For several years, I've taught an after-school writing workshop at St.
Patrick School. The workshop is open to 2nd-8th grades and is always a lot
of fun. In this section, I'll be posting information, reading lists, and
writing activities.
Read 100 Books
It should be no surprise to hear that writers have to read first. This list
is a compilation of my all-time favorite books and authors, from picture
books to adult novels.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (always makes me cry!)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (4th grade and up)
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (compare to the musical WICKED)
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (4th grade and up)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (beginning of a great series)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (hysterical!)
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (beginning of a great dragon series)
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (5th and up )
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sciezka (so funny!)
Bunnicula by James Howe
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
The Stores Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
Contents Under Pressure by Lara Zeises (middle school and up)
Stuck In Neutral by Terry Trueman (middle school and up very disturbing)
David Vs. God by Mary Pearson (5th and up)
Stand Tall by Joan Bauer (middle school and up)
*All of these authors also have other great books!
All Time Favorite Series
The Black Stallion books by Walter Farley
The Black Cauldron (and rest of the Prydain series) by Lloyd Alexander
Animorphs by K. A. Applegate
Sammy Keyes mystery series by Wendelin VanDraanen
The Chet Gecko series by Bruce Hale
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (waaay girly and old fashioned)
Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis
The Mediator by Jenny Carroll/Meg Cabot (for teens)
My Teacher Is An Alien by Bruce Colville
Amber Brown by Paula Danzinger
Mallory series by Laurie Friedmans
Young Adult: My Favorite Authors for Teens
*some content may be inappropriate for preteens, choose books from this
section with care
Laurie Halse Anderson, Alex Flinn, Gaby Triana, Joyce Sweeney (my writing
teacher!), M.T. Anderson, Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen (my personal hero), Rob
Thomas, Mariah Fredericks, Nancy Werlin, Rachel Cohn (racy), Ellen
Wittlinger, Lara Zeises
Adult books I read before I was an adult and LOVED
- recommended for middle school and up
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (series Egypt, mummies,
ancient curses and love all set in the late 1800s what more could you
want?)
Tarzan of the Apes Edgar Rice Burroughs (series)
Edgar Allen Poe novels, poems, and short stories all creepy
Stephen King favorites are IT, TOMMYKNOCKERS, THE SHINING
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
For your parents:
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esme Roji Codell
- lists of great books to read, activities, and more
Books on Writing
A Teen's Guide to Getting Published: Publishing for Profit, Recognition And
Academic Success by Jessica Dunn and Danielle Dunn
A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer within You by Ralph Fletcher
How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You by Ralph Fletcher
Live Writing: Breathing Life into Your Words by Ralph Fletcher
Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher
The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published by Kathy Henderson
On Writing by Stephen King (for teens and up)
There are so many great books out there. This list is just a beginning.
Find books you love, read and reread them! Make your own top 100 list!
Writing In-Scene
There is a big difference between telling a story and telling about a story.
Read the following two examples and then ask yourself these questions:
Scene 1:
Carolyn and Joe are best friends. They do everything together. One day, a new boy came to their school. He was mean, but Joe thought he was cool. Joe wanted to be friends with the new boy, Derek, but Carolyn thought it was a bad idea.
Scene 2:
The cafeteria was its usual overly crowded, overly loud self which is why Carolyn wasn't sure she'd heard Joe correctly.
"That Derek?" she asked, pointing to the new boy in their class who was waiting in line at the salad bar. "You want to invite him to our sacred Saturday Scrabble-thon?"
Joe shrugged one shoulder. "We could do something else if he doesn't like Scrabble."
"We always play Scrabble," Carolyn said. She grabbed a fry off Joe's plate and popped it in her mouth. "You don't mess with tradition."
"He could be cool -" Joe was interrupted by a loud slam. Derek's tray was on the floor, lemonade pooled like blood at a crime scene around his hamburger. He took two deep breaths and then turned on the kid behind him, a fifth grader almost a half a foot taller than Derek.
Derek used both hands to flip the kid's tray, fries scattering everywhere, and then used the tray to whack the kid on the head.
Repeatedly.
