Announcing: all-new Spilling Ink Writer's Club Page!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 10:47AM Dear Spilling Ink readers and writers: We've been inspired by YOU to create an all new Spilling Ink Writer's Club page. We're hoping it will be a resource for those of you who want to start their own writing clubs. Please let us know what else you might like to see on our page. And let us know what you think!
Love, Anne and Ellen
Here's a letter we recently received from a fifth grade teacher in Texas who started her own Spilling Ink Writer's Club. It has a lot of helpful hints for starting your own club.
Irene Kistler, teacher: After I read Spilling Ink, I just knew I needed to start a writer's club for our students…. (We) welcome anyone who's interested in getting feedback and learning to write better….The kids tell me the "I Dare You" challenges they really want to try and we incorporate them into the meetings. On their own, several kids found the writer's contracts at the end of the book and found Spilling Ink writing partners in their grade or neighborhood. (I was making partnerships a goal for next year, but they took the initiative...I was so excited!)
At the meetings, I share opportunities for kids to get published. In October, there was a Halloween poetry contest sponsored by a web site and a Spilling Ink member won the contest. … Kidsville News (has) published book reviews by several (club) members. In December, a local auto group sponsored a contest on "What You Are Thankful For" and a Spilling Ink member won a four-pack season pass bundle to Fiesta Texas, a theme park in San Antonio.
At our last meeting, I shared the writing contest posted on your site and the kids had an amazing brainstorming session for writing ideas...I'm continually amazed at their imagination and talent. When we return from break, our priority is finishing our drafts and then sharing them in critique circles for revision.
I share my writing process with them… so they realize that it's a journey and even adults follow the same process. It's been such a wonderful collaboration for the kids and I've learned so much, too.
I'm hoping to initiate more clubs at other schools. I would (also) love to have other club sponsors to visit with and share ideas.
--Irene Kistler
We also received a letter from Kinsey, a sixth grader, telling us that she had started her own writing club for grades 4-6. We asked her to share about it:
Kinsey: Hi. My name is Kinsey, and I was asked to share about how I started a writing club, and a little about me. So, here goes.
I love to write. I’ve been writing since a very young age, when I would write little stories about witches and bugs and stuff like that. I think my parents had a lot to do with my love of reading and writing. They would sit and read to me book after book when I was a little girl, and I think that’s why I love reading so much. One thing that I really like to read and write about is magic and fantasy. In fantasy, anything can happen. That’s probably why I like it so much.
The idea for the writing club started in June, 2010, when I was attending a writing camp at NC State University, in Raleigh, North Carolina. I had a really good time, and at the end, everyone who wanted to, shared what they had written. One of the exercises that one fiction class did was to take a funky photo and write whatever came to mind with that photo. That got me thinking: it would be really cool to do that with a group and see what different stories we came up with. It was then that I started reading Spilling Ink, and looking at the "I Dare You's" made the idea take shape even more.
I e-mailed a couple of my friends from the aforementioned writing camp, and some other friends who I knew loved to write, to find out if they'd be interested in attending a writing club, and everyone wrote back with an enthusiastic "YES!"
It was originally going to be where everyone would meet at the library for an hour, and we'd write, but getting around everyone's schedules was tricky, so now it's an online club. Although the group is very small currently, I’m hoping that it will grow and blossom into a community of creative and thoughtful writers.
And finally, a wonderful poem by ten-year-old Georgia VanDerwater, who is a student at the Aurora Waldorf School, to inspire all writers, young and old . . .
Who Would Write?
Who would write
Instead of read?
The writers have written for you.
They've got all the ideas.
They've got all the plots.
They have all the stuff
that I haven't got.
But why would I read?
Why couldn't I write
my own?
They don't have to write for me.
I've got ideas too.
I also have plots.
So why write?
Why not?
Reader Comments (11)
That is so neat!
Thank you SO much! I am honored to be on Spilling Ink's website!
Georgia V.
Anne and I are thrilled to feature both of you on our site. We think the two of you are superstars!
Yes, I second what Ellen said! We love what you wrote!
So cool to see another VanDerwater being published. Great poem, Georgia!
Anne and Ellen, I'm enjoying looking about your blog. Thank you for encouraging young readers and writers!
~Toby
Thanks for stopping by the blog, Toby!
Thanks for this post, Ellen and Anne! I asked my school librarian today if we could have a writing club, and she said that we could if I led it:) The links that you have are going to be extremely helpful, I'm sure! And even though I'm not in grade K-6, the Scholastic story starters are excellent for warming up the brain, and the advice for writers will surely help. Not to mention your book! Thanks a ton!
Kathleen
You're very welcome, Kathleen! Very pleased to hear that our Writer's Club page is helpful to you. Let us know how the writing club goes. Happy writing! -Anne and Ellen
P.S. We're hoping to have a writing contest for older grades soon.
Your book is wonderful! I now keep a notebook and write in it 3 hours a day (my goal)
That poem is really legit. Sometimes when I read a book I feel discouraged, like "How can I even THINK of being a writer with this person out there writing books? Then I read the book and I was like Wow!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This thing is awesome. Right now I'm trying for poems and short stories. I figure that after writing a few of those I might be able to write a novel! I love you guys!
Also Ive been keeping a journal that I write in before I go to bed. I was afraid of doing it at first, but it turned out helping me through a lot of my daily drama and has already given me some awesome story ideas! Yes, I do tend to write novels when I post.
Hey,great poem.I love this website! Thanks guys!