One of the things I try to really tune-in to is what project I should be spending time on. I have a lot of writing projects: Blogs Professional book, Celebrating Writers, due out later this year from Stenhouse YA book Choice Literacy articles Scrapbook pages, where I like to document stories with photos + words Writing to use with students Work responsibilities Recently I added another project to my list of writing projects. I’m not even sure it can be called a project, but it is taking up my 1000… Read more writing project decisions →
One thing that it seems I’m always trying to do is s l o w d o w n. It’s one of the reasons I write, so I can capture life and linger in the moments that are rushing past. Recently I realized I even eat fast. Gobble. Gobble. Done. This, I told myself, this I can control. I can chose to slow down meal times. I don’t have to shovel bite after bite after bite into my mouth, finishing the task of eating quickly and efficiently. I can chew… Read more tasting. →
I gathered several of notebooks together a few weeks ago to take some photos. A few years ago I did this and then took a stab at creating a video… Read more a notebook project →
Not cutting. Not pruning. Not deleting. Hacking. It is brutal. And it is essential to the life of a writer. I’m not sure I’ve truly understood this before this month. I’ve always known cutting as a viable revision option. It’s one I’ve used for years. It’s never hurt before. Maybe that’s because I haven’t done it right. Recently I revised the beginning of my first novel by hacking. Since I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve revised the lead (although I’m sure it is over a trillion), it’s… Read more hacking →
It’s been more than a month since my writing group met and I’m beginning to feel the kinks that come from missing a workout. We were supposed to meet last Friday, but due to conflicts, changed our meeting to Wednesday, December 21. (You do realize that’s four days before Christmas, Tam pointed out. We didn’t care, though, because we had to meet.) I’ve been thinking about my writing group a lot since the hardest revision ever, which I think is a funny name because the next time I’m faced with… Read more writing group →
Cutting and piecing and sweating… Recently someone offered to read my first YA novel, Strength, along with the query letter, and offer me feedback. She didn’t offer once, but a… Read more the hardest revision ever →
I couldn’t wait for this morning. There is nothing on the calendar. It is empty. As far as I’m concerned, this is about as perfect as a Saturday morning can be. It is waiting to be filled with my favorite things. Writing words. Hot tea. Snuggles with my kids. A little bit of art. Pajamas. Why, then, am I having trouble putting words on the page for my latest YA project? Maybe because words are swirling in my head for my professional book? Maybe because I’ve been thinking so deeply… Read more saturday morning →
If you follow me on Two Writing Teachers as a teacher, you know I’ve been thinking quite a bit about helping young writers find their own personal writing process. The more I write, the more I realize how personal my writing process is. I’m realizing if students can personalize it for themselves as well, then they will become more proficient writers. The flip side of the coin is there are some things that all writers do. This is how the phases of the writing process were developed. All writers collect… Read more little things: writing process →
Remember this conversation I had a few weeks ago with my crit partner? Well I have to face her and the others tonight. In the last six days, I’ve not discovered more about Krums or Sophi or their stories. This is because I’ve not listened for them or written or sketched or jotted or anything. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but I think I need to figure it out before I have to face my writing group tonight. I’m afraid Ruth’s sinister approach to my writing life may be contagious.… Read more a little note to my writer-self →
Ruth Ayres Writes 