Here's the thing: I'm not really the kind of person who follows authors around and gets their signatures and takes photos with them. In fact, I'm rather shy when it comes to this kind of thing. So when I wanted to go to the National Writers Series: An Evening with Maggie Stiefvater, I was a… Continue reading Reflections from Listening to M. Stiefvater
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
Where am I?
Look who I spent the evening listening to... Yes, that is Maggie Stiefvater, YA novelist and one of my personal mentors when it comes to crafting a story. Later I'll share some of the cool things she says. Tonight, though, check out the latest addition to my notebook... I'm going to fall asleep thinking about… Continue reading Where am I?
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The Magic of Workshop
Today I was working with a group of primary teachers (Hello North Webster Elementary School!) and we were talking about the silly things kids share during writing workshop. Sometimes their stories are outrageous and they laugh about the strangest things, like a character turning into a Booger Head, as one teacher shared. I laughed and… Continue reading The Magic of Workshop
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Paragraphs — Part II
I took your wise words and put them together in a chart. It's hanging in my office because I love how it is a reminder of the power of collaboration. It also restores my faith in our ability to teach conventions through writing workshop. I love (and I mean lovelovelove) that no one offered a… Continue reading Paragraphs — Part II
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Hello Slicers
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Paragraphs — Part I
How do you know when to start a new paragraph? Yep, that's all for this post. Do some thinking and then leave an answer in the comments. It's an important question and one that many writers in our classrooms need answered! (For those of you who are over-achievers, ask your students and leave their thoughts… Continue reading Paragraphs — Part I
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I Read Banned Books
How will you celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, September 30 - October 6, 2012? Check out the official website.
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Best First Draft
When students move from their notebook to draft, I encourage them to write their best first draft. (Click here to see other posts I've written about best first drafts.) Something that I'm always curious about is the way conventions come into play during all parts of the writing process. As I've been teaching kids to… Continue reading Best First Draft
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Topic Choice
So often, we run into students who say, "I don't know what to write about." We work to help them develop topics. We make lists of writing ideas. We encourage them to explore writing territories. They find possible stories. What I've been realizing lately is often my topic choice has more to do with what… Continue reading Topic Choice
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Slice of Life
Woohoo! It's Tuesday...even better, it's Slice-time!
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Scene Changes
I’ve been trying to think through how to explain thinking in scenes to young writers in a way that makes it accessible. It seems they either write two scenes and call it done (when it really isn’t enough) or they write micro-scenes, making about 50 of them when there should only be four. How do… Continue reading Scene Changes
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Facing Discouragement
I hesitate to write this blog post. Yet it needs written. Maybe for you or for the teacher next door. Definitely for me. This week I've had too many conversations with teachers who are feeling discouraged. They do not have gender, teaching experience, grade level, or administration in common. They don't even come from the… Continue reading Facing Discouragement
