It’s much more than a journal or diary It’s the writer’s place to “play” or “practice,” like an artist’s sketchbook or a musician’s jam session It’s where we get into the habit of putting our thoughts into words, and practice techniques that will make us better ideas

FREE-WRITING Write as much as you can as fast as you can Set a time limit; when you’re finished go back and read what you wrote See if there’s anything interesting you would like to explore or develop

Brainstorming Create a list of topics, as quickly as you can, then choose one and write about it Save the list so you can add to it later; for example, put it in the back of your notebook and revisit it another time

Looking at your surroundings Look out your window and write what you see, or listen and write what you hear Don’t just describe it; try to think about whatever is out there For example, a house (lived in or abandoned) may inspire thoughts about who lives/once lived there and it may spark a story or ideas

Writing to an object Take an object and see how many different things you can say about it Again, don’t just describe its physical characteristics: what can it be used for? Where did it come from? What does it represent?

Eavesdropping Write bits of conversation you overhear Listen to someone talking on the phone and try to figure out what the other person is talking about Watch people talking from a distance and imagine what they are saying Observe how people behave, how they speak, how they react (be discreet)

Test your memory See how much you can remember about a familiar topic Problem solving Workout a problem, make a decision, or make plans Weigh the pros and cons by writing them down

Writing from a Life Experience Think about an important life experience and write down every detail you can remember. Try to remember as much as you can, right down to the smallest bit.

Creating Lists Things you enjoy Things that make you happy/sad/angry Things that bother you Words and expressions you hear People you know

Write from a picture or an image Cut out a picture from an article, or a newspaper, internet, paste it in your notebook and write about it You could also create a story from the picture

Interview yourself Write on one side of the page, then respond on the other Don’t ask yourself things you already know, like your age and hometown; try to find out things you don’t know about yourself

Response Respond to music, movies, a TV show or anything else you hear Write in different places besides the classroom and your home Analyze a song or poem

Fill 3 pages/week with ideas, writing activities, etc. Each entry should be dated and have a description of the activity At the midterm point, students will present their top three entries to the class in an interesting format and again in June I expect your writer’s notebooks to be handed in to me each Monday I will check for completed entries and will do an assessment of your notebook every 4 weeks I will give you feedback on your entries so you know you’re on the right track

Respond to the following questions in a piece of writing, a sketch, a diagram, a list, or whatever means you see fit: – What is the purpose of the writer’s notebook? – What role has writing played in your life? – Why is it important to be a clear and effective writer? – What do you feel are your strengths in writing? Your weaknesses? – What do you like about the writing of others? – Why is writing a useful and important tool to have? - What function does it play in society?

You have won $100,000 but cannot spend it on yourself. What will you do with the money? If I was a teacher, I would… Describe a time that you felt frustrated. What happened? Was it resolved? How? What makes a good friend? What do you like about yourself? What invention would make your life better? What does “there are two sides to every coin” mean to you?