by Tari Lynn Jewett

NO, this is not a blog about teaching children to write! This is about what I learned while teaching children to write.

Years ago, when I wrote freelance for magazines and newspaper, the principal of my boys’ elementary school invited me to teach a class on writing for publication, for the school’s GATE Program, California’s  Gifted and Talented Education program.  I love teaching, so I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

But, this was a challenge.  I’d always felt that you could teach people the mechanics, but considered creative writing more innate. Something, you had or didn’t have.

A story about “writing magic.”

A few years earlier, I’d rewritten a friend’s post graduate essay for his master’s application. He’d already had a couple of rejections. This friend has a bachelor’s degree with a double major in journalism and linguistics. I have no degree. I reviewed his essay, did a little tweaking and returned it to him.

He read it and asked, “What did you do? This is magic. It says the same thing but…it’s magic,” then added, “Can you teach me to do this?”

At the time, I’m not sure what I would have tried to teach him, because I didn’t know exactly what I’d done. In my head, I’d boosted the energy. But he got into a graduate program, and we never had an opportunity to work on it.

Fast forward a few years to the GATE program. I’d be working with kids in grades 3 through 5. So, the class had to work for all grade levels. I spent weeks working on the curriculum and began to understand my own process, but I learned even more while teaching the kids.

Here’s what I learned…

1. There is nothing magic about it.

Despite what my friend said, and Hunky Hubby frequently says. I’m sure the kids would have loved it, if I’d taught them magic, and I hate to break anyone’s heart, but truly, it’s not magic. It’s understanding words, and using them to get the best impact.

2. Breaking down my process. (I actually have two.)

When I’m writing non-fiction, I’m a planner/plotter. I make a detailed outline, use it for my research, and I have a very specific format. However, I do stay flexible. Research or interviews, can change my story direction, but I adjust my outline, stick to my format, and carry on. This is easily teachable.

Some people don’t like working with an outline, they feel it inhibits them. For me, when writing non-fiction, that outline actually gives me freedom and supports my creativity. I have a map, I know where I’m going, and now I can stop to smell the roses, and tell my best story.

But was I really a plotter?

As a fiction writer, I considered myself a pantser (someone who writes by the seat of their pants), but I recently realized that’s not true.

I don’t plot out a whole book before I write. I let the characters tell their stories. It’s kind of like those Magic Eye pictures, where you have to relax your eyes to see the hidden picture. I have to relax my mind, and let the characters talk to me. So, I must be a pantser. But I realized that my first draft is always short, often as much as 50% short on word count.

During the revision process, I use that first draft the way I would an outline.  I go back, flesh out scenes, fill in backstory or foreshadowing, and anything I’ve found during research that helps the story.

I think that makes me a plotsy/pantser.

3. Those magic words.

Are verbs. You may know this. Don’t get me wrong, adverbs and adjectives are part of the magic, but if your English teacher told you to replace passive verbs with active when possible, she was right. Changing the verbs in a sentence can bring it to life.

“Her mind wandered as she was cooking.”

“She stirred the pot slowly, lost in thought.”

Replacing is, are, was, were, went, any passive verb, with action gives a story energy and impact. And it’s always easier for me to find these in someone else’s writing!

4. Know where your story starts.

When my students started turning in pages, they often started too early in the story.

I read through my own work as I worked on their evaluations, and noticed that my earlier pieces didn’t always start in the best place. Too much backstory, a necessity for me to tell the story, but not necessary for the reader. The reader wants to get to the conflict or action. Years of reading and writing had taught me to start with that action.

In my nonfiction, it was easier to see the starting point. Because of the detailed outline, I knew my goals from the beginning, in fiction, sometimes I find the start a chapter into the story.

5. Everyone has their own writing style.

Style is a personal thing. And that’s good. I’m not really a critique group person, because I don’t feel qualified to evaluate other people’s work. But evaluating student work came with the job. I took this responsibility seriously. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are important, but usage can be subjective, and can even vary from genre to genre.

