I admit Common Core State Standards annoys and fascinates me. Let me just say that this era of CCSS, particularly in English language arts, has me thinking
all the time about essential writing skills. CCSS asserts that developing clear, logical reasoning and the use of evidence are essential writing skills - two skills necessary for "private deliberation and responsible citizenship in a democratic republic."
I don't question the fact that it takes attitude and skills to become a proficient writer and that both benefit an individual's intellectual development. The fascinating part to me is how to recruit the broadest possible spectrum of students into the sustained effort necessary to invest in that intellectual development. Using Misa and John-Pio as my data points, I get to witness their development in writing at a very young age - one loves it for the sake of creativity and reporting and independently gets after it on her own. The other can take it or leave it - it's like "eh, just let me get
through it." And it's
that kind of young writer I need to avoid turning off for the next 6 years or so of formal schooling.
Enter 30-day Poetry Challenge - done in a structured setting in the midst of peers, there is a community of writers rising to meet the challenge to write a poem every day. A challenge for me no doubt, and one my students and my fam get to witness in me. Sending them off for Spring Break with a chart identifying the daily challenge and a successful daily turnout of 40+ poems turns into a trickle as evidenced in my Google shared drive. Can't help that, right - I mean, writing is
enhanced by community, especially with my students who show a wide variance in attitude and skills. Still, no one in my class says
I hate writing. No one groans or sighs heavily when they're given an instruction to write, and no one has yet to tear, crumple, or throw a piece of paper in my face. But there are those who show
indifference and are seemingly
unconcerned about their ideas and thoughts on paper - and sometimes I'd rather they be in my face than show this lack of enthusiasm.
That's why I'm in the market for why writers write. Why do you write? Why don't you write? Why is it hard? How is it made easier, more fun? Who writes? There's wisdom in listening to what pop culture artists and writers say about writing and why they persist even when they're alone.
Jay Z, who has a word and phrase gift, says write as much as possible and that repetition is the key to perfection. Without his years of practice, powerful lyrics that speak to young adolescents like “I will not lose, for even in defeat, there's a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me” would not make its mark. Let me repeat that like a person in authority and have it fall on deaf ears, but let me say this comes straight from Jay Z and no doubt, they'll listen.
Lupe Fiasco communicates with the music first. He says that creativity comes in weird places and in weird ways, that for him thoughts come when he's actually in motion, and that for some raps, you need to stand up. Maybe people will give hip hop artists more credit - and maybe my students will give writing more credit when they realize the process is different for everyone. Just maybe I'll relinquish that control and allow them to stand up when they write.
For India Arie, she went through a time of isolation and indifference and instead of giving up on writing, she took days to pray. In her words, "That was my first glimpse of a new resilience, of stepping into my power." I'm going to play "Beautiful" and "Brown Skin," while introducing her to my students with this quote: "Writing is about not having anything to prove except to simply express myself because it's who I am - not as a means to an end . . ."
William Safire says writing forces him to think more cogently than when he's just shooting off his mouth. Let me quote Safire while emphasizing the need to supply evidence when writing an argumentative piece - "shooting off your mouth" is just not very credible, but supporting your views with a passionate voice and with cogent reasoning is more likely to get an audience's ear.
My favorite reasons comes from Madeline L'Engle who says we write because we are story people and must tell our stories. And isn't that the truth? Authors, songwriters, poets, bloggers, reflect in very different ways when it comes to current events, history, fiction, nonfiction, narratives, and poetry. But there's a commonality in real writing - and that's that we're in it for sustenance, for the long haul, for perhaps a hopeful experience. CCSS doesn't exactly say that. In fact, the true annoyance is the despair from the control CCSS has to strip writing down to essential skills for "private deliberation and responsible citizenship in a democratic republic."
How about writing for freedom because it strengthens us, or because you want to tell the world in your language what you're feeling, or because it helps you take control of relevant issues and personal and social themes that dominate? Perhaps it's inherent in CCSS and I have more leeway than I believe, but at the start of the day, I still feel annoyed and fascinated by it all. Which is why I'm still in the market to create this bank of why writers write.
Although Taylor didn’t give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for
Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie ‘
Love Actually.’
“Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he’s the guy behind
‘Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about
Richard Curtis’ writing is that when he plays out these relationships
in these movies it’s not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all
that. It’s all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one
relationship in ‘Love Actually’ they had an inside joke of how she loves
a
Joni Mitchell
album and then there’s the little storyline where all the little jokes
that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as
possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same
details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can
relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The
more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct
the better.”
Read More: Taylor Swift Teaches Songwriting 101 | http://theboot.com/taylor-swift-songwriting-tips/?trackback=tsmclip
Although Taylor didn’t give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for
Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie ‘
Love Actually.’
“Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he’s the guy behind
‘Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about
Richard Curtis’ writing is that when he plays out these relationships
in these movies it’s not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all
that. It’s all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one
relationship in ‘Love Actually’ they had an inside joke of how she loves
a
Joni Mitchell
album and then there’s the little storyline where all the little jokes
that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as
possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same
details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can
relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The
more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct
the better.”
Read More: Taylor Swift Teaches Songwriting 101 | http://theboot.com/taylor-swift-songwriting-tips/?trackback=tsmclip
Although Taylor didn’t give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for
Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie ‘
Love Actually.’
“Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he’s the guy behind
‘Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about
Richard Curtis’ writing is that when he plays out these relationships
in these movies it’s not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all
that. It’s all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one
relationship in ‘Love Actually’ they had an inside joke of how she loves
a
Joni Mitchell
album and then there’s the little storyline where all the little jokes
that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as
possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same
details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can
relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The
more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct
the better.”
Read More: Taylor Swift Teaches Songwriting 101 | http://theboot.com/taylor-swift-songwriting-tips/?trackback=tsmclip
Although Taylor didn’t give an example from her own writing, she shared her admiration for
Richard Curtis, who wrote and directed the 2003 movie ‘
Love Actually.’
“Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers. And he’s the guy behind
‘Love Actually, which is my favorite movie. I think the best thing about
Richard Curtis’ writing is that when he plays out these relationships
in these movies it’s not just a boy and a girl fall in love and all
that. It’s all these inside little mementos of each other. Like the one
relationship in ‘Love Actually’ they had an inside joke of how she loves
a
Joni Mitchell
album and then there’s the little storyline where all the little jokes
that play out. So if you can, in your songwriting, be as detailed as
possible. Because for people to relate to it, they may not have the same
details in their relationships that you have in yours but they can
relate in that they had these little details of the relationships. The
more honesty the better, the more details the better, the more direct
the better.”
Read More: Taylor Swift Teaches Songwriting 101 | http://theboot.com/taylor-swift-songwriting-tips/?trackback=tsmclip
