A Walk Through the Writing Process: Scary Steps

by Chad D. Radune, Jackson Middle School, Jackson, Ohio

Ever since I went to a conference explaining the Ohio Graduation Test, I began designing writing units specifically for this test. I believe that my job as a seventh-grade teacher is to introduce my students to the types of writing that will be on this test. Therefore, as the year progresses, my students and I specifically concentrate on narrative, persuasive, and expository writing, the three types of writing on the OGT.

I always start with narrative writing because it is one of the easiest forms of writing to get students excited about―thus I get a high degree of participation. And in teaching narrative writing, I am sure that I teach the same writing process that most other teachers use when they have students do a particular writing assignment―prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, and publishing; this is nothing new. However, I have added my own twist to teaching narrative writing, integrating all the steps of this particular process into a theme-based unit. (I use a similar method for teaching expository writing and persuasive writing.)

Prewriting

For me, the best method of prewriting is reading. I start out at the beginning of October by having students read a variety of short stories, legends, personal narratives, and a play. All the works have a common theme: They deal with scary or weird phenomena. Students love this, plus it fits in with the season.

The reading materials that I use include stories from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Haunted Ohio, The Bell Witch of Tennessee (a play), Alice Flagg of the Hermitage, The Gray Man of Pawleys Island, and The Legend of Mothman. All these, with the exception of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, are based on true stories or have some type of historical significance.

There's nothing like an old, lonely-looking gravestone (Alice Flagg's) or a creepy statue (the Mothman) to spur the imagination of students, especially at Halloween time.

Also, as another prewriting exercise, I have students illustrate one of the legends. They get to choose their favorite, plus they can draw inspiration from my photographs of sites I visited―the grave of Alice Flagg at All Saints Cemetery in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and the statue of Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. I then display the students' pictures on my back wall.

For the final hook, I show students a movie based on a book by R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series. We usually watch The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, which, by the way, is rated G. If I haven't captured their interest at this point, I probably never will.

Now, I let students in on the secret. I tell them that they have been preparing for a writing assignment and they weren't even aware of it. I explain how prewriting doesn't have to be the act of writing something down; it can be gathering ideas, using imagination, drawing pictures, or even watching a movie.

Next, we take a few notes about narrative writing, we discuss a rubric for grading, and I give them this narrative writing prompt:

Write a short story or personal narrative of no less than five paragraphs (about a page) and no more than twelve paragraphs (about two-and-a-half pages) that tells about a scary situation or event. The story may be true or completely made up. Develop your story with details.

Then I have them do an actual written prewriting exercise. They have to come up with some specific literary elements to include in their short stories or personal narratives. As an example, they might jot down characters, settings, themes, conflicts, complications, climax, and point of view to be used. This is also a good time to review literary elements and have students apply them in a concrete situation.

Drafting

At this point they are ready for the drafting phase. I have students write a rough draft of their stories. I tell them not to worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, or neatness. The whole point of the rough draft, I explain, is for them to get their story onto paper. I tell them that we will clean things up when we get to the proofreading phase. I also mention to them that the key to good writing is rewriting.

Revising

For the revision process, I ask students to peer-edit. They trade stories with each other and make suggestions. I usually give them a specific checklist to use so that this step doesn't become a social event. Students often trade more than once. I also encourage students to take their drafts for revision to parents, other teachers, friends, and older brothers or sisters.

Editing/Proofreading and Word Processing/Publishing

Finally, I take students to the computer lab to type a final draft of their stories. They are allowed to change things as they type. They must proofread their stories before they are permitted to print, and they must use spell-check and grammar-check. Students save their stories to their school accounts and print out a final version. If I have timed things correctly, the students will share their stories with the class by reading them on October 31. We usually set the mood by turning out the lights and lighting candles (the candles are the votive type). One of these days I plan to have some of the stories printed in our local newspaper to make the publishing phase more tangible to them.

Although I may or may not get students published, I do have students keep their works in a writing folder. They use the contents of this folder every time they do a new writing assignment. I have them read their previous works in order to avoid making the same mistakes on the next assignment. Also, this folder begins to function as a portfolio; and at the end of the year, students take their folders with them. I encourage them to keep the folders and add writing assignments that they complete in the eighth grade. If they continue to do this, by the time they are in tenth grade, they should have mastered the writing for the OGT.

Well, there you have it, a walk through the writing process―the stuff that, for this unit, legends are made of. Please feel free to use and adapt these suggestions any way you wish.

Suggested Resources

"Annie," in Haunted Ohio IV by Chris Woodyard (Beavercreek, OH: Kestrel Publications, 1997).
I use this story because the house featured in it is located close to our school as well as to a popular pizza place, so most students have a good idea of where the house is and what it looks like.

The Bell Witch of Tennessee, a play by Lewis K. Parker, Read magazine, published by The Weekly Reader Company. Interestingly, there is a historical marker along a highway 30 miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee, that tells about the Bell Witch.

Ghost Legends: Alice Belin Flagg of the Hermitage and The Gray Man of Pawleys Island, http://www.compasscove.com/ghost_legends.cfm.

Goosebumps: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, available as a videocassette and as a DVD (Beverly Hills, CA: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1997).

The Legend of Mothman, www.qsl.net/w5www/mothman.html.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Collected from American Folklore by Alvin Schwartz (New York: HarperCollins, 1981).
I don't use any particular stories from this collection. They are all short enough that I pick and choose from year to year.

Chad D. Radune teaches seventh-grade English at Jackson Middle School, Jackson, Ohio.

Return to top