Writers' Workshop with Colin Bergel

First Colin Bergel explained the writing process he went through to write his book Mail by the Pail 

Jessa reads her storybook.

The students wrote their own endings to the story. Some read their ending to the whole group. Last of all Colin read his ending the the short story.

Mr. Bergel worked with the children.

He read a short story that had written. He didn't give away his ending. The students identified the characters, problems & events. Together they brainstormed different endings.

Writer’s Workshop
Anna

Writer’s Workshop was awesome! It was taught by Colin Bergel, the author of Mail by the Pail. He taught us how to be better writers and to think of what’s going to happen next in the story.

The first thing they did when we got there was they put us into groups of three or four. The other people in my group were Katie and Angela. When we got in our groups we read the stories we had written. My book was an Oregon Trail Journal that I wrote in school.

Then after we were done reading our books he read us half of one of his stories. After he read it he gave us some paper and we got to write an ending to the story. After we had all finished we got to read them to the whole class if we wanted too. Since I was too shy to read my own I read Angela’s and she read mine.

Mr. Bergel also told us about the process of getting the book published. He said he sent it to his editor and he got it back with red pen marks all over it. After he typed a new copy with all of the suggestions in it he sent it back to the editor again. This time it came back without so many changes on it. He kept doing this again and again until it was perfect. Then he sent it to the publisher’s. He got it sent back a couple of times but he finally got it published.

I think that’s a good lesson not to give up. I learned a lot from Writer’s Workshop and I wish I could go again.

Writers Workshop
By Nick P.

Last week Angela Anna and I got to go to this Writers Workshop thing and had a lot of fun! There were a lot of people, and each one had very good stories. Even though I didn’t here them all I just sort of suppose. Colin Bergal was there and he showed us how he made a book called Mail by the Pail. It took him about five years to write it.

After that we got to write an ending to a story he wrote. Mine was pretty funny and I was the first to read mine!! Other people had very good stories. Dylan (this guy sitting next to me) had a very good story. About a bear that was going to eat two little boys. Well anyway it was really neat!

Mitchel shows his book cover

Jessa and Chance participated by reading their favorite story ending.

 

 

 

 

Emily B. and Madalyn read the ending to their story.

The Writers' Workshop
By Emily B. Grade 1

I read in a group of four. After we were finished reading we went into a room with three tables and many chairs. I think my group liked my book.

Mitchel and Ashley shared their story ending.

The girls put their heads together to hear Anna read her Oregon Trail Journal. !

Authors' Workshop
by Angela

At the writer's workshop Mr. Bergal talked to us about making a book and how hard it is to get one published. First he showed us his first draft and what happened after he sent it in to the publishing company. The first time when he sent it in he didn't even get one page right there was red and blue marks all over the page. Then he showed us after he made all the corrections that the publishing company wanted him to make and he sent it in he still had a whole bunch of marks all over the page! He didn't even get a page right! After sending it in about ten times he finally got it right so now he had to send in pictures and the company kept fixing the pictures and adding all new designs on the pictures. Finally the company published the book and he sold about 40,000 copies of the books.

Next Mr. Bergal wrote half of a story and everyone there got a copy and we all brained stormed ideas of how to finish the story.

Authors' Workshop
March 19, 2002

Colin Bergel also presented at Onekama School in 2001

Jessa, Emily, and Madalyn worked on the ending to Mr. Bergel's story.

Mitchel, along with his mom, and Ashley, wrote their story ending.

Katlyn shares her "Bare Book" story.

Nicholas is hard at work in his group.

Ashley is concentrating on finding just the right ending.

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