So you want the facts about writing, eh?

Its okay to write that shitty first draft.

Writing a shitty first draft is a great way for a writer to get all of their ideas out on the paper and to not necessarily care right away about the quality or quantity of content they are producing. In fact, Anne Lamott states in her article Shitty Frist Drafts that All good writiers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts. Lamott is an advocate on ensuring all writers that even the professional writers who make a great deal amount of money through their written work dont always sit down feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Sometimes, the greatest thoughts an individual can have is when they are simply writing anything that comes to their mind and not focusing on the

content or spelling. Writing the first draft is when an individual is able to write uninhibited and let their emotions, thoughts, and opinions spill out all over the paper; allowing them the freedom to express themselves, because they know no one will see this first draft. Teachers across all grade levels should strongly encourage their students to produce shitty first drafts and let them know that it is ok if they produce six pages of seemingly nonsense ideas, because they might end up finding one awesome idea within those six pages. Allowing students to produce a shitty first draft alleviates the stress sometimes associated with the everpresent question, Where do I start?

Show! Dont Tell.

Allowing students to express themselves and show their writing in

various media forms is a great way to not only to view their information, but a great way to see their personality shine through. The creativity process can be infused into many literary projects, but can have a profound impact when using it in a research-based project. The Building a Mystery project allows students to go beyond the stereotypical pencil and paper, and to create a research project that reflects their understanding and personality. Robert Davis and Mark Shadle emphasize the significance of moving beyond writing the typical research paper in their article "Building a Mystery": Alternative Research Writing and the Academic Act of Seeking Author(s). The goal of the article is to shed light on the significance of moving towards "multiwriting," which incorporates multiple genres, disciplines, cultures, and media to syncretically gather post/modern forms. The authors show how these alternatives can possibly shift the values in

academics towards a more exploratory-based inquiry. By having students build a mystery when conducting a research project, the teacher is allowing them the ability to infuse their personality and individual touch on the project. Instead of hunting for sources and then focusing on meeting a quota for the length the paper needs to be, the students get to focus on gathering information they feel pertinent to their project and get to create a visual representation of what theyve learned.

Be open-minded to different forms of Literacy Narratives.

As with different forms a research project can take, so too, can a literacy narrativebut in a slightly different way. Literacy narratives have usually been used to focus on reading and writing. However, there is more of a movement to have students write literacy narratives based on place,

literacy, and education. An excellent example of a narrative that combines a personal experience with both place and literacy is Kathleen Norriss Places and Displacement: Rattlesnakes in Cyberspace. It is in this article that Norris reflects on the many places she has lived in her life, often associating them with family. Norris does a great job in her article describing what and how these places hold significance to her. An excellent example is when Norris says, Wait a few minutes, one of the old-timers said. I had my back to the west when I felt the light change, as if Id been nudged on the shoulder by an unseen hand. Literacy narratives about such things as place can be a great way for students to make sense of their personal experiences. As in the case of Norris, it can also be connected with their personal journey with their literacy as well.

narratives. Often times, that is how most writers begin their literacy narrativesby considering who inspired them or positively or negatively influenced them. Teachers can help their students get started on their narratives by posing the simple question of, Who are your sponsors of literacy? Students might find that theyve had a couple of individuals who influenced their literacy journey and it also may lead them to think about a significant event or time that greatly influenced them. Literacy narratives are a great tool to see how individuals, places, and/or events affected their relationship with their own literacy.

Journal, Journal, and Journal Some More!

Think about your sponsors of literacy.

Sponsors of literacy are something that is directly related to literacy

The process of daily journaling has many positive benefits for both educators and students alike. Daily journaling allows students to practice their writing skills, keep a daily log of their thoughts

and ideas, and is also a great way for teachers to check for understanding. Journaling also provides a great reference tool for looking for progress throughout a lesson or course and also as a way to find possible ideas for a paper or project.

Journaling is often viewed as a tedious task, often times due to the lack of something to write about. Implementing the act of journaling in a classroom would take interesting, relevant, and thoughtprovoking prompts in order for it to be effective. When looking through previous entries, students might be surprised by how much theyve grown as a reader and a writer throughout a unit or the overall course. Encouraging journaling is also a great life-long skill that a teacher can hopefully instill in their students.