I listened to the pencil etch into the page of my writer’s notebook as each crafted word dug me deeper into my character’s experience. Suddenly, the scratch of the lead paused as my eyes reread the scene.
The characters’ dialogue moved the story forward. Narrative beats revealed the action and setting details. My main character’s internal thoughtshots broke my heart.
I paused and knew at that moment that I had never written better. I transferred what I learned and saw evidence of my own writing growth on the page before me.
As a teacher-writer, I notice such growth in my own students, often, but not in my own writing. Rarely, do I pause to formatively assess my own development as a writer.
Pausing to notice how far I have come is part of the joy of my writing journey. But, to me, it’s not the best part.
Just as you cheer on your students, I encourage you to applaud yourself as you pursue writing that matters to your teacher-writer heart.
Write.
Write.
Write.
And pause.
Pause to notice how far you have come.
For me, this moment of pause encouraged me. Not only was I proud of the scene I had written, but I also realized the best part of the writer’s journey: As writers, we will never know how well we can write.
And so we write.
Danielle L. DeFauw, Ph.D., is an associate professor of reading and language arts at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. She can be reached at danielledefauw@danielledefauw.com. Join her blog: Writing Connections. Follow her on Twitter: danielle_defauw.
I agree that we definitely must celebrate ourselves as writers just as we do our students. However, it took me a long time to learn that lesson:) Thank you for reminding us to celebrate the words we write!
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