6 Concepts for Educating Writing Now With Nancy McCabe

On this episode of The ten Minute Trainer Podcast, award-winning creator and writing professor Nancy McCabe shares six timeless, inventive concepts to assist your college students rediscover the enjoyment of writing. She explains how free writing, sensory exploration, and a few easy writing actions can awaken pupil creativity. I additionally love how she celebrates that imperfection could be the very best factor to occur to writing within the age of AI as you educate writing!

This podcast is sponsored by Speakable.

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I needed to tug collectively her six factors as they have been so nice, however it’s price a pay attention simply because she talks about widespread errors and what she has discovered.

1. Begin with Free Writing to Construct Fluency

Nancy begins each class, no matter age group, with free writing. This follow encourages college students to write down constantly for a set time — with out worrying about grammar or correctness. It unlocks creativity and helps them “assume on paper.”

“It doesn’t matter what age I’m educating, I often begin with free writing… seeing what comes out.”

Academics can use 10-minute writing periods to construct stamina and cut back perfectionism in college students who concern the clean web page.

2. Use Turning Factors and Sensory Particulars to Generate Concepts

Nancy usually asks college students to listing turning factors of their lives — these pivotal moments that modified them — after which discover them by way of sensory writing. Specializing in sights, sounds, smells, and emotions brings writing to life.

Strive giving college students an inventory immediate like:

• Ten moments that formed who you might be right now
• Ten locations that remind you of somebody necessary

Then, have them decide one and write about it utilizing wealthy element.

3. Join Studying and Writing by way of Imitation

Nancy recommends a robust however usually neglected approach: imitative writing. College students select a favourite story or poem and rewrite it by swapping in their very own nouns, verbs, and particulars. Noun for noun. Verb for verb.

This train helps college students internalize construction and rhythm, deepening their understanding of what makes sturdy writing work.

4. Take Writing Exterior the Classroom

Writing discipline journeys can rework your classroom’s power. I share how visiting a cemetery impressed her, and Nancy shares her personal cemetery story. She had her college students to write down about life, reminiscence, and that means — every in fully alternative ways.

Even a brief stroll throughout campus or across the neighborhood can encourage highly effective writing.

“Simply going to completely different locations and excited about the completely different approaches you can take to writing about that may be actually nice.”

5. Have a good time Flaws and Embrace Imperfection

In a world crammed with AI-generated textual content and polished prose, Nancy says we must always have fun flaws as proof of genuine voice. Imperfection exhibits course of, humanity, and originality.

She reminds us that trying to be “writing completely on the primary attempt shuts down creativity.” The most effective writing grows from detours, errors, and messy drafts.

6. Writing Is Pondering

Nancy closes with a reminder each trainer ought to keep in mind: writing shouldn’t be the product of considering — it is considering.

Encourage college students to write down to find, not simply to show what they already know.

“We don’t need them to assume earlier than they write. We wish them to assume as they write.”

Key Takeaway

Good writing educating isn’t about getting it good — it’s about serving to college students benefit from the technique of discovery. Whether or not by way of free writing, discipline journeys, or celebrating errors, these concepts remind us that writing is as human as considering itself.

About Nancy McCabe – Bio As Submitted

Nancy McCabe is the creator of 9 books, most not too long ago the center grade novel Fires Burning Underground (Fitzroy/Regal Home 2025), the comedian novel The Pamela Papers: A Principally E-pistolary Story of Tutorial Pandemic Pandemonium (Outpost 19, 2024), the ya novel Vaulting by way of Time (CamCat 2023), and the memoir Can This Marriage Be Saved? (Missouri 2020).

Her work has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Assessment, Prairie Schooner, Gulf Coast, Salon, and Newsweek, acquired a Pushcart, and been included ten instances on notable lists of annual Finest American anthologies. She directs the inventive {and professional} writing program on the College of Pittsburgh at Bradford and teaches within the low-residency graduate program in writing at Spalding College.

Weblog: https://www.nancymccabe.web

Fb: https://www.fb.com/nancy.mccabe.92/

Disclosure of Materials Connection: This can be a “sponsored podcast episode.” The corporate who sponsored it compensated me by way of money fee, present, or one thing else of worth to incorporate a reference to their product. Regardless, I solely suggest services or products I imagine shall be good for my readers and are from firms I can suggest. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Commerce Fee’s 16 CFR, Half 255: “Guides Regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Promoting.”