THE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTEA Newspaper by Children for Children

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPCREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPCREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPCREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A TELL ME A

STORY!STORY!STORY!STORY!STORY!STORY!STORY!STORY!

YOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITERYOUNG WRITER

LANGUAGELANGUAGELANGUAGELANGUAGE:::: A particular kind of system for

encoding and decoding information.

WRITTENWRITTENWRITTENWRITTEN LANGUAGELANGUAGELANGUAGELANGUAGE:::: Exists only as a

complement to a specific spoken or gestural language,

and no natural language is purely written.

THETHE CIRCLE GA ZETTEC IRCLE GA ZETTE

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and no natural language is purely written.

IF YOU CAN TELL A STORY,

YOU CAN WRITE IT…

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

WANTEDWANTEDWANTEDWANTED

Writers and ArtistsWriters and ArtistsWriters and ArtistsWriters and Artists

Written language Written language Written language Written language stands on stands on stands on stands on

its own: No body language its own: No body language its own: No body language its own: No body language

assistance.assistance.assistance.assistance.

THE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTE

It’s Easy!

HOW TO WRITE IT?HOW TO WRITE IT?

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1. SET SOME BOUNDARIES 1. SET SOME BOUNDARIES 1. SET SOME BOUNDARIES 1. SET SOME BOUNDARIES StructureStructureStructureStructure

2. LET THE STORY FLOW 2. LET THE STORY FLOW 2. LET THE STORY FLOW 2. LET THE STORY FLOW Get it all out!Get it all out!Get it all out!Get it all out!

3. BE YOUR OWN EDITOR 3. BE YOUR OWN EDITOR 3. BE YOUR OWN EDITOR 3. BE YOUR OWN EDITOR Shape it upShape it upShape it upShape it up

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

UNSTUCK YOURSELFUNSTUCK YOURSELFUNSTUCK YOURSELFUNSTUCK YOURSELF

If you can’t think of a first sentence, write the second one.

If you can’t think of a good beginning, try the end.

WHERE DO WE START?WHERE DO WE START?

Learning Community Coverage

Stories

Poems

Letters to the Past

Public Letters

Literary Reviews

Field Trips –Experiential Accounts

Clubs

Local Concerns &

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WRITING CREATIVELYWHAT TO WHAT TO WHAT TO WHAT TO WRITE?WRITE?WRITE?WRITE?

CHOOSE YOUR:Local Concerns & Entertainment

Community Reporters – What’s

Happening Out There?

Interviewing …

On Stage - Theater Reviews

Cinemania - Movie Reviews

Toys & Games – Reviews

Original Recipes

Bringing the World Closer: National and World Issues

National & World Reporters

MoreDid you know? - Sports, History &

Science Trivia

Announcements

Classifieds© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

GENRE … different ways to tell a story

ProseProseProseProse

PoetryPoetryPoetryPoetry

FictionFictionFictionFiction

NonNonNonNon----FictionFictionFictionFiction

AdventureAdventureAdventureAdventure

DramaDramaDramaDrama

ComedyComedyComedyComedy

CHOOSE YOUR:

Let’s set some boundaries …

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STRUCTURESTRUCTURESTRUCTURESTRUCTURE

Characters

THE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTE

WHO?WHO?WHO?WHO?

WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

SettingPlot

WHYWHYWHYWHY????

HOW?HOW?HOW?HOW?WHEN?WHEN?WHEN?WHEN?

WHERE?WHERE?WHERE?WHERE?

Sequence of Events

NARRATORNARRATORNARRATORNARRATORNARRATORNARRATORNARRATORNARRATORThe person who conveys the story to the audience

A character in the story? A character outside the story ?

How far outside the story are you?

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

… AND THEN WHAT?… AND THEN WHAT?

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START(beginning)

Generally: Introduction of

characters. Establishing setting.

KEEP GOING …(middle)

Develop plot. What’s Happening?

