Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

The first four weeks of school in our writing block are dedicated to launching our writers' workshop.  Many students have experienced the workshop model before, but some haven't.  For others, those summer months helped them forget what workshop was all about.

One of the main selling points of the writers' workshop is CHOICE.  Students choose what their writing topics will be.  For some, this is incredibly motivating.  Again for others, pure panic.

If you run a workshop model in your writing classroom, surely you have seen students who just sit there because they can't think of anything to write.  To help avoid this, there are some fun writing activities that you can do to get those writing motors running:

1.  Write from a memory:  I can remember the time my babysitter's pet duck, Grover, chased me around the yard, nipping at my heels.  My students thought this was a hilarious story {it is!} so I turned it into a journal entry.

2.  Write from a picture:  I like to collect funny pictures from magazines.  I glue them to construction paper, laminate them, and have instant writing inspiration!  Pictures that students bring in from home spark great writing as well.

3.  Write the stories from the places you love:  Give students a blank piece of paper and have them draw a detailed map of somewhere they love -- their bedroom, backyard, neighborhood, favorite park, etc.  As they are drawing, the stories will surface.

After we have spent several days practicing different ways to gather writing ideas, we created this anchor chart to hang in our room.

What other ways do you help your students generated ideas for writing?  Please share!