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Writing Tips & Lessons

I'm constantly developing new lessons for my College Writing and/or my Creative Writing classes. I'll post and explain some of my favorite writing tips and lessons here.

How to Teach Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale: Summary & Study Questions

Laurel Osterkamp · April 11, 2022

Why study The Winter’s Tale? This play offers a lot for discussion. I wouldn’t read the entire play with your students, but rather, discuss the story, the themes, and certain notable lines instead.  Plot summary: Leontes, king of Sicilia, wants his childhood buddy, Polixenes, to stick around for a while, rather than return to New Bohemia, where he is king. But Polixenes has been away for nine months, so he says that he needs to get back to his kingdom. Leontes asks …

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Storytelling and Poetic Devices in Taylor Swift’s “Betty”

Laurel Osterkamp · March 30, 2022

Yesterday's post was about storytelling and poetic devices in Taylor Swift's "Ronan." Last night I showed it to Pauline, my eleven-year-old daughter, thinking I could use the lesson for my middle school students and the enrichment class I'm currently teaching.  Pauline liked the lesson, but she remarked that other Swift songs told more complete stories. She was thinking of "All Too Well," but there's no way I'm subjecting twelve-year-olds to a ten-minute song, not with their attention spans. …

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Storytelling Through Poetry and Song (Taylor Swift’s Ronan)

Laurel Osterkamp · March 29, 2022

Perhaps Taylor Swift isn't for everyone, but personally, I am in awe of her poetic ability to write song lyrics that also tell a story. The details she uses are so vivid and specific. I don't write a lot of poetry, but I have been writing flash fiction recently, and many of her songs are like flash pieces. She centers on a moment or two, and conveys an emotional narrative by doing so. How does she do it? A lot of it is skill, talent, and creativity, but there are also some tools she uses, …

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Writing Prompt Video: Paradox

Laurel Osterkamp · February 22, 2022

Use this video that explains paradox, gives examples, and provides a writing prompt as a warmup activity for your students, or to spur your own creativity. Enjoy! …

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“Brownies” by ZZ Packer & a Writing Prompt

Laurel Osterkamp · February 8, 2022

In “Brownies,” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, ZZ Packer relays a tale that is based on either a lie or a misconception, depending upon how you want to look at it. The members of an all Black Brownie troop insist they heard a member from an all White Brownie troop use the “N” word. The story is told through first person POV, by a girl nicknamed Snot. She barely speaks, but she focuses quite a bit on how other people sound. In the beginning, Snot is not so relevant as a character. She …

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