I'll Cut For That

When I was in high school, a friend of mine lived near an interesting neighborhood. One day, on the way to his house with some friends, we noticed a barbershop with a fascinating name: I'll Cut For That. That barbershop became something of a running joke with my friends as we would observe odd items out in the world and imagine the ensuing bartering. Old shoe? I'll cut for that. Discarded McDonald's bag? I'll cut for that.

Some students were unknowingly sitting in front of my best friend at a matinee of a local theater production this afternoon. My friend texted me at intermission wondering if I had suggested this production to my students; I had, and I am very pleased they were able to get tickets. I asked him to let me know if they were talking trash about me... They were, but not in the way you might think.

"Mr. Moore will totally count off for that."

That's what my friend overheard, and although much worse things have been said about me, this one hurt. When students say that teachers will "count off" for something, then they must be imagining we have some secret (or not-so-secret) checklist of components with assigned points that will magically add up to the perfection of a 100%. Do you know what I'll "count off" for? Inauthentic writing.

It is as if the writing assignment I have given is a recipe to be followed, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I hope you know, students, that you don't have a recipe. I have shown you a great cake. I let you taste it. You told me why it was a pretty good cake: it had just the right amount of cake-to-frosting ratio, it wasn't too dry, and it left you wanting another piece after you finished the slice.

Forget the recipe, and bake me some yummy cake.

I apologize to all bakers out there who know what an exact science baking is and would be horrified at the concept of attempting to bake a cake without a recipe. I can't and don't bake, so I am doing the best I can with this poor analogy.

Authentic, purposeful writing? I'll cut for that.

Tell Your Story: Advice From Neil Gaiman

You might have heard of Neil Gaiman. Maybe you saw Coraline. Maybe you read The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Maybe you're way into American Gods on Starz. Maybe you just have lots of friends who are fans that try to convince you to get on board but you resist. I fall into that last category. Sorry, I fell into that last category. I am on board now.


Neil Gaiman on Writing, from The Nerdist Podcast

I hope you watched/listened - for sure listen - because British accents are awesome. 

As we inch closer to a new school year, here are my takeaways from Mr. Gaiman regarding writing. Although his comments are geared more towards aspiring novelists, they apply to any writer...even student writers.

Nobody cares about your first draft.
This is SO TRUE. Just get it out there and fix it later! Don't be OCD and self-censoring or spell check every two seconds or agonize over whether or not the teacher will like it. Just write it! Of course, this does imply that your first draft will not also be your last draft...

You have to write when you're not inspired.
One of the tried-and-true statements of a first class Procrastinator. You're a writer - whether you're a novelist or a freshman or sophomore English student. Don't wait for inspiration before you start or else you'll never finish a sentence. Neil says that you have to write the scenes that don't inspire you. I hope there will eventually be some that do, but you won't know that until you start writing.

It's a process of putting one word after another.
Writing is the only way to write and the only way to get better at writing. Will everything be golden? No. And guess what - it doesn't have to be.

Read outside your comfort zone.
Wonder why your teachers make you read Shakespeare and Dickens? Me, too. Just kidding. If everything you read in school was John Green or J.K. Rowling, how much would you stretch and grow? Remember - Tolkien didn't spend his life reading Tolkien-esque novels.

There'll always be better writers than you, but you're the only you.
Don't worry about how you match up. Don't read your friends' stuff and throw in the towel because you don't think you're as good. Don't let one grade dictate your worth. Have something to say and say it in an interesting way! Guess what - people will probably want to read it. And you'll have more fun writing it... Even if it is for school.

My Nix

I finished a book over the weekend titled The Nix by Nathan Hill. It gets its title from a Norweigan folk legend, and the gist is that whatever you love the most...will hurt you the most. Yikes!

The novel, which is one of the absolute best I have read in a very long time and will suggest to people who ask me for grown-up-type novel suggestions not in any way associated with required or non-required reading for school-type situations, made me think. A lot. And I have come to the conclusion that I do not have a Nix. Lucky me! Just kidding. I have lots of Nixes. Please do not say Nix's, because then I will have to harbor ill will towards you for making a noun plural by using an apostrophe.

Did I mention Meryl Streep is attached to the rights and that this book is about to blow up huge?

In this post, which is almost TWO YEARS since my last, I will attempt to encounter my Nix. In the novel, the person introducing the tale of the Nix says that in order to defeat it, you must bring it home. This is what this post will attempt to do.

I love creating. I love learning. I love instilling the love of learning and creating in others. And as I get caught up in the craziness of life, I have realized that too much of anything can be overwhelming. I recommit. I recommit to this: this senseless, senseful (not a word), sentient piece of writing.

Once a week. Like it or not, tens of readers, that is my goal. It's in my bullet journal and everything. Have you started a bullet journal? Maybe you should. I have a Google Calendar and Google Keep and all, but the bullet journal is cool - mine probably isn't as pretty as some people I know, but the effort is there. Here's the article that made me think it could work for me.

Okay, here's the point (although you maybe wondered if there even was one). Things in this crazy world make me think. They take me on tangents. They likely involve some self-deprecating stories and/or pop culture references. These posts will be more of the same, and they will likely involve me, my students (protected as they are because I am a rule-follower), and possibly (okay, probably), my cats.

Learning is important. Creating is important. This blog will exist as my attempt to bring the thing I love the most home in order to defeat my Norweigan folk ghost. Take that, Nix!