I’ve just finished teaching my second course about writing for children. The first was heavily lecture based; for the second, we agreed on a workshop style, with a focus on in-class writing.
My students’ greatest difficulty was finding/making/stealing time to write. We began each class talking about how writing went that week (starting with me), and every week there were groans and shudders. And yet, writing happened, both in class and during the week, and some really interesting work emerged.
One the greatest challenges for me was putting what I’ve learned about writing into words. You’d think that wouldn’t be hard for a writer, but some days it was a struggle. My greatest pleasure was focusing on exactly what each student needed. Overall, they needed to understand that writing garbage is normal and necessary, rather than a failure. They all struggled with that internal editor, trying to still that critical voice. And, always, they needed to simply put in the time.
My favorite experience? listening to their stories – funny, touching, real, weird and wonderful.
Maureen
Comments