Accustomed to Tuition: Let's start at the very beginning...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Let's start at the very beginning...

Or, you know, not. However you want to start your novel.

A few handouts on ways to begin a novel, courtesy of Orson Scott Card's "How To Write Fantasy & Science Fiction" and the NaNoWriMo middle school workbook: Available here.

Also, first class started their novels today, hooray! I started grading some of their prewriting exercises on the way home on the bus. Lots of great characters and exciting plots. If you're reading this, think good thoughts for them!

2 comments:

Mrs. NelsonOctober 17, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Thanks for the link! Found you through the NaNo teacher's lounge...this will be a great help with Tuesday's lesson plans.
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Ms. GarciaOctober 27, 2010 at 7:04 PM
So glad you like it! Please take anything you see here! :)
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Resources I Like To Use

Seize The Story: A Handbook For Teens Who Like To Write. Victoria Hanley. Good for students and teachers.

Writing For The Stage: A Practical Playwriting Guide. Leroy Clark. I've rarely taught playwriting yet, but I use the exercises in this book (a remnant of my own college classes) for character development, motivation, and designing scenes with a purpose.

How To Write Science Fiction & Fantasy. Orson Scott Card. Writing suggestions useful for any genre.

Writing To Change The World. Mary Pipher.

Painless Grammar. Rebecca Elliott. Wonderful grammar handbook with fun exercises, innumerable examples, and clear explanations. I don't just use this for my students, but to double check my OWN grammar and make sure I can explain concepts clearly.

Instructional Design For Classroom Teaching And Learning. Kevin Zook. If you're not lucky enough to be taking an education course at Messiah College, this one might be tricky to find. But Dr. Zook's system for writing lesson plans is the simplest, most intuitive and most thorough I've found. I never teach a class without at least a bare-bones version of his template.

Young Writers' Program, NaNoWriMo. Right here. Amazing, amazing program and so friendly to teachers! Even if you can't do November in your class this year, check this place out!

Toni Morrison, 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. Lecture. Need some inspiration? Need to remember why stories matter? Read Morrison's elegant remarks.