Daily Writing starters collection 1 - from writingfix.com

Daily fun writing starter Instructions - Spend some time looking through these writing starters. Choose one and WRITE! for at least 15 minutes ON YOUR BLOG. Start your blog entry by noting which starter you decided to use.

5ws game
Make sure you push each button once to make one complete sentence. Keep pressing buttons until you find a sentence you REALLY like. Then...can you move the when and the where to places in your sentence where they sound more interesting? Click here to see how writers do this.
After you have re-shaped your sentence, can you write a story that contains that sentence? Could it be your first sentence? Or your last sentence? Or a sentence in the middle of your story?
And here's a cool idea! As you write, try to establish sentence rhythm by going back and forth between longer and shorter sentences.

Start and Stop Game
Click on the button below until you find an adjective that inspires a fun story or a scene from a story in your mind. Sometimes just one good word can put a whole story idea in your head! Click the button below until that happens.
The object of the Start & Stop Game is to include the word you're given below in BOTH your first sentence and your last sentence. Can you do it without simply repeating the first sentence at the end?

Title Story Starters
Press the button below until you find a title that strikes you as a good one...then write a story that could be titled that! Or a poem! Or a descriptive paragraph! Let the title show how important it is to whatever you choose to write.

Serendiptous title starters
Press the button below until you find a title that strikes you as a good one...then write a story that could be titled that! Or a poem! Or a descriptive paragraph! Let the title show how important it is to whatever you choose to write.

Sentence Starters
Press the button below until you find a sentence you really like. Write down that one sentence...feel free to add words to it or modify it slightly, if you wish...then write the rest of the story that follows the strong first sentence. Or write a poem! Or just a paragraph!

Final Portfolio Project Preview

As a final capstone project that counts as both a major grade for the sixth six weeks and a final exam grade, you will create a portfolio of your work that will be posted on the web.

You will be graded on the following:

• Completeness of all parts of the portfolio
• All final drafts are in correct format (manuscript or screenplay)
• Quality of work including (Expert use of language, perfect proofing, adherence to style of particular genre.
• Documents are properly saved using correct naming structure

Portfolio Template:

1. My best work

Piece One Title (will be linked to Word manuscript)
150-250 word description of the piece, including description of your writing process for this piece and your goals in writing it.

Piece Two Title (will be linked to Word manuscript)
150-250 word description of the piece, including description of your writing process for this piece and your goals in writing it.

Piece Three Title (will be linked to Word manuscript)
150-250 word description of the piece, including description of your writing process for this piece and your goals in writing it.

2. My process (One piece)

Example of prewriting (transcribed from notebook or copied from blog)
- 100 to 200 word description of my prewriting process
Example of early draft (transcribed from notebook, copied from blog, or saved)
- 100 to 200 word description of my drafting process
Example of feedback / response I received (transcribed from feedback or copied from blog)
- 100 to 200 word description of what type of feedback and response I find useful and how I go about getting it.
Example of finished proofed draft
- 100 to 200 word description of my drafting and proofing process

3. My range (Examples of at least two other types of pieces I attempted)
Piece One Title (genre)
Piece Two Title (genre)

FAQ:

How will I do this if I don't have all of my pieces or examples of my process ?
Sure you do! They are either saved in your folder or posted on your blog. If you still need to fill out the portfolio, there is still time. You will be writing at least one more piece of your choice, and we will have several writing days.

How do I save my documents?
Create a folder in your student folder named "portfolio"
Files should be saved in there as follows "lastname_firstname_title" in the case of the process pieces, replace the title section with the stage of the process (prewriting, early draft etc.)

How do I create my web page?
Copy and paste the template from above into a word document. Replace the placeholder text with your actual words. Under each piece title, type the file name of the piece that will be linked.
Save this as "lastname_firstname_web" and I'll take it from there.

Substitute lesson

Publish your "I want" piece.

First - post it to your blog, and then read other posts on other blogs and make comments.

Second - make any last minute changes you would like, and then post this to "future me" - The link is in the assignment below. Send it to yourself at least twice ( 1 year from now, 10 years from now)- That's right send yourself an email in 2017. You may send it at other times also.

What do you want - Really ?

After we listen to and discuss Elizabeth Crane's “Football,” read by Martha Lavey from NPR's series, "Selected Shorts" you will do the following:

On your blog - Capture you thoughts about the story:

Discuss the rhythm of the story. How does Elizabeth Crane create rhythm in her story. What language devices and rhetorical techniques does she use, and how do these speed up/ slow down the pace of the story. How do the shifts in pacing mirror and support the shifts in tone? Consider repetition, use of vivid details vs. summary, narrative tone (humorous, nostalgic, poignant, realistic etc.)


After our class writing exercise:
In Microsoft Word - Start drafting your own "I want" story in the style of "Football"

Choose from one of the following:
1. Start with where you are today, and write a first person narrative based on a series of "I want" phrases that move chronologically through your death and possibly beyond.
2. Start with your mother or father's high school years, and write a first person narrative from either of their points of view using the "I want" phrase to describe their lives (and yours eventually).
3. Instead of "I want" come up with another phrase that you will repeat as you describe the current and future events of your life in narrative form.
4. Use one of the characters you have been developing this year as the narrator of an "I want" narrative.


Publishing-When you have taken the draft through the process, publish the final product by mailing it to yourself in the future. Go to futureme.org and copy and paste your story into the window. Choose a date on which to mail it to yourself (one year from now? ten years?)

Resources:

• Listen to the story by clicking here. Note that "football" is the second story in the program, so you must either enjoy the first story, or let the show buffer for a while and then fast forward.
• Read Elizabeth Crane's blog. Consider leaving her a comment or sending her an email.
• Buy her book, "All This Heavenly Glory"