Three things I Learned Teaching an After School Writing Club

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Every spring, I teach a four week after school writing club at a local elementary school. We read picture books and discuss what makes each book special. Maybe it’s a funny character, a unique setting, interesting vocabulary, or a seriously surprising ending.

Then, the kids write and illustrate their own books.

I’m there to teach the kids about writing. But every week, and every spring, I learn something from these kids.

  1. Jump in. Our after school class is only 1 hour long, so we don’t have time to wait for inspiration to strike. These kids just jump in and start working on an idea right away. They don’t second guess themselves, they just get started.
  2. Go wild. You know that inner voice we have that makes us stop and say ‘that’s a dumb idea?’ These kids don’t listen to that voice. They give themselves the freedom to write anything they want, no matter what the other kids at the table might think.
  3. Dream big. These kids don’t set small goals. Most of them are working on stories at home in addition to what we create in class. And some of these kids are working on stories that are hundreds of chapters long. I’m not exaggerating. I’ve seen the handwritten manuscripts!

If you want to write, and especially if you want to write for kids, give yourself the chance to write like a kid. Write that idea, no matter how random. Let yourself write with abandon. Be free to follow the plot down a strange, unsettling path. And don’t put limits on yourself. You are strong and capable and creative. You can write that book!

And you can read more about my after school clubs here! 

Maybe You Can

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We’ve all had those days…weeks…where it seems like nothing is going right. You’re not just pushing a boulder, you’re pushing it uphill in an ice storm. You think maybe you can’t. It’s OK if it feels hard. It’s OK to take breaks. But if it’s something you care about, you have to adjust your grip and keep going. Because maybe you can.

Savoring Every Page

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I read around 200 books a year. I read for research, especially if I’m working on a project for a client. I read many books for pleasure, and many books to learn what’s working the market this year. Most of the time, those categories overlap. I read each book thoroughly, but quickly. I need to access lots of books quickly, so I don’t dilly dally. I’m a naturally fast reader, and I am fine with reading hard copies and e-copies. I’m usually reading several books at a time.

For Christmas, my oldest son gave me a book that I’m reading in a completely new way from my usual process. For this book, I have allowed myself to slow down and savored each and every page. There are so many things for me to ponder and discover, I am encouraging myself to only read a few pages each day so I can really prolong my enjoyment of this beautiful work of art.

If you haven’t read nonfiction in awhile, give yourself the gift of reading Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains, An Artisit’s Journey, by Rosalie Haizlett. Take your time on every page and fall in love with this beautiful and unique ecosystem.

book cover Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains

New story in Highlights for Children!

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I was so pleased to see my new story in the January 2025 issue of Highlights for Children. I was also really excited to discover I can download copies of Highlights on the Libby app and read them at home! I read this magazine over and over as a kid. I love that I can keep up that wonderful habit as an adult.

This particular story has some autobiographical elements, but really it’s about how so many people help me write stories and books. I’m forever grateful to my critique partners and supporters.

Things I Learned from Running that Help Me as a Writer

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a woman running giving a kid a high five

Running, Writing, Parenting

I’ve been a writer for a long time. I have bags of old journals and bins of old stories. I’ve also been a runner for a long time. I’ve learned a lot from both that help me with both passions. Here are some things I’ve learned.

There’s always someone faster.  This is true about running, writing, parenting. There’s really no use in comparing yourself, or your family, or your home, or your story, or your race, to anyone else. There will always be someone who seems ahead or behind, smarter or funnier, cleaner or fancier, whatever. So work on being the version of you that you love best.

Progress isn’t a straight line. Have you ever run in a really crowded race? Sometimes to get anywhere forward you need to go sideways and zig zag through a lot of people or around obstacles. Sometimes your training schedule gets interrupted by injuries so you have to take up cross training to get back out on the track. Sometimes you have to unlearn what you thought you knew about being a parent in order to get through a tough time. And often, you have to stop writing one kind of project and go back to the beginning of a different project in order to reach your goal. We often learn the most from the things we do wrong, so don’t get too down about making a wrong turn.

Injuries mean you need to rest. Even writers get injuries, both physical and mental. Do not skip those rest days. They are essential to operating at your best. And yes, ice packs work on both writing and running pains. So does chocolate.

Gear: Is it really necessary? Not always. You don’t necessarily need the top of the line computer or fanciest pen to write the best story of your life. And you don’t need every fancy running accessory out there. But if it helps motivate you, maybe that new ear warmer or notebook isn’t such a bad idea.

Sleep: Is it really necessary? Yes.

Drills and Muscle Memory are Important. Habits work. Stick to the routine that works for you. Ditch the parts that don’t.

Workout Partners Work. We all need friends but it can be hard not to compete and compare. Try to focus on the support and accountability parts of your critique partners and running partners. Remember, winning doesn’t mean beating them. Winning is about doing your best.

Sometimes There Are No Medals. “Good’ is so subjective. So personal. I might finish first in my age group in a small neighborhood race but have a terrible time. I might run a the race of my life and finish in the bottom half, maybe even bottom third of my age group and not a single person even notices my moment of glory. Parenting is the same way. So many times my best moments go unnoticed by anyone. Those times when I crack a joke with my oldest son, or help my middle son master a new skill, or join my youngest in a fantastic art project are private moments that no one cares about but me and my kids. That’s life as a running parent. And life as a writing parent can be the same. Your best story doesn’t always get published. You might not win that poetry contest. There are no medals for our best moments. So don’t worry about the medals!!!! Remember the moments that matter.

