High school teacher C. Lynn Jacobs noted that the long-term English language learners in her class had improved in reading comprehension but still lacked writing skills. Inspired by a state humanities project, she worked with the students to publish a collection of stories and poems. Writing about their lives provided the motivation, and writing from models of published texts provided the necessary structure for students' success. She offers step-by-step suggestions for teachers interested in helping English language learners "write better, with more confidence."