Blog #6 Hook them and reel them in !

 

Leads that hook reader's

Have you ever been fishing? What did you use to catch the fish? Every good fisherman needs bait and the right hook. Without a hook and only bait, you will be toiling in the hot sun in vain. Do you know that stories have hooks? Yes, fishing can be applied in writing narrative leads.

This week, we were all encouraged to put down our nets and use a hook. Why? Because the aim was to catch more than one fish and not those that would nibble and go away. A narrative lead or (hook) is a literary technique used in the opening of a story. It is the opening sentence of a story that captures the reader's attention and entices them to read further. It should be engaging, informative, and relevant to the topic being written about.

I am an avid reader, and nothing gets to me more than a boring book; after the first two pages, I will put the book down because I already know what to expect, so there is no need to continue reading. As a teacher, I can testify to how a good story would captivate my students, who yearn to learn more. Many want you to continue reading or anxiously anticipating the start of the next day's reading session. 

Well, we can apply this to their writing, helping them to write good leads to keep their readers captivated, just like the stories they listen to during reading sessions. Some students are excellent writers; however, some need more assistance. It is our duty as teachers to help them along.

I believe in providing them with suitable examples and having class discussions on why persons who go fishing use a hook—and then bringing it back to the classroom by demonstrating just how a fish can be caught using a hook. Similarly, as writers, we should also hook our reader's attention.

I am suggesting the following strategies/tips if you decide to help students or even yourself write good narrative leads.

When fishing, you would need bait to put your hook in the water. So start with a question or a bold statement that grabs the reader's attention.

Most fishermen use colourful baits with hooks to attract the fish. Likewise, use vivid imagery to paint a picture in the reader's mind.

Her clothes and face were drenched with blood as she took flight away from the body as the crowd began to gather.

Keep it short and sweet.

If you put too much bait on your hook, what would happen? The fish will eat and then go away. So avoid giving away too much information to your readers.

 

Happy fishing, guys!

Blog#5 Exploding the Moment Bulletin Board

 

As a kid looking at movies, I enjoyed the moment when the scene rewinds and the person goes back in time or slows down. There is usually some broken glass shattering or bullet ripping through the scene, leaving ripples in its wake. It feels excellent to experience a moment in time when everything has basically come to a halt.

We could see in action and zero in on a time or moment from a video presentation. This is a technique used by authors to alter the way a reader sees time. This time-altering writing style is referred to as an ‘Exploded Moment.’ I never knew the name associated with this technique. I only look at it as slow motion or talking in my head so we can understand what is happening better. I learnt that authors used these moments in writing to draw the moment out as if it were happening in slow motion.

Interestingly, this technique not only helps us as readers feel the same level of disorientation the main character is feeling, but it also allows the writer to explore all the minute details, sounds that happen, emotions racing through your veins and visuals that the main character just cannot seem to peel their eyes away from the pages. Unimaginably, an exploded moment let all this happen in just a short time, creating that slow-motion effect.

 As I am about to do my narrative writing, this is a technique I will incorporate into my writing, and I am sure you will, too.

Sensory details

adding the right amount of sensory details, we can take a small moment that, in reality, lasts only a few seconds to create an intense piece of writing; check it out below; 

My hands extended out and caressed the shimming black that captivated my attention. I see myself trying on those lovely pair of Michael Kors. My foot has a will of its own as it slowly slides into the velvet cushion, and my toes wiggle in its plush softness. The black patent colour with red under-trimming screamed joyfully as it welcomed its owner home. A smile emanated from my face, and a warm feeling flowed through my veins. My long-last wish is now granted. As the store clerk packaged my black beauty, I saw it going with my milk-white dress and gold hoops. As I moved towards the cash-out line, I hugged my box with all my might, ready to pay. When suddenly, a ringing sound vibrated through the air, ‘Oh gosh,’ I cried; it was my 5 o’clock alarm. (by Cordy).

The author above could have just said she tried on shoes, but the readers would have missed all those little details and actions. As a reader, this technique made me feel like I was in the moment, too. Sensory details are not the only technique authors use; some use repetition to make the moment seem like it is also going in slow motion.

Keep these in mind since I also want to use this technique, and if you are too, let us recognize that using exploding the moment throughout our narrative piece will become redundant and boring. Instead, we can look for the moment our main character experiences an exciting or fearful moment. Where the character is facing the consequences for their action and something of importance is revealed.

I am currently searching for a video to help my students when I return to the classroom. Feel free to share what you guys found. I will pick the best one or use different ones to drive the point home.

 

 

Blog#4 Unleashing your Creativity: Mastering the Art of Narrative Writing,

‘When I sleep, I dream of an enchanted place with placid, tranquil water and effervesced dragonflies’ Cordelia Smith.

 

Blog #4

Unleashing your Creativity: Mastering the Art of Narrative Writing

Everything done in the classroom to promote learning must be connected, which is encouraged across the primary school grades. Knowing students’ learning styles, interests, and background knowledge makes catering to their needs seem effortless. This amazing truth came to the fore this week after having an exhausting day at the beginning of our LIT102 class. Great, Mrs. L decided to do movie watching.

