Jo Knowles’ writing warm-ups are but one of many ways Kate Messner gets teachers
walking the walk in her not-to-miss Thumbs Up book 59 Reasons to Write (Stenhouse, 2015).
The
author of middle grade and YA novels including READ BETWEEN THE LINES, SEE YOU AT HARRY’S and JUMPING OFF SWINGS, Jo Knowles revved up Teachers Write campers’
engines each Monday with her Writing Warm-ups. 59 Reasons to Write shares many of them with readers, including
today’s Wednesday Writing Workout, one of Jo’s favorites.
Jo
holds a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and she
teaches in the MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University. Her awards and honors include NY Times and
ALA Notable Book distinctions and the PEN New England Children’s Book Discover
Award.
Thanks
to Stenhouse – and – Jo for their permission to present the following warm-up as
today’s Wednesday Writing Workout.
Enjoy!
Esther
Hershenhorn
. . . . . . . . . .
A Jo Knowles Warm-up
One
of my favorite exercises to help people get started is to have them describe
the kitchen of their childhood. If you
moved around a lot, choose the one that has the strongest memories. Place your child self in that room. Now:
What do you see? Describe the room in as much details as you
can remember.
What do you smell? Was
yours a kitchen of delicious odors? Or
was it rarely used? What kinds of foods
were cooked? Did you like them? Why or why not?
What do you hear? What kinds of conversations took place in the
kitchen, if any? Were there moments of
joy? Arguing? Worry? Love?
What do you taste? What are the strongest tastes you
remember? A morning bowl of cereal? The
batter on a spoon? Who made the food?
As
you write, you will likely notice a plethora of memories flooding your brain
and your heart. Seize these and write
them down. Describe them in as much
detail as you can. Soon, you will
discover a story taking shape. Grab it!
Jo
Knowles
59 Reasons to Write
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment