Think It Ink It Publishing - How To Think It Ink It


To Order		Have an Account?

When working one-on-one with a writer to create a Think It Ink It story, use the following guidelines to create a strong sense of ownership and pride in the writer for his or her final story:

After asking a question, WAIT and LISTEN! If the writer doesn't respond, rephrase your question and/or ask a new question before moving on. Always give the writer enough time to answer.
Give positive reinforcement to the writer: “I like that…do you?” “Very creative.” “That’s a great idea!”
The writer may need help connecting his or her thoughts and ideas from page to page. As the writer completes each page, read it aloud. Then move on to the next page, and begin by asking a question about what happens next.
Let the writer know that he or she doesn’t need to write about everything that is happening in each illustration. Instead, ask the writer to choose one idea per page to talk about, and then go on to the next page.
The writer may need more than one “session” to finish their book. At the beginning of a new session, ask the writer to review what he or she has already written before continuing with the story.
If the writer is ‘stuck’ or wants to go into more detail but doesn’t know how, use general critical thinking questions such as: Who?, What?, Where?, When, How? and Why? to help the writer come up with new ideas. (NOTE: don’t forget to ask ’Why?’ Why? is a magical question - after you ask “Why?” wait and listen and you’ll usually get responses that are both creative and personal.)
Let the writer know that he or she may want to come up with the book’s title after it is completely written. If the writer chooses to create the title before writing the rest of the story, be sure to revisit it with the writer after the book is written to make sure he or she wants it to remain the same.

Help the writer use his or her imagination to add rich details to the story. Let the writer know that he or she can also draw upon real-life experiences to make the story better. As they write, ask detail questions such as these:

What is he/she (the character) feeling? Why?
What is he/she (the characer) thinking? Why?
What does it smell like?
What does it feel like?
What does it taste like?
What does it look like?
What do they hear?
What sound does that make?
How is he/she (the character) moving?
What would this character say when this happens?
Does this part of the story remind you of anything you have seen or done in real life? If yes, what?
Can you add details from your real-life experience to the story?

Let the writer know that a well-written story usually has a beginning, middle, and end. To help the writer structure the story in this way, go through the following points with him or her:

The beginning

Describes the setting of the story, or when and where the story takes place
Introduces the main character or characters

The middle

Introduces a conflict, such as a problem that the main character faces or a goal he or she is trying to reach
Tells the story of the events that happen as the character tries to resolve the conflict
Leads up to the climax, which is the most important or exciting event in the story

The end

Explains the resolution of the story, such as how the conflict was resolved and what happened to the main character.

Three keys to improving as a writer are:

Write regularly;
Share your writing with others and ask for their honest feedback;
Revise, revise, revise.

Explain to the writer that asking people to critique their work is the key to improving their story and their writing. Suggest that the writer ask feedback questions* such as the following to get helpful responses:

What did you like about the story? Why?
Is there anything you didn’t understand? If yes, what?
What could be clearer in the story?
What would you add to the story?
Is there anything you would take out of the story?
In what other ways would you change the story?
What other specific suggestions do you have?

*Encourage the reviewer to ask questions and/or use “because statements” when critiquing the story in order to give the writer constructive feedback. For example: “I like this BECAUSE …” or “I don’t like that BECAUSE…”