Don't Forget to Write for the Secondary Grades

826 National (San Francisco, CA) is a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari. 826 assists students ages 5 to 18 with their writing skills, and helps teachers get students excited about writing. With centers in S.F., Ann Arbor, NYC, Chicago, L.A., Seattle, Boston, and DC, 826 provides free drop-in tutoring, class field trips, writing workshops, and in-schools programs.

• Foreword xvAcknowledgments xviiThe Authors xixThe Contributors xxiiiLesson Plans1 Details (golden), Character (immortal), and Setting (rural India) 1by dave eggersIn this three-part lesson, students learn to draw details from real life to create unforgettable characters and compelling stories2 Literary Facebooks 7by kathryn riddleCurious what Elizabeth Bennet’s, Harry Potter’s, Bella Swan’s, or Percy Jackson’s Facebook profile would look like? In this workshop, students create a mock Facebook profi le based on their favorite literary character3 Suburban Epics 10by tom perrottaThe author of Little Children and Election shares his tips for finding inspiration in your own neighborhood4 Busted 12by william john bertWriting about the time you didn’t get away with it5 How to Write Science Fiction 15by cory doctorowThe Nebula Award–nominated author shares his tips for crafting fascinating science fiction6 Writing From Experience 18by stephen elliottStudents learn to transform their own life events into compelling fiction from an author who’s mastered the art7 Too Much Money! An Ethical Writing Experience In 10 Easy Steps 20by louanne johnsonThis lesson introduces students to the benefits of journaling, using an ethical conundrum to keep them invested and involved8 The Talk Show Circuit 23by ellie kemperThe Offi ce actor shows how to use the talk show format to practice the elements of good storytelling9 The First Draft Is My Enemy: Revisions 26by sarah vowellYou spend hours grading papers You give great feedback You offer tons of suggestions to improve the piece—and then you never see it again A favorite essayist shows you how to put all that work to good use10 See You Again Yesterday: Playing with Time 29by audrey niffeneggerThe author of The Time Traveler’s Wife shares her tips for working with tricky time lines11 Look Smart Fast: College Application Essay Boot Camp 35by risa nyeA college admissions reader outlines the dos and don’ts of great application essays12 Writing About Painful Things 39by phoebe gloecknerThe author of Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures walks students through the difficult but redemptive process of writing about pain13 Mutant Shakespeare 42by kyle bootenReading Shakespeare is hard Lucky for us, we won’t be reading Shakespeare We will take him apart and put him back together the wrong way We will lose some of his pieces This class assumes that one good way to understand something is to see how it could be different14 How to Write a One-person Show About a Historical Figure 45by kristen schaalThe Daily Show correspondent and actor shows us how to research and write a great play about a real person15 Writing for Gamers 47by tom bissellThe author of Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter leads a lesson on narrativity and video games16 Humor Writing: An Exercise in Alchemy 49by dan kennedyThis is the lesson plan to engage the bored, disinterested students rolling their eyes in the back row A humor author shares writing prompts that are pretty much guaranteed to provoke great material17 On Pining: Write a Verse to Make Them Stay 54by thao nguyenAn indie musician leads a workshop on writing the words that make those you miss come back18 Adding Insult to Poetry 56by nicholas decoulosAnyone can say, “Same to you, buddy!” In this class students learn why it’s not wise to cross a poet19 Bad Writing 58by neal pollackThis inventive lesson by a noted writer and satirist shows you how to do it right by trying to do it wrong20 Where Stories Come From 61by julie orringerThe thought of writing a short story from scratch can be so daunting An author shares her secret: don’t start from scratch Find inspiration in art, news, and real-life events21 Word Karaoke 63by matthue rothIn this highly engaging lesson, a slam poet and author invites students to do “cover” versions of other writers’ work—like hip-hop sampling— to create fresh new poems22 Tall Tales and Short Stories 66by steve almondThe assignment to write fiction can feel like an overwhelming mandate This exercise turns that mandate into play Students are asked to tell the best lie they can Suddenly, it’s a short story23 Welcome to the Funhouse: Writing Funny Scenes 68by mark o’donnellThe Tony-winning author of Hairspray shares 12 weeks of funny scenewriting ideas24 Voicemails From My Future Self 74by mark sipowiczIn this workshop students creatively expand and explore their sense of who they are by thinking about their futures The workshop culminates with an audio-recorded “voicemail” from each student’s future self25 How Short Is Short? 