Creative Writing Commons^™

Endings: What Can You Teach?, Julie Patterson

Articles

Our writer-in-residence shares strategies for crafting the perfect ending to a story.

Beginnings: 3 Examples (And Why They Work), Julie Patterson

Articles

Our writer-in-residence helps us look closely at the beginnings of three short stories.

Hold Readers At A Climax, Julie Patterson

Articles

Our writer-in-residence says: A climax is long. In fact, it's a place to hold readers.

4 Craft Strategies To Notice In The Leaving Morning (And Why), Julie Patterson

Articles

What can you learn about writing from a picture book? Lots!

Interactive Bulletin Boards That Support Writing, Julie Patterson

Articles

Great writing instruction = student created bulletin boards. Here are some ideas.

Assessing A Young Writer’S Story, Julie Patterson

Articles

Now that's a story! Find out what this 1st grader is doing well and what our writer-in-residence would teach next.

5 Things Writing Workshop Teachers Want Parents To Know, Libby Duggan

Articles

When I was teaching, I wanted parents to know how to support the work that we were doing in the classroom. Perhaps most importantly, I wanted to be sure that what students were told about their writing at home was consistent with what I taught in the classroom. So with that in mind, I've assembled an article that you can share with families: "5 Things Writing Workshop Teachers Want Parents to Know."

Feed Your Writer’S Notebook This Summer, Julie Patterson

Articles

Summer is a great time to tend to your writer's notebook. You can "stock up" on notebook entries that will support your mini-lessons during the school year. Not sure what to write? Here are some notebook strategies to help fuel your inspiration.

6 Ways To Celebrate Student Writing, Susan C. Adamson

Articles

Susan Adamson, executive director of the Indiana Partnership for Young Writers, shares a few of her favorite strategies for celebrating student writing at the end of a unit of study.

Blazing The Real: Writing By Indiana Children, Susan C. Adamson, Julie Patterson

Anthologies

I got my first camera when I was in third grade—a Brownie Hawkeye flash model with a snazzy little camera case. The instruction manual provided six simple steps for taking successful pictures.

Hold the camera steady, supporting it underneath. Then, with the sun behind your back or over your shoulder, locate the subject in the finder. At the instant of exposure, hold your breath and press the shutter release with a gentle squeezing action (Brownie Hawkeye Instruction Manual).

The camera came with two rolls of film, each with16 frames. I eagerly used them up and sent the exposed film off …