Crafting Writers

Teaching specific craft writing is teaching specific tools to a student that may not be immediately obvious when studying the broad scope of writing. (pg.11 Crafting-Hale) "...shows student's one particular way to write at a time so that each one is small enough to hold in their hands and own."

The goal is to allow the student to write in their own voice, and style. To own their own writing. While this is probably a nightmare to grade as a teacher, it is more likely to keep the students interested in developing their own writing techniques for years to come.

I feel that craft writing is a great way to teach a class of students that has a wide range of ability levels. The student who has not read much on their own will naturally struggle, and s/he is presented with an almost formulaic way to produce voice in their own writing which will encourage them to write more on their own. And the student who's independently well read is presented with the tools necessary to use their favorite author’s techniques to create a writing they enjoy.

Most students will try to recreate their favorite author’s style while attempting to write creatively. I remember trying to write like Roald Dahl when I was asked to write a short story in class, and consequently getting low marks. Dahl like many authors breaks a lot of grammatical rules, and without understanding the techniques he was using my words become incoherent jumble.

Which brings up the basic lesson I learned from English class, you must learn all the mechanics and rules to eventually learn that all may be broken at the whim of a talented author.

It is best to encourage the students to write as they would like by giving them the tools they will need to do so. While there are too many craft techniques to ever teach any one person I feel that eventually we as teachers should teach students how to purposefully read. Just as we, as teachers, are encouraged to dissect writings in search of useful techniques our students must eventually learn to do. While this is outside the scope of what we have read so far in this book, I feel that it is the next necessary step in the process.

While reading this book I started thinking of how I was taught to write, and how that has shaped the type of writer I am today. My mother, and English teacher, would physically harm me if she witnessed my consistent disregard for grammatical rules when I write.

As a journalist my pieces were often just scribbled down as an e-mail in an internet cafe and accompanied by a picture or two, I had reverted to the techniques they teach in the lower grades! Yet, it was what was required to function.

This is an example of what I have sent into a newspaper, the Bangkok post, for publication about a year or so ago.

“Aprox. 300 Red shirts march. 19:00 explosions heard. 19:25 Riot police arrive, tear gas everywhere…too windy just irks red shirts. More rioters coming out. 23:00 police set up camp, guns everywhere. Very few injuries no fatalities. Red shirts locked down and seem to be set on staying, both sides at stalemate.”

There is no style,or voice in this writing and the laws of grammar are blatantly ignored. But, it has served it's purpose. My pictures were published and an editor pieced together my description into a more legible article. And this is how I write when in the field. Function above style. Should we teach students this type of writing? I think not, it is something that we naturally do when the situation arises. And different situations call for different styles of writing; which is why teaching craft writing is such an important part of the English education process. A student must eventually be able to adapt their writings to fit their immediate needs.

Writing for an online publication requires shorter paragraphs making it easier for the reader to break up main ideas. While on a “battlefield” just getting the facts down and watching your surroundings is the main objective. However, while in a classroom setting it is important to follow the rules of grammar and adapt one’s personal style to fit within these rules. (I think that I may have been off topic a bit, but these are some of the thoughts that occurred to me while I was reading today.)

It is my current, and rather inexperienced, opinion that craft writing should be taught as a way to encourage students to write independently at home. It is a tool which will motivate students to learn the rules and mechanics because they can see the beginnings of their own voice within their writing. Craft writing will keep their attention and excitement while they work diligently through the necessary rules, mechanics and memorizations which are inherent to any language. The book gives a lot of useful craft techniques, and I am going to enjoy practicing them over the next couple of weeks. And even though Ms. Hale mentions that a teacher doesn't necessarily have to take it upon themselves to seek out craft techniques, I agree with her when she suggests that it is best. Performing purposeful readings in search of craft techniques will make us all more "fit" to teach and find craft techniques in our students work.