We were introduced to the title and then asked what we think will happen. Still, in my mind, I thought it was just a time to relax. However, we were introduced to narrative writing at the end of the short clip. I applaud Mrs. L for this; it shows that you can use various strategies to introduce a topic/content to students despite the situation. Surprisingly, everyone had a different perspective on the ending based on the title.

Narrative writing is at the helm this week; narrative writing is a piece of writing that tells a story. It allows writers to set free their creative minds. Interestingly, this type of writing can take many forms and fall under fiction and non-fiction. All narratives must also include five elements that define and shape the narrative: plot, character, settings, conflict and resolution. These elements fit together like a puzzle to make up a story. See the attached anchor chart explaining the different elements of a narrative piece.

The goal of narrative writing is to use established storytelling techniques, like theme, conflict and irony, in a uniquely personal way. This type of writing can be done from kindergarten to grade 6 as students' progress in different grades. It is important to allow students to understand that narrative writing takes place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle and end. We were allowed to work in pairs with a topic to generate ideas, listening to my peers' share. Given one topic, I can clearly see that a narrative piece can generate many ideas from different angles since no two people think the same way.

So, as we embark on the enchanted journey of narrative writing, how will you use the information from this week to help you as a teacher and a student. Where can we begin teaching narrative writing?  Remember, our students have creative minds, allowing them the opportunity to unleash their creativity on the pages of their narrative pieces.

 

Blog # 3 Perfecting the Writing Process

Perfecting the Writing Process

 Revise and Shine

 Greetings folks,

Let us start this week with a question: have you ever reached the airport about to board a flight and forgot your passport? What would you do? Cancel your flight or rush home to get it?

Teaching is a reciprocal process in order for students to learn and grasp concepts taught to them. It must be done through two channels: a learner and a teacher. This week, we went over the writing process. One critical aspect of the writing process is that others can vet your work, which allows the writer/s to make changes based on feedback given. This week, I was intrigued that you may not detect errors when you write and read your own piece of writing. As a result, this week, we had the opportunity to play a detective role; everyone knows how I love murder and mysteries.

 I was able to put on my detective hat and navigated through abandoned houses, heat weaves and boisterous market scenes as they unravelled before my eyes. I was sitting with my partners, reading, discussing and sharing ideas on how to fix our descriptive writing piece. As we switched partners and swapped ideas, I realised how well I had put this writing process into full practice. Since I will allow my students to sit with a partner and share their writing pieces in small groups, I will put a good writer with a below-average writer, and I can attest that when they are finished, the writing pieces will be improved with minimal errors.

So, folks, by incorporating this process, we as students/teachers should not fully put all the burden on our shoulders. Let us allow others who are better writers to vet our pieces and give feedback. Also, please give it a go when you return to the classroom.

Back to the question posed earlier, what will you do if you are given the opportunity? Well, I will gladly take it; since we are given a second chance to improve our pieces, should we not extend the same thing to our dear students?

Blog#2 Reflection on the Writing process

Blog#2

The Writing process

Hello again, ladies,

Another week of LIT 101 is over. This week went by very quickly, and I know you will agree. This week, we focused a lot on reviewing descriptive writing and looking at our classmates’ blogs. Since we are new to the forum, I thought that was an innovative way to see firsthand how we can improve and make our blogging experience successful.

This week, what stood out for me was the writing process. Did you know that writing is a process? Yes! It is actually a sequential process. No matter what you are writing, whether it is a book, story or blog, it must follow the writing process. All authors must go through this process; no one gets it right the first time. So imagine all the Romance Novels, Hardy’s Boys and Nancy Drew books we read in the past, and we were unaware of that sequential process of peeling off each page.

The writing process takes time; there are five steps involved. Prewriting is where you think about what you want to write about and jot down ideas. The audience and the purpose must be reflected in this step. Then, drafting is where you begin to write the ideas from the prewriting stage. This is followed by the revising stage. This is where an author makes their story better by adding details. The fourth stage is the editing stage, where one focus is the mechanics (grammar, punctuation, capitalization). The final stage is the publishing stage, where illustrations can be added, and your writing can be shared with others.

These steps are imperative to me as a student/teacher since many of my courses require me to write; therefore, keeping the writing process at the forefront of every piece I generate will allow me to practice and skillfully use each step to my advantage. Students can also be taught the writing process no matter their grade level; helping them see writing as a sequential process can no doubt aid in them becoming better writers in the future. The key here is teaching the steps involved in the process and practice done at the end of each step. Also, another aspect that stood out for me in the writing process session is that the process is recursive and not linear. This means that teachers must allow students to return; it will not be one shot for many students. I can say that this process works. I had the opportunity of using it at both Grade 3 and Grade 6. I took the time to bring my students through every step with practice, and in the end, they could produce good pieces for their grade level. So, I encourage you ladies to try it, one step at a time. Let me know how it turns out for you.

Ok ladies, sign out now; see you again on our next blogging week.