Thursday, June 25, 2015
Marathon Day!

The opening and closing moments were reminders that it's okay to veer away from the poignant and the formal to enjoy the lighter and even sillier side of playing with words. 

The Writing Marathon's magic surpassed expectations by providing a perfect summer day.  Fellows visited outdoor landmarks and indoor businesses, as they wandered, wrote and shared throughout South Portland's Knightville and Millcreek neighborhoods.  When people returned to the Learning Commons, with leftovers from Otto's Pizza and pink-cheeked smiles, they talked of discovering new places and making connections.  A couple of people mentioned thoughts about their inner critics and several writers shared the passages they composed. As teachers, not many of us experience the writer's life, but the writing marathon gives us a taste of what it might be like.  But it's the connections we make that have the most lasting effect.

Brigid connected us to the National Writing Project by taking everyone into the world of the NWP Website.  We explored Writers at Work/Summer Writes on Google Plus, viewed the FAQ page, and discussed the Posting Guidelines.

Here is a list of what we noticed works well for posting comments on the site Writers at Work:

Being specific with comments works best: words, phrases, direct quotes, etc.

Questions that probe are helpful. (What are the characters' motives?)

Telling why specific things strengthen the writing is a plus.

Authors who post clear questions receive better feedback.

Stating what you are hoping to get from the feedback produces more targeted responses.

Here's what doesn't work:

Vague praise

It's a pleasure to be in your company!

Brigid and Patricia