DS wants to be an author? Tips for writing?
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faithfuldad123:
Hello guys, DS has always wanted to be an author. His grades are decent, and he LOVES writing. The problem is, there is a boy in his class who is not at all interested in wirting, but scores very good. Everybody refers to him as the class author, and DS gets very disappointed because of that. At first, I was mad when I heard DS's dream- after all an author does not earn much money. But then I realised that as long as he was happy, I was okay. The boy is DS's rival. the boy just won an entire comp (writing) against 100 students from singapore, while DS did not even get shortlisted. DS is crestfallen and says that he is not a good writer. The boy will be called X for easy refrencing. X never scores below 37 for writing, and even got a 40 before. The thing is, I know it is not X's potential as X is very popular in school, and teachers like him. DS is very introvert, and teachers either frown or ignore him wen they see DS. Ds gets about 34-37, although he did score 39 before. What do you think I can do to encourage DS? Plus do you have any tips to improve on writing? :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy:
Same case for my DS. DS's classmate, which is is girl, gets 37-38 for every composition. When DS reads her compositions, he feels that the storyline is simple without any layers in it. Feels that teacher is a bit biased. -
I have a child who also announced that she wanted to be a writer when she was around 6yo! Not sure if she is going to make it, but here are some of my thoughts. Budding authors need to develop a thick skin. They also have to realise that what is valued in school is sticking to the marking criteria, which often only recognise and reward orginality and creativity within certain set bounds. Remember that JK Rowling was rejected by many publishers before one finally decided to publish her books, and the rest is history. Of course, some aspiring writers will never make it, and that is a reality of life.
In the meanwhile, concentrate on improving all aspects of the craft - grammar, vocab, plot, characterisation etc etc. Getting lots of life experiences of different kinds is also important. Then one day, who knows?
Another thing to note - many writers have to earn their keep by doing other things while waiting for their big break, if it ever comes. It could be in other forms of writing such as journalism, advertising, technical report writing etc. Or it could be something completely other than writing. So it’s good to bear in mind the need to develop other skills as well. -
Slmkhoo has raised good points.
My views: even if you can write a good PSLE composition (37/40), it hardly means that you are going to go on to be a fantastic author. I roll my eyes at some of the compositions which are graded high 30s/40 - they may be grammatically correct and have loads of fancy phrases - but they are just not readable.
Encourage your son by letting him know that PSLE-exam grades are not the be-all and end-all of writing well. To widen his exposure to authoring, you can sign him up for workshops at the National Book Council. I have seen programmes where children are taught how to write a good story (in a storybook sense, not PSLE compo) and such courses are led by local authors.
Here's the link to their website:
http://bookcouncil.sg -
devotededucator:
If ever your child gets into a writer's block, the use of pictures could help stimulate thought processes greatly. I showed my 7 year old a series of colourful, thought -provoking pictures and with each picture, asked her to write down as many words as possible that came to her mind. The idea was not to think too much but to just allow her thoughts to flow freely. After this exercise, she was more confident and was ready to start working on her story! PM me for more strategies!
D'S is very ocd when writing in new format. He feels a need to write using all three pictures. Basically all compos he write consists of all three pictures. Is it good? Plus, how shld D's write so that his writing will appeal to traditional and modern markers? ESP. Traditional markers. -
lexis:
true. DS. Writes very nice stories but it does not appeal to the markers he sent a book to the publishers and they seem interested.Slmkhoo has raised good points.
My views: even if you can write a good PSLE composition (37/40), it hardly means that you are going to go on to be a fantastic author. I roll my eyes at some of the compositions which are graded high 30s/40 - they may be grammatically correct and have loads of fancy phrases - but they are just not readable.
Encourage your son by letting him know that PSLE-exam grades are not the be-all and end-all of writing well. To widen his exposure to authoring, you can sign him up for workshops at the National Book Council. I have seen programmes where children are taught how to write a good story (in a storybook sense, not PSLE compo) and such courses are led by local authors.
Here's the link to their website:
http://bookcouncil.sg -
slmkhoo:
not only jk Rowling. Dr Seuss too. DS is extremely determined. Hut you leave some food for thought. I told him that he can be a journalist too and wrote part time.I have a child who also announced that she wanted to be a writer when she was around 6yo! Not sure if she is going to make it, but here are some of my thoughts. Budding authors need to develop a thick skin. They also have to realise that what is valued in school is sticking to the marking criteria, which often only recognise and reward orginality and creativity within certain set bounds. Remember that JK Rowling was rejected by many publishers before one finally decided to publish her books, and the rest is history. Of course, some aspiring writers will never make it, and that is a reality of life.
In the meanwhile, concentrate on improving all aspects of the craft - grammar, vocab, plot, characterisation etc etc. Getting lots of life experiences of different kinds is also important. Then one day, who knows?
Another thing to note - many writers have to earn their keep by doing other things while waiting for their big break, if it ever comes. It could be in other forms of writing such as journalism, advertising, technical report writing etc. Or it could be something completely other than writing. So it's good to bear in mind the need to develop other skills as well. -
NerdyMath:
Exactly!! D's says that x story is not interesting at all and very unoriginal. But x got 38 while DS got.34. I think so too.faithfuldad123:
Hello guys, DS has always wanted to be an author. His grades are decent, and he LOVES writing. The problem is, there is a boy in his class who is not at all interested in wirting, but scores very good. Everybody refers to him as the class author, and DS gets very disappointed because of that. At first, I was mad when I heard DS's dream- after all an author does not earn much money. But then I realised that as long as he was happy, I was okay. The boy is DS's rival. the boy just won an entire comp (writing) against 100 students from singapore, while DS did not even get shortlisted. DS is crestfallen and says that he is not a good writer. The boy will be called X for easy refrencing. X never scores below 37 for writing, and even got a 40 before. The thing is, I know it is not X's potential as X is very popular in school, and teachers like him. DS is very introvert, and teachers either frown or ignore him wen they see DS. Ds gets about 34-37, although he did score 39 before. What do you think I can do to encourage DS? Plus do you have any tips to improve on writing? :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy: :gloomy:
Same case for my DS. DS's classmate, which is is girl, gets 37-38 for every composition. When DS reads her compositions, he feels that the storyline is simple without any layers in it. Feels that teacher is a bit biased. -
Honestly, you should try to nurture your DS dream because even if he can’t make it as an author, it will guarantee that he will have a strong command of language and great communication skills. That’s a fundamental requirement for any successful career.
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why waste energy in comparing oneself against another person?
It is just school compositions.
http://www.catherinekhoo.sg
My elder boy enrolled in this course when he was in pri sch.
Not sure whether your child will find it helpful.
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