A "friend"? A dictator?
• If fantasy, what kind of magic does this world contain and who controls is? How does it affect your character specifically?
• If historical, what makes the time different from now and how does it affect the way in which your character can function? How are the rules different from today?
• If science fiction or dystopia, how has the world changed? How are the rules different here?
• If contemporary, realistic fiction, what is your character's social and economic status, and how does that influence the way your character functions, interacts with others, gets what he or she needs?
• What makes your character's world unique?
• What makes it dangerous/safe?
• How much power does your character have? Is your character helpless here? Naïve?
• How does the setting help or hinder your character's quest?
World building is an essential part of creating stories, whether you're writing picture books, middle grade or young adult, no matter the genre. Much of what you discover about the world will never really be explicitly described on the page, but it will be conveyed by how you show your character functioning within. That's why you, the writer, need to understand it so completely. Knowing your character's world will make your story feel real and authentic and believable, no matter when and where it takes place.
So, for your Monday Morning Warm-up, answer this specific question:
What are the three most important things about your character's world that your reader needs to know?
Have fun considering all the possibilities! If you have questions or thoughts or want to share, please leave a comment below!
Love,
Jo
Welcome to Teachers Write 2017! I am so happy you're here, and honored to be a part of your writing journey this summer.
I'll be here every Monday to help you get back into the writing groove after the weekend with some thoughts on writing and a writing challenge/prompt to warm you up for the week! I hope you'll post your own thoughts or even writing samples in the comments, and please feel free to comment on each other's posts to offer advice and encouragement.
To get inspired for the coming weeks, I asked friends on Facebook to fill in the blank with no more than three words:
This summer, I want my words to ________________
I received over 160 inspiring responses! Here are just a few:
This summer, I want my words to sing, keep you riveted, represent my passions, inspire future readers, entertain, flow and grow, heal hurting hearts, keep you riveted, instill hope, bring peace, make a difference, soar, whisper with longing, change the world, delight, make people think, inspire a revolution, ponder difficult questions, give me joy, tell my story, shine a light, take me home, dance, be true, rain, lift the downtrodden, unravel your emotions, dance, make an impression, be remembered, mean something to someone who needs them, surprise me, delight, make people happy, shimmer, mean something, cool a fever, linger in the wind, awaken the soul, not hurt others, soar, tell our story, matter, glow, pop, resonate, ring, set me free, enlighten, give you goose bumps, sizzle, break me open, rise above, dance with wonder, heal hearts, GET WRITTEN.
Whatever your words do this summer, I hope the act of writing, of creating stories or sharing ones you've carried for years and are only just now finding the courage or time to tell, brings you joy and satisfaction.
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Think about your character's world. By "world," you might think of your character's home, of community, of school, or of society. Some things to consider:
• Who has the power here? A parent? A bully? A teacher? A creature? A "friend"? A dictator?
• If fantasy, what kind of magic does this world contain and who controls is? How does it affect your character specifically?
• If historical, what makes the time different from now and how does it affect the way in which your character can function? How are the rules different from today?
• If science fiction or dystopia, how has the world changed? How are the rules different here?
• If contemporary, realistic fiction, what is your character's social and economic status, and how does that influence the way your character functions, interacts with others, gets what he or she needs?
• What makes your character's world unique?
• What makes it dangerous/safe?
• How much power does your character have? Is your character helpless here? Naïve?
• How does the setting help or hinder your character's quest?
World building is an essential part of creating stories, whether you're writing picture books, middle grade or young adult, no matter the genre. Much of what you discover about the world will never really be explicitly described on the page, but it will be conveyed by how you show your character functioning within. That's why you, the writer, need to understand it so completely. Knowing your character's world will make your story feel real and authentic and believable, no matter when and where it takes place.
So, for your Monday Morning Warm-up, answer this specific question:
What are the three most important things about your character's world that your reader needs to know?
Have fun considering all the possibilities! If you have questions or thoughts or want to share, please leave a comment below!
Love,
Jo