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Cover of The Year I Stopped Drawing

V SNIDER

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VerseGrades

The Year I Stopped Drawing

by Grant Snider

Pacing Material

Grant Snider captures the universal struggle of creative block and the importance of perseverance in the creative process. Through poignant verse and imagery, it validates the feelings of frustration and eventual joy found in artistic expression.

Big Idea

The journey of creativity is never a straight line, and returning to your passions is a victory in itself.

Discussion Questions

  1. 1.Why do you think the author stopped drawing?
  2. 2.How does the author show that the creative 'spark' never really dies?
  3. 3.What are some things you do when you feel frustrated with a project?
  4. 4.How do the pictures in the book change how you read the text?
  5. 5.What does 'starting again' look like in your own life?

Classroom Activities

The Creative Comeback

Students create a visual and textual timeline of a time they felt stuck and how they moved past it.

The Creative Comeback

Students create a visual and textual timeline of a time they felt stuck and how they moved past it.

Lesson Plan

⏱ 60 minutes📦 Drawing paper, colored pencils, journals

Learning Goals

  • Examine the theme of perseverance
  • Integrate text and visual art
  • Express emotions through metaphor
  • Practice self-reflection

Activity Steps

  1. 1.Reflect on a time you gave up on a hobby.
  2. 2.Write a short poem about the frustration.
  3. 3.Add an illustration that represents the 'block'.
  4. 4.Write a new stanza about finding the spark again.
  5. 5.Peer share and discuss common barriers.

Standards Connections

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.6

Pace-Write-Read Study with Pace-Write It!

Grant Snider teaches students how to pace a narrative of frustration and resolution. By alternating between short, sharp lines and longer, flowing thoughts, the text mirrors the heartbeat of the creative process. Writing craft is highlighted here by the way Snider uses visual spacing to signal a 'reset' in his thinking. Students will learn that pacing can be used to show both stagnation and progress.

ElementHow to notice or teach it in the novel
PacingVary your line length to show feelings of being stuck versus moving forward.
PlotFocus on the internal change of perspective as a central plot point.
ProsodyUse repetition to emphasize the feeling of a recurring habit.
WordChoose verbs that describe action and movement.
Voice & WorldviewAdopt a vulnerable and honest voice regarding your personal challenges.

Pace-Write It!

Write five sentences about a problem you have, then rewrite them in verse, emphasizing the frustration through short, clipped lines.