Writing with Confidence

We begin by talking about one real reader. What do you want that person to see, understand, or feel? From there we gather a few strong ideas and put them in an order that makes sense. The first sentence becomes much easier once it knows where it is going.

I bring short pieces of writing we can admire without copying. We notice how an opening creates a promise, how one exact verb can replace a pile of adjectives, and how a paragraph holds a thought steady. Students borrow the technique, not the author’s voice.

Drafting and editing happen separately in my class. First, I want the thought on the page. Later, we read it aloud, strengthen the structure, and polish a small number of things at a time. I will never return a piece covered in so much correction that the young writer disappears underneath it.

By the end, students have a finished story or essay they can feel proud of. Just as importantly, the next time a blank page appears, they know how to sit beside it and begin.