After a couple of weeks of reviewing the elements of fiction and planning for their own stories, my students were finally ready to get a draft on paper this morning. "Look at all your notes and talk to your writing partner for a few minutes before you get started," I suggested.
The room was fizzing and burbling with last-minute plans and ideas, and I circulated from pair to pair checking in on their conversations. I zeroed in on a couple of boys talking intensely. One was frowning, and he made eye contact with me as I headed over.
"What if your character doesn't really have a conflict?" he asked. "What if everything is just fine?"
I tilted my head, considering all the lessons of the previous weeks and wondering how he could have missed the essential information that ALL STORIES HAVE A CONFLICT!
His partner beat me to the answer, though. "No problem, no story, Dude," he said. "Ya gotta have one."
The other boy nodded and shrugged. "Well okay, then, I'll just mess up his life a little bit."
The room was fizzing and burbling with last-minute plans and ideas, and I circulated from pair to pair checking in on their conversations. I zeroed in on a couple of boys talking intensely. One was frowning, and he made eye contact with me as I headed over.
"What if your character doesn't really have a conflict?" he asked. "What if everything is just fine?"
I tilted my head, considering all the lessons of the previous weeks and wondering how he could have missed the essential information that ALL STORIES HAVE A CONFLICT!
His partner beat me to the answer, though. "No problem, no story, Dude," he said. "Ya gotta have one."
The other boy nodded and shrugged. "Well okay, then, I'll just mess up his life a little bit."
That is awesome! Perfect response - I love the line where you tilted your head - your words made it visual for me.
ReplyDeleteDon't you love it when your own students are there to clarify things for the dudes?
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