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Modifying the Writing Marathon

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The writing marathon has become a mainstay in many Writing Project summer institutes, workshops, and conferences.  The goal of a writing marathon is to weave together movement and writing.  A writing marathon might have a theme or purpose for visiting particular sites.  For example, in 2011 during my Louisville Writing Project summer institute experience, we drove to Civil Rights landmarks. Our writers learned about the events and people they represented, and then reflected and wrote.  Similarly, at several conferences and workshops, I have seen hosts conduct walking and writing tours of their home cities. running So how might the writing marathon be modified for the classroom or home when mobility is limited?  When conducting a writing marathon in a limited space such as around the classroom or home, consider guiding participants to find inspiring spaces or objects.  Lately, scavenger hunts have become popular activities.  Similarly, writing can be inspired by reflections about the simplest objects in our local spaces – birds in flight, spring awakening, cracks in sidewalks (where did old wives’ tales come from, anyway?).

Writing Guidelines

Modifying the recommendations of “A Guide for Writing Marathon Leaders” posted by the National Writing Project can help.
  1. Treat the participants as writers.  Be a writer.
  2. Keep the marathon focused on the writing.  Sightseeing, tour guide speaking, and socializing take backseat.
  3. Conduct as many rounds of writing as possible.  The walking, talking, reading, or interacting should spur writing, not detract from it.
  4. Write, read your writing to others, and say only “thank you” after each reading (Natalie Goldberg, whose book Writing Down the Bones).
  5. Say, “I am a writer.”  Really.  Do it.
  6. Keep groups small.  In the case of a classroom, 3-4 students writing together is appropriate.  At home, write alongside your child or children.  Be partners in writing.
  7. Remember that writing happens even when we’re not writing.  The moment the writing marathon has begun with introductions of participants as writers, the mindset has shifted to positive productivity.
  8. Select an appropriate closure.  It might be a select reading of the marathon’s writings.  Stay flexible.  Participants might not be ready to stop writing at the same time.
  9. Remember: choice, community, diversity, spontaneity, serendipity, discovery.
  10. Write for the experience, not the product.
As stated in the Guide, “A writing marathon is all about the writing and writer. Say it again. It is all about the writing and writer. And writing is enjoyable, especially when you do not have to do it for anyone else but yourself, when no one will criticize it, when you give it plenty of time, and when you allow yourself to write about things you did not expect.”  Also see this handout for more tips. Finally, share your writing marathon experiences as participants and leaders as comments to this post.  We look forward to hearing from you!
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Four-Square Activity for Brainstorming

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Returning to the Classroom

Classroom writing after any departure from routine is certainly challenging, particularly following winter and summer breaks. Tapping into personal experiences may be the way to re-engage students (and teachers) in the return to routine writing.

This four-square activity can be used for brainstorming details about an event in one’s life. Structuring the paper into four quadrants chunks the writing into manageable quantities. This activity enables writers to recall details to help paint a vivid word-picture of an event that the person has experienced. It is not necessarily intended for an external political or social event (unless that event itself had an immediate effect on the person). brainstorming

The activity script can be something like this:

  • Identify an important event that you have experienced.
  • On a full-sized sheet of paper, draw a vertical and horizontal line to divide the sheet into four equal rectangles.
  • Use each square to brainstorm a list of words and phrases about one of the following aspects of the event:
    • Visuals: place, others who were there, description of the place
    • Emotions: how you felt before, during and after the event
    • Action: the time or timing, plus words and phrases that describe how the event took place
    • Dialogues: quotes, words or phrases from the event
  • Turn and talk with a partner. See if that leads to any additional details.
  • On the reverse of this paper, quick write for 5-7 minutes. Write whatever you are thinking about the event to get as much down as possible. Do not worry about format, punctuation or spelling. Get your thoughts and memories onto the page.
  • Decide what type of writing you would like to do: poem, narrative, letter to a friend, announcement, memoir.
  • Draft the piece OR outline what you plan to do. People can share when ready.

Give the activity a try and post a comment or tweet a link to your draft! Better yet, come show it to us in person at our mini-conference on March 14th! You are welcome to share this post. Consider including hashtags such as #ilwrites, #teachwriting, #writing, as well as your own chat groups.