QuickWrites

Quickwriting

• Adaptable

• Research-based

Quick-writing can take many forms, but it generally refers to a span of 2-10 minute writing inspired by a prompt or a mentor text (Dunn, 2022). This low-stakes writing has great potential to decrease students' writing-reluctance (Dunn, 2022). Jenna Dunn's (2022) insightful Honors Project offers a wealth of information about the origins and potential of quick-writing. In it, she explains three models for quickwriting. See which one is most useful for your needs.

Elbow (1998) Model

• Freewriting as way to generate a more polished product (as cited in Dunn, 2022, p. 5)

  • Steps:

    • Freewrite to discover ideas

    • At the end, locate the "center of gravity"

      • The most important part of your writing.

    • Apply to a formal draft in-progress

Kittle and Graves (2005) model

• Quickwriting as a way to experiment and explore voice and style (as cited in Dunn, 2022, p. 5)

  • Steps:

    • Regular 10 minute prompt-based writing

    • At the end, look for a "heart-beat"

      • Similar to the center of gravity

    • Look for parts that sound most like you

Rief (2018)

• Quickwriting prompts based on mentor texts (as cited in Dunn, 2022, p. 5).

  • Steps:

    • Same as above, but with the use of mentor texts as prompts