Writing Tip #5 (of 9): Experience Success by Writing Short
Educators as Writers series
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As a 5th and 6th grade teacher, I shared a simple expectation at the beginning of the school year: whatever we wrote, it could not be more than one page long.
The kids thought they were getting away with something. I can still hear the very 6th grade remark from one of my students: “Oh, I’ll TRY not to write too much.”
After a few writing sessions, many realized that one page was too limiting. “I am not done yet!” After a few weeks or so, I finally “gave in” and let them write more.
I was not messing with my students; I wanted them to experience success as writers from the beginning. By setting them up with a streak of success – a completed writing piece at each sitting – they would carry that momentum forward the rest of the school year.
A story to illustrate this point: I remember as a kid learning how to shoot bow and arrow for the fall hunting season. We started with the basics: holding the bow properly, nocking an arrow on the string, etc. Then we started with cardboard targets shaped like deer. My first targets were only ten yards away. At that short distance, it was probably harder to not hit my mark. Once I was consistent with this yardage, we backed up to fifteen yards, then twenty, and so on. Success led to more success.
This concept of building momentum with repeated success via short writings is a similar strategy to the previous tip of writing small, writing every day. The difference here is we intentionally engage in brief communications. Next are example formats + purposes to try, suggested by Roy Peter Clark, author of How to Write Short (p. 8):
Recipes and instructions (to explain)
Summaries and lists (to remember)
Adverts and bumper stickers (to sell)
Social networks and blogs (to converse)
These short forms of expression work as well for educators as they do for our students.
To get started, consider the following four entry points for engaging in writing as a professional.
1. Start a weekly newsletter. Do this regardless of your position. You always have an audience. As a professional educator, people want to know what you are thinking. Even if most of your newsletter is sharing updates and pertinent information, you can begin with a personal anecdote or some small moment from your life. This is how I got started as a writer; I wrote a weekly newsletter for parents. I would include brief thinking, such as a fun experience from the classroom. Families responded positively, which gave me the confidence to keep writing and eventually write more widely.
2. Review books online. Whether it is Goodreads or Amazon, you can practice with brief opinion writing about what you are reading. After I read a book, I sometimes like to first read other readers’ reviews. The most popular ones rise to the top. I will read them with a discerning lens, trying to understand what made their review so popular. This “reading like a writer” helps improve my own craft while remembering to express myself with my own voice.
3. Post on Twitter. If you have not used this platform before, or you have only utilized it to read what others are sharing and retweeting their posts, it is time to take flight. A nice way to start is simple sharing something ordinary during your school day. Post a picture from your classroom or building (with permission, if depicting others) and write an accompanying caption that briefly describes the scene. Include any relevant hashtags to connect your post with an online community or organization such as your district.
4. Write a blog post. Maybe a tweet you sent out received a lot of positive feedback, or you simply have more to say on a topic from your newsletter. Blogging is a great way to describe your practice for an authentic audience without the challenges of trying to get published through traditional methods. Posts are typically 300-800 words long. They should also not be too “academic” – in other words, avoid jargon when possible. As I look back on my own blog, some of my posts seemed like I was trying to impress myself if not everyone else. Just describe what happened, what you were thinking, and maybe what bigger ideas or lessons were discovered through this process. Even if few read it, you will benefit from the reflective nature of writing out the experience. I recommend Wordpress for getting started with a blog.
Recommended Reading and Resources
I cannot remember where I found the idea of writing no more than one page. Maybe one of Barry Lane’s books on writing and revision. I believe Kelly Gallagher wrote about writing short in his book Write Like This.
Developing a skill with repeated success sometimes requires examining our limiting beliefs. A very accessible resource on the topic is Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray (you can preview snippets of the text here).
You will find many ideas and exercises for practicing brief forms of writing in Roy Peter Clark’s guide How to Write Short.
For a superb example of short writing, check out Seth Godin’s daily blog.
Speaking of brief posts, you can view the previous publications in this series below:
Writing Tip #1: Images as Entry Points (free for all)
Writing Tip #2: Examine Sources of Tension (subscribers only)
Writing Tip #3: Capture and Organize Your Stories (subscribers only)
Writing Tip #4: Write Small, Write Every Day (subscribers only)