Once you have an idea for a story, what do you do with it? You must let it bloom!
Some of the most frequent comments (and frequently asked questions) that Crack-A-Story gets from secondary school students are these sources of much torment: ‘I don’t know what to write about’…’I’ve got nothing to write about…’ ‘What do I write about?’ …
Ok, here’s a basic question: ‘What is a sentence?’ A common answer is: ‘A sentence is the expression of a complete thought.’ But let’s put that answer into the mind of a young person for a moment. What’s a complete …
Etymology: What a big WORD! As we know, words are so often the building blocks for stories. But how many of us think about individual words as having stories of their own? Studying words (etymology) can be a fun and …
You have probably heard of the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid! Perhaps it is a little blunt, but it can certainly apply to writing (and storytelling in general). All too often some of our young people string together complex …
When it comes to writing, some of our young people put pressure on themselves even before they begin to write. Such an unfortunate scenario can be framed by comments that we’ve all heard at some time or other: ‘I don’t …
As you might have seen in ‘The cat sat on the mat’, it is a lot of fun to let the mind run free by applying the simple ‘Who, what, where, why, when, and how.’ As an extension of that …
Can you remember those days when you were a child at sports training and all you wanted to do was play a game, but your coach insisted on repetitive drills? Ho-Hum. Writing can be the same. So, why not break …
To over-write. To under-write. To get it just about write right! Writing and the teaching of writing isn’t easy. Indeed, for many students and educators it is one of the most difficult parts of formal learning. As we stress at …
Just have a go. Start to write. It all begins with just one stroke on a page, the first brick. Then add another brick: write some more. At times the journey may be frustrating. It may also be very hard …