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Teach2Write for Middle School Podcast

Drawing to Write: Breaking Through Writer's Block

Access the entire show notes here on my blog:

Four main ways to use the Drawing to Write strategies:

  1. Important objects. These object sketches in my writer’s journal are especially important if I need to refer to them again and again as I write a story.
  1. Storyboards for presentations videos and big story scenes are another way that I draw to write. Although my art is just drawing stick figures or very simple to DC characters, usually front facing, these storyboards help me to organize my thoughts and visualize my message.
  1. Floor plans of characters rooms or of an important building help me describe a setting as it relates to the space my character needs to inhabit.
  1. Maps. When I wrote about a medieval castle, I also mapped out the entire area of the lord’s domain. One of my main characters had to run through it to escape from enemies, so I needed to know the lay of the land. Where would he hide? How would he get out of the second floor window and down a huge hill fast enough to get away from pursuers on horseback?

Of course, my maps are nothing like J.R.R. Tolkien’s Maps of middle earth or George RR Martin’s Maps of a world of ice and fire, but a quick overview of Forrest, Mountain Range, river at the castle, now that I can sketch out in my writer’s journal

BONUS: Characters. My students use this way more than I do. I tend to use stock images for this, but I love the elaborate character sketches some of my students create.

As you can see, there are lots of ways that you can use the writing strategy of drawing to write. I’m sure that the drawing to write strategy could be used for helping students to formulate non-fiction writing as well.

For more writing strategies, visit my blog at Teach2Write.com

For more on how to help students with writer's block, click for the START WRITE NOW GUIDE.

For teachers who would like some drawing directed activities, my friend from Coffee Fueled Classroom has this: Earth Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities

Music Credit: “Come Inside” by Snowflake (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/snowflake/59564 Ft: Starfrosch, Jerry Spoon, Kara Square, spinningmerkaba

Teach2Write for Middle School Podcast
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