Empowered Fiction Writers: Generating and Organizing Ideas for Story Writing

Overview

Featured Resources

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

This three-part lesson introduces students to the use of speedwriting (also called free writing) as a prewriting technique. Learning the technique of speedwriting allows students to generate a foundation of ideas on which they can build a narrative structure. The goal is to fill up the blank page without worrying about grammar, spelling, or even coherence. Students then identify key ideas and phrases in their speedwriting, and use a graphic Story Organizer to develop the ideas into the main elements of a story (exposition, rising action, climax, conclusion).

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FEATURED RESOURCES

Story Organizer handout

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Luse, P.L. (2002). Speedwriting: A teaching strategy for active student engagement. The Reading Teacher, 56(1), 20–21.

• Speedwriting requires that all learners become actively engaged.
  
  
• The purpose for setting a time limit on the task is twofold: to capture students' dwindling interest and to help students develop the ability to think quickly and spontaneously.
  
  
• The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible without regard to accuracy or feasibility.

 

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