Session 10: Writing partners have each other’s backs Last time we talked about how checklists/rubrics can be a useful tool in making your journalistic writing better. I’m sure you noticed that I asked you to review your own work with your partner. That was strategic on my part, because I know that your writing partners can really help you excel. Think about a time you were trying to get better at something and a friend helped you. Share that experience with your partner.

Today’s inquiry question Today, we’ll be doing a quick inquiry into how effective writing partners work. We’re going to recreate a powerful partner talk. The question we want to ask, therefore, is “What techniques do these partners use to push each other as writers?”

a sample partner talk Student should take out their checklist and their draft before beginning. Writer: “So, when I went back and reread my piece, I noticed I was using dialogue but I wasn’t using a lot of action and inner thinking which it says to do in the elaboration section and is also one of my writing goals. Partner: “It’s hard for me to see if the work you are doing is going well, so could you read me some parts that you think you elaborated especially well and explain why you did what you did?”

Partner talk continued Writer: “Well, I’m writing about two kids arguing over a ball after school yesterday, and I want the reader to feel how tense it was. I tried to show tiny actions. I didn’t know what they were actually thinking, but I wrote what I imagined they might be thinking to get at more perspectives. Read the first part of his draft: “WE are using that ball,” the boy in jeans said, pointing behind his shoulder to a group of kids on the other side of the court. “It just bounced over here!” The tall boy in the Lakers shirt seemed to pause to think, as if he were considering how many boys were in his corner of the court. There were a lot. “Well, it’s MY ball now,” he said, and he turned to walk away. There was another pause, then the boy in jeans reached across and grabbed the ball. The Lakers shirt boy knocked the first boy in the mouth.

Continued Partner response: “Wow! I can really feel how angry those kids got so quickly. You said you wanted to show the tension of that part and you did. I felt it. You also said you wanted to use inner thinking, and I think you did that well because you shared what one boy might have been thinking. Lastly, you said you wanted to show tiny actions, and I feel like you showed the large ones, so maybe you could go back and add some tiny actions.”

Ask thoughtful, detailed questions about specific goals. Techniques Writing Partners Use to Prepare each other to write for long, meaningful stretches Ask thoughtful, detailed questions about specific goals. Give honest, specific, detailed feedback from the reader’s perspective. Use each other to rehearse before writing. Can you think of anything to add?

Sharing feedback with other writers Take some time right now to find something in your writing that you are particularly proud of. As you are sharing with your partner, make sure you are using literary language. ‘I’m trying to elaborate by expanding multiple perspectives.’ ‘I’m orienting my reader by introducing the character.’ Academic Vocabulary for Talking about Journalism

Set each other up to excel You know yourselves well enough to know which partner might need more attention right now. We will be publishing in class tomorrow, so make sure that you are giving your partners the feedback that they need. Your job as partners is to set each other up to EXCEL! To do: Discuss your writing goals with your partner and then partner talk to begin revising your paper. After you partner talk, make changes to your draft!

Self Assess your Writing Take a few minutes to self-assess your piece so far.

Homework: Final Review Tomorrow is your publishing day! Tonight, see if there are any final changes you’d like to make before you publish. Think about the feedback you’ve had from other writers, the writing of your mentor authors, and the checklists you’ve looked at to help make your writing as strong as it can be. Tomorrow you will need to come in with your most up to date draft. You will then have time to look at it through an editing lens, and we’ll look at how your verb tenses can affect voice. Then, you’ll add the final touches, and we'll celebrate.