This Week’s Anton Lesson Plan
While creative writing doesn’t necessarily have a place in newspapers, it is a good way for scribes to practice their trade and exercise their artistic muscles. For example, Pete Hamill, who was a columnist for two major city papers, is a celebrated author of fiction with 10 novels and hundreds of short stories to his credit. The process of creative writing begins with inspiring your students to delve into their imaginations. The key is to find a spark to spur imaginative thought. That spark can be anything from a past experience to an overheard quip from a friend. That is the best thing about inspiration—it knows no bounds.
• Look through the newspaper for an interesting or funny photo.
• Write a story telling what happened before, during and after the photo was taken.
• The story can be fiction or based on some of the facts that are included in the article or caption accompanying the photo.
• After finishing the story, write a paragraph explaining why the photo was a good story starter or why it was difficult drawing inspiration from the photo.
