The Writing Process

I photocopied the book of Ecclesiastes from the New International Version (NIV). I then cut out each verse (or portion of a verse) and taped it to a large piece of paper (14" x 18") in a column on the left hand side. With pen in hand I then muse, interact, create dialog of what certain students may think about what Mr. Q just said. Here are some photos of those large "first drafts."

I don't expect viewers to understand any of this. I add it simply to document how chaotic the first draft is. This is important to note because there's tremendous freedom in giving one's self permission to "do it wrong." I know this dialog is going to go through several refining processes so I'm not worried about perfection or getting it just right.

Also, I am disciplining myself to write student dialog without looking ahead. That is, I'm putting myself in the shoes (sandals? flip flops? fancy boots?) of the students as though hearing Mr. Q for the first time. This is difficult (since I've read Ecclesiastes for years) but I feel it's necessary to "discover" what Mr. Q is saying as he says it.