Dear friends,
Mind if I address you directly? Are you enjoying this blog thing? Does it feel awkward to any of you? Intimidating?
You should read Margaret and Helen. "Best friends for 60 years and counting . . ." which makes Helen an 80 plus year-old blogger. Some think it's a fake, but I believe it. Helen's grandson started the blog to help her keep in touch with Margaret who had moved to Maine, and to get her to record her thought and stories for her family. I think the writing is so engaging and flows so well partly because she's speaking directly to Margaret. It's conversational, folksy, real.
Kelly mentioned a student tonight who couldn't write a news story. He let her try writing an advice column and she turned out to be great at that. Kelly said, "That's her thing," but I suspect it has something to do with the "Dear _____" at the top of the page.
I offer that option to my students who can't get started on a story. They have all the notes and quotes, but just can't put it together. I tell them to put the notes to the side, write "Dear (best friend's name here) and just tell best friend the story. After it's on paper we can turn it into a news story, but if there's nothing on the page, there's nothing I can do to help.
You really should check out Margaret and Helen. You'll be surprised and, quite possibly, entertained.
Best,
Sara Hennes
Cody High School
Detroit, Michigan
Thank you for sharing. My most recent struggling writer was a boy from Mexico. All he was interested in writing about was gangs and drug cartels. I think there was a more personal story he could have written. Story telling is really the key. I will focus on that this year. What a simple and effective way to teach!
ReplyDeletePaula Wolfe
Dubuque Senior High School
Dubuque, Iowa
Nice observations, Paula. I think we get trapped far too often in certain mindsets, in both teaching and journalism. We forget that not every story has to be news format to be effective. I think we have to worry about a student who wants to write this way all the time and never learn the news format, but if this way sounds better, then give them a column, for goodness sake!
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