The writer's craft and digital writing

I have always loved to read, which I’m certain has contributed to my skills as a writer today. By reading quality literature, I can increase my vocabulary, expand my knowledge, (or in the case of fiction) expand my creativity and imagination. However, I can’t say that I have consciously recognized the elements of writer's craft in my reading. I need to learn to read with a critical eye so that I can help students recognize the elements of good literature.

Hicks quotes the work of Fletcher and Portalupi (1998): “When we help students get a feel for the setting, voice, tension, inner story, or recurring detail, we are helping them develop new lenses with which to develop their own writing. Such lenses are critical if they are going to develop into the writers they want to be (cited in Hicks, p. 12).”

In order to create better writers, we need to teach readers to identify what matters in a text, and how the author uses the elements of craft to communicate this message. Looking at my bookshelf, my favorite reads are the ones where the author has a strong voice—whether given to the protagonist in a first-person narrative (The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb) or by the author in a biography (Bossy Pants by Tina Fey and Yes, Please by Amy Poehler). While I’m not consciously seeking it, I now recognize that voice plays a strong role in my favorite reads.

Tompkins identifies six elements of writer’s craft: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation (p. 71). While I don’t consciously consider these while reading traditional or digital texts, I definitely consider these when writing. My ideas flow naturally into my composition’s organization, and through consistent writing, I have developed my writer’s voice. I choose precise words to communicate meaning, and will often go back through my work during the editing/revising stage and substitute words or phrases to emphasize what I want my reader to know. Sentence fluency is a natural part of this process, followed by use of proper conventions (also a focus during editing/revising). The sixth trait, presentation, comes earlier in my process if I’m writing for digital communication. When I was writing a blog on wedding planning for the Democrat and Chronicle, I sometimes located photos and videos that would accompany my text before or during the writing process. While I couldn’t place them until the writing was complete, presentation wasn’t an afterthought of my process, but (as Hicks says) an intentional part of the writing process.

Following this week’s readings, my understanding of the author’s craft has changed. Tompkins' six traits are the ones I remember learning in school, but Hicks has expanded on this principle in writing for digital communication. No longer are students expected to write all stories by hand as word processing is an expected part of the elementary curriculum. Even the youngest digital writers today will learn about selecting legible fonts, choosing font sizes, and adding spacing between lines and paragraphs when typing their stories. Furthermore, they are introduced to other digital storytelling tools like video and audio at an earlier age. As a future library media specialist, I would thrive on the opportunity to work with students on how to use digital resources and/or best practices for using them to tell compelling stories.

References (outside class textbooks)
Fletcher, R., and J. Portalupi. 1998. Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8. Portland, ME.
   Steinhouse Publishers.