Unschool Writing, Essays, and a Few Panicky Moments!
My daughter Imogen has a passion for writing.
“When did you start writing?” I ask.
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing.”
My second daughter was writing stories long before she knew how to form letters into words. It was no surprise to me when she announced she wanted to study writing at a tertiary level. 19-year-old Imogen is now in her third and final year of a Professional Writing and Publishing degree at university.
So how did she get there? Did she learn to write by doing a structured course? What about spelling and grammar? Surely she learnt all about essay writing before she started her university degree? Going back a few years, how did she write before she even knew about letters?
I asked Imogen if she would chat with me about unschool writing for this week’s podcast. We discussed the above questions plus a whole lot more, and I found myself laughing over the memory of a few panicky moments. (Does anyone else have those sort of moments?)
This podcast runs for a few minutes longer than usual. When two people, who are passionate about writing, get together, it’s hard to stop them talking. Of course, writing is our turkey!
Show Notes
Recommended Writing Books
So You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith
Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K. M. Weiland
Revision and Self Editing for Publication: Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft into a Novel that Sells by James Scott Bell
Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish by James Scott Bell (We haven’t read this one but it looks interesting!)
No Plot? No Problem! Revised and Expanded Edition: A Low-stress, High-velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty (Recommended if you’re about to write your first NaNoWriMo novel.)
Imogen’s writing blog:
Writing Groups and Challenges
Now onto the podcast. It’s about half an hour long so have you got some coffee, and maybe your knitting?