slice of life · Write: It's good for you!

Write: It’s Good For You!

Stacey Shubitz

Yes, yes, “Write: It’s Good For You!” is our motto here at TWT.

Today, during my Writing Circle Lunch, I discovered one of my students needed more than that.  He shared an entry he’d written, a deep one with voice.  I commented on it being such, and then said, “That doesn’t sound like a slice of life.  I thought you were in the Challenge.”

“I was.  I gave up on it,” he said.

I was horrified, but didn’t want to show it, so I said, “Why?”

“Because, my life is boring.  The stuff that happens to me doesn’t matter,” he replied.

“But-it-does!” I said.  “That’s the whole point of Slices of Life.  They’re about ordinary people, like you and me.  Afterall, how often do you walk down the street and see Puff Daddy in Rhode Island?”  (I’m still shocked I brought Sean Combs into the mix… no idea why I did!)

He shook his head and giggled.

“C’mon, you and I don’t have exciting lives, but they’re worth writing about… they’re a record of our days.”

I jumped up and got my Slice of Life Story Challenge Book from 2008.  I flipped through the mundane pieces of writing in there.  By about Day #8 I think I convinced him that the little stuff is what makes our lives unique.  He said, “I’ll try it again.”

I hope he will… he’s a talented writer.  Hopefully the following note will help a bit too:

What else can I say (to get him to write)?
What else can I say (to get him to write)?

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Published by Stacey Shubitz

Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her forthcoming book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.

One thought on “Write: It’s Good For You!”

  1. One thing that struck me about this was the fact that at the end of the process, he’ll have an accumulation of slices, a whole bunch of writing that when looked at later on will tell a much bigger story. So what seemed boring at first, will have greater meaning later on when grouped with all of his other slices. A complete picture includes all of the simple items as well as the complex ones.

    And I’ll tell you, I had to remind myself of this exact same thing over the weekend. So he’s not alone! Like him, I was tempted to not write, to stop, to pick up again when things got more exciting. But I realized that if i could keep it up for all 31 days, I would have 31 days of my life documented. And to me, that’s pretty impressive.

    -Carrie F.

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