Posts Tagged ‘writing’
Writing advice from a toddler that authors should heed carefully
When my daughter was three years old, still unable to read, she taught me three invaluable lessons about the craft of writing. Specifically, she offered three specific pieces of criticism made an impression on me as an author and remain with me today. 1. Don’t overwrite. More importantly, don’t refuse editing. After watching some of…
Read MoreStop it, teachers: 3 things educators must stop doing now.
As a teacher, I admire the hell out of my colleagues. I’ve been teaching for almost two decades, and the vast majority of educators with whom I’ve worked during that time are outstanding professionals who care deeply about their students. This does not mean that all teachers and school administrators are perfect, and sometimes they…
Read MoreI was bullied by a bunch of middle-aged pencil pushers. And it hurt.
About eight years ago, I was in search of a writer’s group. I had just sold my first novel and was hoping to find some colleagues of sorts to meet with and share my struggles and seek solutions. I was new to the writing business and had many questions. Also, writing can be a lonely…
Read MoreThe very best way to earn a dollar
I have a friend who is a successful attorney. He earns an excellent living. By all standards, he is doing very well for himself and his family. He is also a screenwriter. He has yet to sell a screenplay, but he has an agent, a manager, and a successful writing partner. He has been paid to…
Read MoreResolution update: March 2015
Each month I post the progress of my New Year’s resolutions here as a means of holding myself accountable. The following are the results through the month of February. PERSONAL HEALTH 1. Don’t die. Didn’t even come close to dying. 2. Lose 20 pounds. I remain just one pound down. At this pace, I will…
Read MoreTeachers of writing at any level: Read this immediately. Nothing is more important.
The 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Patrick Modiano, who had this to say about the writing process during his acceptance speech: Writing is a strange and solitary activity. It is a little like driving a car at night, in winter, on ice, with zero visibility. You have no choice, you cannot go…
Read MoreA student wrote something that made me cry while reading it aloud. And thanks to the rules of my “Make your teacher cry” contest, my tears were caught on video.
For the past five years, I have offered a challenge to my fifth grade students: Write something that makes me cry. The contest was born from Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog, a book I once read to my students but no longer do because I always get weepy at the end. There is nothing wrong…
Read MoreThe prize for my latest writing contest is the threat of tears and possible humiliation. No wonder my students are writing up a storm.
It’s that time of year again when I encourage my students to make me cry. Parents and teachers often ask me about how my students so consistently fall in love with writing. The answer to this question could probably fill a book, but here is one tiny example: Each week I sponsor one or more…
Read MoreStoryteller Interruptus
I don’t have an office. I have a sad, little room attached to the side of the house with ancient windows and no heat that would require a hat and mittens in order to spend any time in. So when I am working at home, I do the majority of my writing at the dining…
Read MoreI have 15 jobs. So you probably require my services in one way or another.
As the New Year approaches and the endless possibilities of the coming year loom on the horizon, I always like to take a moment and reset my current occupational status, in the event that you or someone you know will require my services in 2015. While occupations like teacher and writer seem like fairly obvious…
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