Passionate Writers: Save a Seat for Every Writer

Who They Are & What They Bring: Passionate writers are the kinds of kids who want to write about the same idea or topics repeatedly and across genres. Some might feel their writing is monotonous, one-note, or a deficit. Instead, they bring depth since they can grow their ideas differently across genres. With the proper support, these writers can flourish as they write about whatever they’re most passionate about in all types of writing.

The Context: Donald Murray, a journalist, professor, and writing teacher, believed that most writers have three recurring topics they continually revisit throughout their lives. These topics are often deeply personal and reflect the writer’s experiences, values, and beliefs. Murray believed that even when writers explore new topics, they often revisit one of these three life topics. By identifying and exploring these recurring themes, writers can deepen their understanding of themselves and their writing and develop a unique voice and perspective.

A Backstory: After years of being an only child, Cara (one of my former fourth graders)  was passionate about finally having a little sister. Cara exemplifies the “Passionate Writer” profile because she wrote a small-moment story, a personal narrative, and a personal essay focused on her little sister. Once January arrived, I could’ve said ENOUGH! and forced her to write about something else. But instead, I allowed her to focus on aspects of being a big sister/having a little sister in her fiction writing, poetry, literary essay, and memoir. I made this decision because before Cara found her passion area, she’d experienced little success with writing. Finding this topic, however, led to more willingness to accept my teaching in writing conferences, more experimentation with craft moves, and the development of new strategies. Almost every piece of writing Cara composed that year involved being a sister. Rather than being a limitation, Cara’s singular focus allowed her to progress as a writer and prepare for the demands and challenges of fifth grade. 

Here’s a Secret: Maybe you’ve encountered students like Cara, but often, the passionate writers are focused on topics teachers are less interested in, like video games, comic books, science fiction, or horror. Let’s zoom in on video games: You can work with a student who wants to write about playing a game on their Xbox or PlayStation to craft an original piece of writing about video games. Not a story of how the game goes, but a retelling of how they connected with their best friend while playing video games together, or an opinion piece about the best game console. If kids can work with different genres and apply new strategies, your workshop can be a safe place to carry their favorite topic throughout the year.

What’s Next: Flip through your writer’s notebook or read through your blog. Make a list of the things you most often write about. You’ve most likely found your life topics if you notice three distinct topics that appear multiple times. Consider ways to share this with students who struggle to know what to write about since they’ll often need/want permission to revisit an idea across genres. 

One Final Thing: We call our students “authors” in the writing workshop. The word author is derived from the word authority. Given that one definition of authority is someone considered an expert, it makes sense that students will do their best writing when they’re well-versed in or have deep expertise on their topic.

Giveaway Information: This is a giveaway of ABDUL’S STORY by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, donated by Simon & Schuster. Readers must leave a comment on any SAVE A SEAT FOR EVERY WRITER Blog Series Post by Sat., 8/12 at noon EDT and have a U.S. mailing address. The winner must provide their mailing address within five days, or a new winner will be chosen.