Writing from the Heart

Let me start by reading you something that Meredith wrote in her writer’s notebook:

“I put a lot of feeling and depth in my writing, mostly in my notebook, because it is like my very best friend that I can tell anything to and it will never tell a soul.”

The writer’s notebook as a best friend that’s an interesting idea!

A best friend is someone you hand around with a lot, someone you have fun with.

Because we feel comfortable with our best friends, when something is bothering us or we have exciting news, we want to share it with them.

When we’re with a best friend, we can really be ourselves.
And we’re not afraid to tell the truth about what we’re thinking and how we feel.

If you think of your writer’s notebook as a best friend, you’ll write entries that come from the heart.

That’s what Daniel, a sixth-grader in New York did:
For my whole life I wanted to be on the football team. My parents didn’t let me because they didn’t want me to get hurt.
When I went to the movies and saw Bobby’s mom she told my parents where to sign up and they thought about it. I still asked them and they kept saying no.
One night I begged again. I got so mad at my parents that I jumped off their bed and slammed the door and then ran into my room and slammed the door. I stayed in my room for about ten minutes. I was so mad I cried. Five minutes passed and I finally stopped crying. My mom came in my room and she tried to cheer my up by telling silly jokes. I tried not to laugh but I couldn’t help myself. Mom left and I stayed in bed to watch tv for a bit. Then I took my small cap gun out and pushed the trigger and shot my parents’ door. One part of the cap gun moved. It made a noise. But it wasn’t a loud noise because it didn’t have ammo in it.
Well, I guess I didn’t win this battle. I still want to be on the football team but they still won’t let me. But they will let me be on the flag football team. I’ve been practicing for a long time.
First I couldn’t even catch five feet and couldn’t even throw a spiral. Now I can catch while running and throw spirals just as well as my Dad. I just can’t throw as far as him. I’ve practiced and gotten a lot better. It just shows you that practice makes perfect.
A am not allowed on the tackle team but at least it’s close.
Dante

• Daniel really, really wanted to play tackle football, but his family was worried that he would get injured.
• Daniel wrote about an issue that was really important to him.
• He wrote honestly, toohe wasn’t afraid to reveal his strong feelings.
For my whole life I wanted to be on the football team. My parents didn’t let me because they didn’t want me to get hurt.
When I went to the movies and saw Bobby’s mom she told my parents where to sign up and they thought about it. I still asked them and they kept saying no.
One night I begged again. I got so mad at my parents that I jumped off their bed and slammed the door and then ran into my room and slammed the door. I stayed in my room for about ten minutes. I was so mad I cried. Five minutes passed and I finally stopped crying. My mom came in my room and she tried to cheer my up by telling silly jokes. I tried not to laugh but I couldn’t help myself. Mom left and I stayed in bed to watch tv for a bit. Then I took my small cap gun out and pushed the trigger and shot my parents’ door. One part of the cap gun moved. It made a noise. But it wasn’t a loud noise because it didn’t have ammo in it.
Well, I guess I didn’t win this battle. I still want to be on the football team but they still won’t let me. But they will let me be on the flag football team. I’ve been practicing for a long time.
First I couldn’t even catch five feet and couldn’t even throw a spiral. Now I can catch while running and throw spirals just as well as my Dad. I just can’t throw as far as him. I’ve practiced and gotten a lot better. It just shows you that practice makes perfect.
A am not allowed on the tackle team but at least it’s close.
Dante

Try thinking of your notebook as a best friend.

Is there something you’ve been thinking about lately, something deep in your heart, the kind of thing you might tell a best friend?

Write about it.

You don’t have to share this with anyone else unless you want to.

QUESTIONS
1) Why is this topic important to you?
2) How did it make you feel to write about it?
3) Did you put those feelings in your writing?
4) How do you think you could write more entries about it?