Draw, Label ,Caption, Expand - Four simple, structured steps to help our reluctant writers

1. Draw first.  Label/Caption second. Sentences third. Paragraphs fourth. Work fast. It’s not an art project.

2. Make sure the caption captures the scene. Work hard to make these few words convey the most important information to your readers.

• Good. I’m throwing the Frisbee with my dog.
• Better. As I turn to the throw the Frisbee, a huge gust of wind blows up.
• Best. No matter how windy it is, my dog still loves catching the Frisbee. But as I turn to throw it, a huge gust blows up that almost knocks me over, and I think for a minute that it might carry him away when he jumps in the air.

3. Turn labels into sentences. Any word or phrase can become a sentence.

• Birds. The birds can hardly fly because the wind is so strong.
• Wind. A huge gust almost knocks me over.
• Trees. They’re flopping all over the place.
• Dog. His tail is wagging and he’s full of energy.
4. Have a reluctant writer work with a buddy to turn their sentences into paragraphs by adding new thoughts and ideas.
 
No matter how windy it is, my dog still loves catching the Frisbee. But as I turn to throw it, a huge gust blows up that almost knocks me over, and I think for a minute that it might carry him away when he jumps in the air. His tail is wagging and he’s full of energy. But I’m looking at the trees in the distance. They’re flopping all over the place. The birds can hardly fly. Even with all the energy in the world, I don’t think my little dog has much of a chance.