I Have Trouble With What to Write

I had this conversation about poetry with a student:

Student: I have trouble with what to write.
Me: Really?
Student: Yeah, I don't know what to say.
Me: You like sports a lot, right?
Student: Yeah
Me: How many sports poems have you been working on?
Student: Two
Me: So you have twelve drafts and only two are about sports?
Student: Yeah
Me: But you really like sports?
Student: Yeah, a lot.
Me: Then why don't you write poems about sports?
Student: I don't know.
Me: If that's what you are interested in, that's what you should write about. You know, write about what interests you. Write about what you know.
Student: Oh, OK.

Reading Workshop students, if you are struggling with what to write, maybe you need to give the topic a break and write about something that you find interesting.


Poem written by Shel Silverstein. Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/331296116310627083/