CREATIVE CONCEPTS FOR WRITING

Photos and Keywords Can Stimulate Your Students' Imaginations

     When you and your students create keywords related to photographs, the possibilities for writing interesting poetry and/or prose are greatly enhanced.

     For example, if you show the photo of an arrow painted on a macadam surface  to students at almost any level and ask them to cite words that come to mind, they are sure to respond eagerly.  Here are just a few keywords related to the photo shown above : (a) forward, (b) direction, (c) traffic (d) pointing, (e) street, (f) flat, (g) angular, (h), arrow,  (i), sign, (j), smudged), (k) road.

     Using the keywords they've cited, most students should be able to develop interesting written works. But for those who need even more prompting, a possible opening line is sure to work, as in "When Cody saw the sign in his headlights, he knew..." or "Because Angelica wasn't sure what direction to take..."

     As always, you are free to download this photo for use in your classroom. And if it succeeds in helping you or your students write a poem, I would love to hear from you. Please read the preceding entry in this blog for information on how to submit poetry for REFLECTIONS, an anthology to be published by Prufrock Press.

PRUFROCK PRESS AND WRITE WHAT YOU SEE 

      Published by Cottonwood Press in 2009, Write What You See: 99 Photos To Inspire Writing by Hank Kellner is now marketed by Prufrock Press. Please visit http://www.prufrock.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1641 now to order this fine book. This thought-provoking collection contains photographs and a wide variety of inventive writing prompts to motivate students.

     Written by a veteran of the Korean War and retired educator who has served as an English Department supervisor and adjunct associate professor of English at the community college level, Write What you See includes a CD-Rom and a special section telling how teachers nationwide use photos to inspire writing. 118 pages, 8 1/2 X 11, Softbound, ISBN 978-1-877673-83-2, Grades 7-12, $24.95

Copyright © Hank Kellner, 2011