I love Patti Digh. A couple of years ago, I read Life is a Verb, and I’ve been following her ever since. This post is one of my favs–Toast Rules.

The best line: “Well,” I said sweetly, “I just never knew you could actually go past toast time. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that if you have bread and a toaster, it’s pretty much always toast time.”

She’s referencing a restaurant that has rules about when to serve toast. As I read it again, I was reminded of the course I am taking at P2PU, Writing and the Common Core, led by Bud Hunt. We are reading and commenting on the Common Core standards for writing, and writing together as we think about what this means to us as teachers.

It’s great fun, both being in community and sharing ideas about writing.
When I happened upon Patti’s essay again today, I was reminded about writing rules and how they limit us.
“Don’t start sentences with AND,” or “Never write a fragment.” Often, students become so hung up on following the rules (and making sure they have the five-paragraph essay down pat) that their writing is boring, gutless, and drab. I say, listen to Patti.

It’s always writing time, served up with voice and style.