Gifts for Writers

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It’s the time of year for gift giving. And it’s not always easy to find great gifts for writers. How do you wrap up a publishing contract? So I’ve gathered up twelve wonderful pieces of writing advice that I’ve gathered in notebooks over the years.  Hopefully these carry you through the next year of writing.

 

  1. “When you’re writing, think about how word choice can show readers your unique voice, your signature perspective, and your personal style. Then embrace your imperfections in order to activate your unique voice. ” –Lesa Cline-Ransome
  2. “If you know someone better equipped to tell the story, hold the microphone for them.”
  3. “To really draw readers in, give your main character a relatable problem.” – Rachael Stein
  4. Edit for brevity.
  5. Know your audience. If you’re writing for kids, but you don’t spend any time with kids, it’s time to change that.
  6. There’s no such thing as too much research.
  7.  Ask yourself the questions a kid reader would ask.
  8. Spend as much time reading as you do writing.
  9. Protect your writing time.
  10. Don’t pitch agents in their DMs.
  11. You can write a book to explore what you are struggling to handle.
  12. Truth is not universal.

 

Milestones Matter

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The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That’s what I wanted for my writing career: a nice, straight short line from typing my opening lines to holding my published (and well-reviewed) book in my hands.

I should have known it wouldn’t happen like that. I already know that the most interesting stories involve plot twists, unexpected moments, and surprise reveals. And my career as a writer has had all of those and more.

Early on, when it felt like I was never going to find a home for my stories, I made a decision to celebrate every up and down along the way. Because I realized that if I only focused on the end, I would miss out on an incredible, unforgettable journey.
Your journey as a writer is going to be an interesting story. Don’t try to avoid it. Don’t wish it won’t happen. Embrace every milestone, especially the uncomfortable frustrating and sad ones.

Each one of these milestones means you are part of the creative community. But what milestones should you celebrate?
One of the best parts of this mindset is that there’s no rule book about which milestones you need to celebrate. You get to choose what matters.

I suggest you start simple. When you complete your first draft, kick up your feet and indulge in something sweet. I like a piece of dark chocolate with my coffee.

Then when you’ve completed revisions and revisions and more revisions, celebrate by going on a walk somewhere new, or calling a friend.

The first time someone at critique group suggests a change to something you love, celebrate by sending them a thank you.
And when you send off your first submission – but before you hear back – splurge a little! What makes you happy and carefree? What gives you a feeling of peace and calm? For me, it’s going birding…or getting ice cream.
When that first rejection comes along, treat yourself to something like a sour candy. It’s bitter, but also sweet. Getting a rejection means you submitted something and someone took the time to reply.

Don’t forget to celebrate the tenth, and the twentieth rejections, too. It all counts in the life of a writer.

I remember the first time a magazine accepted one of my submissions – we went out for the fancy pizza! And when a magazine rejected my story for the fifth time? We went out for the fancy breakfast. I made sure to include my kids in my milestone moments because they need to see how to handle the good and the bad.

What other milestones can you create to celebrate? Maybe the first time you invest in yourself and sign up for a writing class or the first time someone asks you for advice.

All of these milestones matter, even the ones you make up. They are indicators or signposts, that you are putting in the work. You are living the creative writing life.

There are always going to be bumps on the road. But instead of avoiding them, ride them up and down. Straight lines are overrated, anyway!!

Three Ways Reading Picture Books Helps Me Write Better Novels

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I love reading picture books. Yep, I’m turning 49 this year and I read almost 200 picture books every year!! I teach a graduate writing class about picture books and an after school club on writing picture books. But I also read them for pure enjoyment because I love picture books.

I write picture books, but I also write longer middle grade and young adult manuscripts. And reading (and writing) picture books help me write better novels.

There are three things I practice when I write a picture book, and getting good at writing these things make better books of any length. But the reason to practice these when writing picture books is because it’s arguably harder to write picture books. You have to refine and perfect all the story elements very quickly, because you should not write more than 500 words, ideally. And you need to leave room for illustrations. It’s not easy.

Here are the three elements:

  1. Voice – Creating a unique voice is key. Can you do it quickly in a picture book? Working on this, by choosing words or sentence syntax, will help you do it well in your novels when you’re juggling lots more character and dialogue.
  2. Plot – Does something happen in your story? If not, you don’t have a picture book OR a novel. So figure out the beginning, middle, climax, and resolution. Learning how to do this well in the tight page limit of the picture book is perfect practice for the longer story. Even better is working to add a B plot to your picture book. You can do it!
  3. Showing character change – Your character better change in any story you write, and in general, your character should change for the better. The character should have a happy resolution in a picture book. That’s essential for the main audience of this type of book. Older readers can deal with more complex character change, but there should always be an element of hope.

Work on these three elements in any story you write, no matter how many words. Strengthen these skills and you will write stories that readers love, and you will love the feeling of knowing you’ve written something great.