Ten blogs

Now I am wondering if its really knowing that someone is will read your writing that motivates the writer to begin drafting but then workshop is the means for shaping it.  I mean going public with writing is a motivator, a reason to write because it's communication. My kids were home for the 7th snow day in  row from school (not including 2 weekends in there too.)  I reminded Ten about the blog we created in the summer. I told her she should do some writing for it. "Oh yeah, I forgot about it. Yeah, I want to do that. What will I write....?"  Then she walked away talking herself through brainstorming a topic.  She moved from poetry to reflection.  Then what does she do, but pull out the anthology from the Maine Writers' Camp of 2008!  I wrote about the camp yesterday. Ten identities her writing life as that one week in a little cottage on the ocean with her writing "teacher".  She read aloud her reader's autobiography to me from the anthology. I responded that she had really changed in the last two years as a reader (moving from Junie B Jones to the Chronicles of Narnia, although Junie still lingers in her bathroom reading basket.)  She pondered, "Hmm, I think I have some work to do here. Can I use your laptop?"  The girl drafted and revised all at the same time with the old version in front of her and reading her words aloud for sound and sense.  Seven asked her, "Are you a writer?".  Ten answered, "Yes, I'm writing. Now be quiet."  That was enough for Seven to put her nose back into Rules by Cynthia Lord.  About 40 minutes later Ten had her blog post updated and her profile as well.  Then she asked where the other blogs were and was disappointed to find out my students hadn't done anything yet because of the blizzards.  Now she is waiting to read and get feedback for my high school ELLs. This will be interesting.