After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision

by Barry Lane

Barry Lane's bestselling After THE END helped teachers see revision in a whole new light, and inspired a generation of students to not only embrace revision, but to realize that writing is revision. The long-awaited second edition keeps Barry's humorous and endearing tone and updates his ideas, lessons, and activities for teaching writing with heart, even in the Common Core era. New material in this edition includes:

How to teach argument and informational writing for authentic, powerful results

Integrating technology into literacy lessons for today's students, using tablets, smart phones and apps

Qr Code links to video clips that help teachers model Barry's ideas in the classroom

Interviews with professional writers and master teachers about their own writing and revising processes and best lessons

Nonfiction connections that help students learn to creatively revise any genre.

Updated appendices with professional resources and mentor texts

Rediscover why Barry Lane is a beloved and inspirational teacher, writer, and storyteller. And after the end, know that it's really only a great new beginning for your students and their writing.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Writing, Nonfiction, Academic

328 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly practical book that has tons of lessons on getting kids to revise and see revision as useful. The author has a great style and completely agrees with the Writing Workshop philosphy.

[Jessica McDermitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful; will be putting this right into my professional library!

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book for anyone who is teaching reading. Barry Lane walks you through some of the most important aspects of good writing like "Exploding the Moment", and gives you a number of ways of presenting the ideas to your students.

[Alicia Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Lane offers a wealth of ideas to use in the classroom. His strategies make the revision part of the writing process seem far less slippery to students. A must read for any teacher of writing.

[Lou Broughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've ever read on the teaching of writing!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having taught writing for several decades now, I found Lane addressed key topics in a broad, purpose driven way. The exercises and practices outlined in the book not only get to the heart of basic writing principles that can be taught through revision, but Lane also incorporates discussion of the biggest questions of all. Why are students writing? How does writing instruction become “thinking” instruction? Also, how did “writing process” transform from a new and radical way of viewing student writing into a mechanical process as dead and numbing as any of the “old” ways? Lots of great classroom practice ideas that are similar to things I try to do in my classrooms but Lane has developed a more coherent way of organizing them. Centered in the purpose of writing before the process. This is not entirely “after the end” revision as much of Lane’s approach encompasses intelligent pre writing. Good stuff.

[jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm supposed to already have this finished for my class, but I don't see myself coming back to anytime soon. The two thirds of it that I have done, I really liked. While I don't teach much creative writing, I still found these lessons amazing at breaking down creative writing into manageable pieces. It is a great book, its just that I don't teach creative writing much and there are other books I would rather be reading.

[Christine Engelbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distinguishes between revision and editing and addresses different ways to revise personal writing.
I especially like chapter five about "exploding the moment." I think this would be an excellent text for a creative writing class.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great tool in helping to get students to actually try to revise their writing. Great for any teacher.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It is practical and any teacher can use the ideas immediately.

[Pam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many good ideas on how to teach young writers to generate content/revise.

[Semi-Academic Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the flexibility and playfulness!

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prompts in the front half aren't particularly amazing; second half is better.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many wonderful ideas are packed into this book. Great for novice and veterans teachers.

[Emily Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

TONS of great ideas. Love this .

[Lindsey Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaching writing has always been my weak area in the classroom. Lane gives dozens of easy, no-prep or low-prep writing activities that will help students write descriptively, ask questions, and find their writing voices. I'm really excited to use some of these activities in my classroom when school starts back.

[Angela Harger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revision is one of those things you know students need to do, but are unsure of how to teach. This book offers practical, fun exercises to encourage students to revise and think about the value of revision at the same time.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving reading this book, what wonderful ideas Barry Lane has for teaching children writing.
Goes beyond the six traits...and beautifully.