Writing Process
Thursday, July 5th, 2018
Writing process starts with reading. Reading stories to little babies ignites imagination within them. Reading is a pre-requisite to writing well.
When my boys were at an age where they can speak but can’t write, I used to ask them to dictate a story. I’ll be their transcriber. I’ll ask questions such as why is this happening or how did this work, etc. so that the story makes sense and is complete. All these stories were bound in a folder, which is kept in our living room and whenever they want they can read it. They are amused and feel a sense of pride whenever they revisit these stories even at this age.
When they were older and were ready to write their own stories, the quality of the story deteriorated because they had to do their own writing. So, the solution for us was using computer. I let them make notes on paper and then I will type their story on word processor while they dictate. Gradually, they could type their own story on word processor. Using word processor took away the laziness of editing and rewriting the story. So, the stories were complete and sensible. The other element that really helped them was introducing a third person – an English teacher. So, they will sit with this teacher and edit all the stories when completed. The key is to take most of their compositions to a stage where it is complete and has been edited at least 2-3 times.
Again, all good stories that they have written so far are bound in a folder and it stays in our living room so that they can read them whenever they want. It serves as a source of inspiration and self-esteem.
