Making a good story amazing
Revise our work doesn’t always feel fun. But even professional authors need to do it – editing is one of the most important steps to make a book SHINE. Find out how to edit your work, how to help your friends revise theirs, and learn all about the job of a professional book editor in this fascinating lesson!
Video Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Meet the creators
00:59 Drafting and redrafting to polish your work
03:18 Things to look out for when editing your story
05:44 Why you need a book editor? What do they do?
07:12 Final words of advice
08:00 Here's what we've learned
Learning Intentions
1. Learning about editing, and some of the things that we can consider when revising a text.
2. Examining published work and thinking about ways a writer may have polished and perfected their story.
3. Learning how to work with a partner, and how to offer and receive feedback.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
1. Used an editing checklist to find examples of successful story elements.
2. Worked with a partner to offer feedback on their work.
3. Received feedback and considered advice to improve my writing.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think your writing (especially your creative writing) needs to be ‘perfect’ the first time around?
- Why do you think redrafting your work is important?
- What sorts of things do you notice when you re-read your work after you have done a first draft?
- Davina talked about working with famous authors, and how almost everyone starts with 'work that isn’t great'. Were you surprised to hear that experienced writers can often write ‘not great’ work? Why might someone write a ‘not great’ first draft?
- Jane talks about experimenting with her stories, and how she has written up to fifty drafts of some of her picture books. Why might trying different things in a story be useful?
- Davina and Jane both talk about things they look for in their first drafts, and some of the common problems they find. Do you remember what some of those problems were?
- Davina talks about a ‘trick’ that she uses, where she does a draft looking at only one aspect or part of her story at a time. What were some of the things she focuses on? Why is it a useful way of looking at a story?
- Jane and Davina explain their work as book editors, and some of the things that the job involves.
- What is your understanding of what a book editor does?
- Why do you think writers need an editor?
Curriculum Links
ENGLISH Year 5-6
Language:
● Text structure and organisation: AC9E5LA03, AC9E6LA03
● Language for expressing and developing ideas: AC9E5LA08, AC9E5LA09,
AC9E6LA09,
Literature:
● Creating literature: AC9E5LE05, AC9E6LE05
Literacy:
● Analysing, interpreting and evaluating: AC9E5LY04, AC9E6Y04,
● Creating texts: AC9E5LY06, AC9E6LY06
GENERAL CAPABILITIES
LITERACY
Writing:
● Grammar: Level 6-7
● Punctuation: Level 6-7