Why? How do the characters

move through their situations and

problems? How do they get out of

WRITING CREATIVELYHOW TO HOW TO HOW TO HOW TO

WRITE IT?WRITE IT?WRITE IT?WRITE IT?

Take all the pieces of your puzzle, position yourself as the narrator and …

TELL THE STORYTELL THE STORY

•Convey the events.

•Describe richly but be precise.

•Be flexible. Stand ready to take your plot and sequ ence in another direction.

•When in doubt: stick to the plan.

•Don’t pay attention (YET) to rules: capital letters ,

punctuation, number of sentences, spelling.

•Less is more. Keep it achievable and simple: It

goes a long way!

problems? How do they get out of

them? Why is this situation

important to the characters?

(TWIST)

FINISH IT!(end)

Wrap it up… Solve the problems,

draw conclusions, deliver your

message.

TIPS• Stay away from excessive use of

“then”, “so” and such other

“clutches”.

• Get to the point!

• Value your words: Say what you

mean, mean what you say.

• Make it clear. © 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

BE YOUR OWN EDITORBE YOUR OWN EDITOR

ASK YOURSELF:

FIRST & SECOND DRAFT

You’ll be surprise of how much

you can discover just by reading

your story aloud to yourself:

missing words, lack of fluency.

After you’ve done your first

revision, get a second clean draft.

WRITING CREATIVELY

FROM DRAFTFROM DRAFTFROM DRAFTFROM DRAFTTO FINISHED TO FINISHED TO FINISHED TO FINISHED

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Now is time to shape it up. Read it aloud to yourself and to others!

•Does it make sense?

•Can you follow the story?

•Can a stranger understand what the story is about?

•How does it sound? Does it flow? Check punctuation.

•Boy! What did I mean here?

•Scratch away, write little notes everywhere.

•Check your spelling, ask for help if necessary.

•Can sentences be understood in more than one way?

•Is it something missing?

•Write your second draft! Keep cleaning and shaping.

REFINED, FINAL VERSION

•Bring it out: Share it with

someone you trust that can give

you an honest feedback.

•Be open minded and receptive of

comments.

•Think about it. Leave and take

recommendations using your best

judgement.

•Incorporate changes.

•Read aloud again. Does the flow

improve?

•Let it sit for a night. Distance

yourself a bit and then come back

to it: quite likely you’ll find

something to improve.© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

NEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGNEWSWRITINGREADY TO BECOME A YOUNG REPORTER?

News: Events or information that people want or need to know about

NewNewNewNewNewNewNewNew FreshFreshFreshFreshFreshFreshFreshFresh RealRealRealRealRealRealRealReal

•News need to be presented OBJECTIVELY. Stay away from personal opinions.

•Narrator: Third person. Genre: Prose.

•Get to the point: Use the fewest words necessary.

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

•Get to the point: Use the fewest words necessary.

•Make it right and clear: No ambiguities.

•Choose the right words.

•Good reporters pursue accuracy. Double check your facts.

•Stay away from exaggerations.

•Use quotes correctly.

•Avoid redundancy.

•Get good interviews.

BODY LANGUAGEBODY LANGUAGECompletes the message

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE MESSAGE IS DELIVERED IN WRITTEN FORM?

BE DESCRIPTIVEBE DESCRIPTIVE

WHEN YOU SPEAK …

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

THE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTETHE CIRCLE GAZETTEA Newspaper by Children for Children

SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR SUBMIT YOUR WORKWORKWORKWORKWORKWORKWORKWORKEmail us at:Email us at:

submissions@enrichmentcircle.comsubmissions@enrichmentcircle.com

•Share your work with our community of writers, artists and readers.

•Subscribe to The Circle Gazette.

© 2010 THE ENRICHMENT CIRCLE, Inc.

•Subscribe to The Circle Gazette.

•A great reader makes a great writer: Select high quality publications

and read them often.

•Join us every month at the library for more on sharpening your

writing skills.

Everybody is a great writer!Everybody is a great writer!Everybody is a great writer!Everybody is a great writer!