Positive feedback = Positive writing experiences

When conducting workshops, I often invite students to share their work by reading it aloud to their classmates. All too often those who volunteer pre-empt their reading by saying things such as:

‘I’m not a very good writer, but….’

 ‘I can’t write, but…’

 ‘This is really bad but…’

As a result of such answers, I developed the Golden Understandings which I ask students to read at the beginning of every workshop that I now conduct. I also ask teachers and adult writers to do the same during their workshops. Each participant generally has different ‘take-outs’ from the Golden Understandings, but there is one section that I always like to stress:

                Each and every one of us is UNIQUE.

                And so are our stories.

                There is no such thing as bad storytelling.

                 It is YOUR storytelling. And that makes it special. Only YOU can do it YOUR way.

Learning to write is hard work. But here’s the key: We are all learning to write, no matter at what stage we find ourselves. For both students and educators it is worth considering what Ernest Hemingway noted: ‘We are all apprentices in a craft where no-one ever becomes a master.’ So true!

Over the years, I’ve discovered three fundamental tips that instructors/educators can use to help boost the confidence and enthusiasm of writing students.

• Look for the gold in every student’s work. It may be the use of just one word, idea, description, characterisation, setting…take your pick. Then draw attention to that and encourage the student. From my experience, a student’s confidence in their ability to write (or tell stories in other forms) comes brick-by-brick. It takes time. It is our job as educators to be positive and supportive at every stage. Don’t look too far ahead. Just concentrate on the ‘now’ and guiding the students with positive feedback.
• ‘Just start to write’. That applies to every single writer of any age or skill. Sometimes we get flustered about how we should begin a story, an essay, a poem, or other types of works. And the more we think about it, the more flustered we can become. So, when we do start to write, the process can be a mighty accomplishment. Take confidence from that. Use the start as a launchpad for exploring and experimenting. But here’s the trick: writing doesn’t have to start at the beginning! A student may firstly wish to write the final sentence of their work, or they may choose to work on a descriptive paragraph about a character that will eventually sit somewhere in the body of the story. There are no rules. So, just start to write, and embrace the journey.
• Always remember ‘who, what, where, why, when and how.’ Those questions are always the guideposts for you and your students. There is nothing in the world that can’t be written about if you apply these questions and build from the answers.

Of course there are many other tips, but let’s just go brick-by-brick.