Twain visitsthe Shockers@ SCKWP

Mark Twain visited the SCKWP Summer Institute at Wichita State University and took notes as he worked with teacher writers. They honored him with his own mug and included one of his quotes on their t-shirt. His account of the day follows:

Piece of advice to writers: Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very''; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

Many of the writers drifted in at varied times due to the damned orange barrel brigade along Wichita streets.

SCKWP meets at the beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright designed building called Corbin Education Center in River City.

Howling at the Moon  Deckhand Sandy presented the captain’s log notes from yesterday layered with grilling and food metaphors.

Our Boat Pilot Steve advised he had Free Wing-nuts Tickets for the Sunday game for those passengers who would be in port.

Steve/and first mate Nancy  clarified the requirements of something called a TRIP Proposal identifying what should it contain. These writers are traveling to conduct research? It seems that Friday will be unstructured so Shocker writers can freely write and compose, using whatever stimulating resources they need.  Passenger Casey was noticeably absent due to a commitment with the district. Did they hogtie him to a stool to keep him from us? .

Polly wants a writing prompt.   Riverboat pilot Steve handed out the material for the writing prompt. Disrupting my Comfort Zone - Brian Grazer (surfing), The Power of Love to Transform and Heal - Jackie  Where in the Hell is Matt?   - This I Believe website (Matt's story - his "tribe")  - A “This I believe” essay tells a story and is brief, names your belief, and is positive and personal.

Passengers and sailors volunteered their beginnings of "This I Believe" . There was an emotional overtone today as Liz grieved the incredible loss of grandparents in a fire, Lynda recounted her rebellion against the women's movement, Rod presented an emotional tribute to his "Big Brother", Teralyn shared her conscious decision to become a teacher, Nancy connected with the loss of her first grandson in the womb, JoAnn gave us a glimpse of her encounter at the sacred spring with the water spirits, and Amanda delivered her humorous admission that heartbreak helped shape her life. I have found a kindred spirit in each of them.

Following a Kleenex and hydration break, Deckhand Sandy Foster  presented her TRIP on Method to the Madness that is Revision.  She teaches her students the importance of word choice, and how focusing on word choice will allow the other 6 traits to fall in line (ideas & content, voice, sentence fluency, etc).  She uses personal narrative as the foundation of the activity. She walked us through replacing the "be" verbs and "buried words" (dead words) in our writing using synonyms, descriptive words, figurative language and sensory words. Don't let the "be" verbs be... I didn't know there were "dead" words, since words are what bring writing to life. 

My works are like water. The works of the great masters are like wine. But everyone drinks water. - From Mark Twain's Notebook, 1885  

First mate Nancy shared an excerpt from Land of Grass and Sky by Mary Taylor Young, a nature writer who talks about spying deer on the prairie. A second excerpt discussed how she remembers her grandfather as they travel from Kansas to Colorado and the dust clouds.

Pulled into port for lunch at local Mexican restaurant Margaritas, shall I imbibe?

Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.- Mark Twain

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.

Words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself.

Back aboard ship, Engineer Teralyn shared the Taylor Mali piece from YouTube "What Teachers Make" Wheelman Mary Belvin discussed her teaching academic language therapy which she trained in at the Fundamental Learning Center (316 - 684-7323).  1 out of 5 students struggle with decoding and reading. Disruptive kids usually are having issues with reading. Newman University will be offering this class next year. Multi-sensory program to assist in reading coaching. Good discussion on reading struggles in the classroom and inadequate training of teachers in implementing reading strategies.

The shocker writers divided up into writing response groups and congregated at different points on deck to share their writing and receive feedback for the afternoon.

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God's adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.- Letter to Orion Clemens, 23 March 1878

To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself...Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.- Letter to Emeline Beach, 10 Feb 1868