The kids were writing for magazines. Each magazine had their own style, and each student their personal style. My job was to read and evaluate, without stepping on their style. Especially important because these were young writers. I didn’t want to impact their uniqueness.

6. Be fearless- most kids are.

In saying that, I did have a student who seemed to need a safety net. Constant reassurance that they were ‘doing it right.’ It wasn’t just mechanics they were unsure of, they seemed to want me to rewrite their work for them in their evaluations.

I don’t want my editor to rewrite my work, and I don’t want to rewrite someone else’s. Make suggestions, tell me what isn’t working, but the writing and rewrites should belong to the author.

Most of the kids were fearless.

They took on their projects with enthusiasm, not worrying that they weren’t experts on the topics, not considering that they weren’t ‘real writers’.

Seeing this, I realized how fearless I’d been starting my career. I didn’t worry about being a ‘real writer’ because, in my head, I wasn’t a writer. I wrote. And to write, you must be somewhat fearless.

7. Real feedback is important.

As I said, I’ve never been a critique group person. I know some are really worthwhile, but I’ve attended many that are just there to cheer each other on. I avoid critiquing someone else’s work because I don’t feel qualified to evaluate it. I’m afraid to hurt the author’s feelings if I don’t think something works. However, if I share my work, I want real feedback.

Evaluating student work was required. And each student deserved helpful feedback.

I worked hard to make sure that I gave them positive feedback, along with what I’d like them to work on for the next revision. As authors, we need to know that we’re doing something right, but also how we can grow and become better writers.

8. Reading out loud helps.

The GATE students read their stories to the class after each draft. Yes, I made young children do several drafts.

When they read them aloud, they often found mistakes, or realized they didn’t like a particular line. The other students heard words directly from the author and were able to give constructive feedback.

In the thirty years since I taught this class, I’ve read my work aloud to myself, or my husband every time I edit.

9. Don’t be afraid to crumble it up and start over.

One of my fourth-grade students had gone through two rounds of revisions, and wasn’t happy with his work. “Mrs. Jewett,” he said after reading his third draft aloud. “I actually threw this away and started over, but my mom said I couldn’t do that. Can I read my new story?”

He didn’t give up.

He had thrown out the story, and begun fresh. When he started to read, I expected him something entirely new. But he read the same story, completely rewritten. A new opening and conclusion, and much better organization.

This is hard to do. If I start a project, I tend to power through. I go back and revise, revise, revise, and soldier on. Since that fourth-grade student gave me permission, I’m not afraid to do throw it away and start fresh.

Okay, I don’t throw it away…or delete the story, but I do close the file and start over, if my story isn’t working.

10. Writing can be taught.

Yes, I believe that like anything else, writing can be an innate talent. But now I also believe that anyone who wants to learn to write, nonfiction, fiction, advertising… and I’ve done a little of all of it…can learn. And whatever talent we start with, we should continue to learn throughout our writing journey.

Despite what I said in point number one, IT IS MAGIC. Through reading, writing and sharing our stories, we have the ability to experience and create magic. To prove it, two of my students were published in commercial publications! All of them were published in a school magazine.

Looking for a fun summer read? Tari's #FireworksInTheFog, part of her Hermosa for the Holidays series, is a 4th of July book. She'll be releasing it in print next month, but the e-book is available now!

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About Tari

Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Arizona just off Route 66 with her husband of thirty-five years (aka Hunky Hubby). They have three amazing sons, and two beautiful grandsons. For over twenty years, Tari wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction…and now she is.

Tari writes light, fun romcoms, but she is also working on a historical women’s fiction series set in the Los Angeles area, spanning from the late 1920’s to the ‘50’s. These are darker, edgier full-length novels. 

A voracious reader, Tari’s favorite treat is to turn off her phone and computer and curl up with an un-put-downable book. 

She also believes in happily-ever-afters,

…because she’s living hers.

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Top photo purchased from Depositphotos.