77by vendela vidaThis is storytelling distilled down to its purest essence An author shows students how to write a story in 20 minutes or less26 Comic Composition Challenge! 79by steven weissman and jordan craneTwo professional cartoonists challenge students in a fast-paced, highly entertaining comic-strip-writing game27 My Boring Life 82by micah pilkingtonEveryone thinks his or her life is boring This class proves that it’s actually full of great stories28 Colonel Mustard in the Library with A Candlestick: How to Write a Mystery 84by julianne balmainMystery writing solved! A mystery author shares her secrets29 Creating Characters 88by jonathan amesA novelist shares his techniques for creating memorable, well-rounded characters and offers exercises to help students hone their skills30 High School Confidential: How to Write A Young-adult Novel 90by matthue rothA young-adult author helps students write modern comedies of Manners31 Get Your Haiku on 93by daphne gottliebThis very modern take on the ancient classic invites students to borrow from hip-hop and pop culture to create one-of-a-kind haiku32 the Essay 95by meghan daumEssays don’t have to be boring They can be as exciting as fiction, as moving as poetry Here, an acclaimed essayist shares her essay-writing tips33 The Story of Me: Writing About Your Life And Your Family 99by jason robertsYou don’t have to be old or famous to write your life story This class invites you to trace how your family and experiences have shaped who you are today34 Meet Your Protagonist! 101by ryan hartyAn author teaches students to create well-rounded characters that readers really care about35 All Witnesses Eventually Die: Embarrassing Stories 104by erika lopezIn comic panel form, an author and graphic novelist shares her tips for turning your mortifying experiences into good reading36 Wicked Style and How to Get It 106by micah pilkingtonStudents always tell us they want to develop a unique voice, a literary style all their own This class helps them find it37 President Takes Martian Bride: Writing Tabloid Fiction 108by alvin orloffTabloids might not be high literature, but they’re awfully fun to read— and even more fun to write In this off beat lesson, an author encourages wild storytelling and out-there stories that, we promise, will be really, really fun to grade38 Lying for Fun and Profit 111by emily katzGood lies are a lot like good literature This class helps students turn falsehoods into fiction39 This Class Sucks 114by kazz regelman and andrew strickmanStudents learn the basics of criticism by reviewing everything from CDs to cookies40 Screenwriting 117by noah hawleyA professional screenwriter shares his secrets, and invites the class to go Hollywood by practicing their story-pitching skills41 How to Write a Ghost Story 120by lisa brown and adele griffinTwo professional ghost story writers share their scariest tips42 826 Unplugged: Songwriting 125by chris perdueThe whole class collaborates to pen a guaranteed hit No musical experience necessary43 Sportswriting: the Life 127by sam silverstein and jason turbowTwo professional sportswriters share their expertise44 How to Write a Fan Letter Without Getting a Restraining Order 129by lisa lutzA young-adult author and self-confessed superfan shares her letterwriting tips45 Exquisite Story Lines 133by jeremy wilson and kait steeleThis lesson adapts the Exquisite Corpse poetry technique for short fiction46 Soul Prowlers: the Art of Writing Newspaper Profiles 135by rona marechOrdinary-seeming people can have extraordinary, heroic stories—it just takes curiosity and the will to excavate them In this class, students learn how to identify good subjects, conduct interviews, find inspiration in the details of a life, and write compelling stories about both regular and famous people47 Homestyle: Writing About the Place Where You Live 138by tom molanphyThis lesson teaches students to see home in a fresh way, to walk through doors and open windows they never noticed, and to find the stories that home holds48 Agitate! Propagandize! 141by julius diaz panoriñganSometimes a clear, convincing argument isn’t enough You need to stir things up just a bit so that people pay attention and you can get your message across, whatever that is In this workshop, students craft propaganda—speeches, pamphlets, and posters—all of it hard-hitting49 Tasty Medicine for Writer’s Block: Mindful Writing Exercises 144by brad wolfe and rebecca sternFrom the editors of Essays for a New Generation, an anthology of essays for young readers, come these techniques for writing mindfully50 High School Ink: Getting Published 147by lara zielinAn author of young - adult fiction shares her tips on getting your work out thereAppendixEvaluation Rubrics 154Self-assessment Checklists 156Common Core Curriculum Standards 160826 Centers and Staff 209