The lunch monitor blew her whistle and the whole cafeteria got quiet. "Yeah, he looks like the Scrabble type," Carolyn whispered. Joe glared at her. "I'm asking him over. You don't have to come." "Fine," Carolyn said. "It's your funeral."
1. How are the two passages the same?
2. What is the difference between the two?
3. Which one is more compelling?
4. Why?
Writing in-scene, for me, is like watching a movie in my head and writing
down what happens. When something's not in-scene, it's hard to picture
what's going on and there's very little emotional connection.
There are two keys to writing in-scene: dialogue and movement. Your
characters have to talk and they have to move like real people. If you
reread the two examples, you'll see how dialogue and movement can bring a
scene alive.
Favorites:
Top ten movies:
Romancing the Stone
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Breakfast Club
The Matrix and Matrix Reloaded
Spirited Away
Next Stop Wonderland
Mad Love
Lord of the Rings
Princess Bride
Enchanted
Favorite Authors:
Elizabeth Peters
Laurell K. Hamilton
Alex Flinn
Joyce Sweeney
Meg Cabot
Madeleine L'Engle
Robin McKinley
Sarah Dessen
Gaby Triana
Nico Medina
Nancy Werlin
Dorian Cirrone
Sherri Winston
Debbie Reed Fischer
Laurie Calkhoven
Lara Zeises
Mary Pearson
Laurie Halse Anderson
Rob Thomas
Rachel Cohn
Ellen Wittlinger
Mariah Fredericks
Spying and Eavesdropping: An Important Writer's Tool!
Listening and observing are two of the most important tools you can have as
a writer. The more you know about the world and people around you, the more
real the worlds and people you create will seem.
Spying Tips:
1. Always have a small notebook with you. You never know when you'll see
or overhear something great!
2. Only spy in places where people have no expectation of privacy. It's
rude, and possibly illegal, to spy in areas of privacy.
3. Don't put yourself into the situation you're observing. Stay back and
watch. People can be really fascinating.
4. Write down direct quotes. Although you may never use them, they help
tune your ear to dialogue.
5. Don't use video, pictures, or audio recordings. It's important to
translate your observations into writing.
6. Keep your notebooks. You never know when you'll use what you've
written. There can be long delays between information collection and use in
a story.
Ten Great Places to Spy and "Accidentally" Overhear Conversations:
1. Food Court at the Mall
2. Restaurants
3. Sports Events
4. Starbucks
5. In line (post office, grocery store, school cafeteria)
6. Waiting for the movie to start
7. Beach
8. Amusement Parks (makes standing in line more fun!)
9. Waiting rooms
10. School hallways
Ten Places You Should Never Spy or ³Accidentally ³ Overhear Conversations:
1. Bathrooms!
2. Changing rooms
3. When people are on the phone in a private home
4. Parents'/brother's/sister's bedrooms
5. If the door is closed and you're on the other side
6. When people look upset or are crying
7. You get a bad 'vibe' from someone
8. Doctor's offices
9. Lawyer's offices
10. Anywhere people are not out in the open -- if they expect privacy, you
should respect that boundary
This is an outline from a four-day workshop for students who are thinking of pursuing a career in writing:
So, You Want To Be A Writer?
Careers In Writing
Fiction
novels, short stories, poetry, picture books,
screenplays (movie and TV)
Non-Fiction
Journalism
print, internet, newspaper, magazine
Non-Fiction books, technical writing
Teaching Writing
Elementary, high school, college, adult ed
Author Appearances
TV, radio, guest speaking, school visits, book signings
Writing Habits
Why diaries aren't just for girls.
Journaling
Dream Journals
Reading
Watching tv/movies
How bad tv can help you
Analyzing a show
Spying and Easvesdropping
Critiques and Critique Groups
Writing Tool Box
Why spelling matters
Grammar rules
Writing activities
The Magic Three: Character, Plot, Setting
Spelling and Grammar: Your New Best Friends
Yes, spelling and grammar matter when you're a writer! As important as
imagination and good storytelling skills are, spelling and grammar are the
tools that make it all happen. Using Standard English (as opposed to
idiomatic or regional English) is what makes your writing sound
professional.
Now, there are lots of times to break the rules of English. For examples, I
often use sentence fragments in dialogue. However, first you have to know
the rule before you can break it!
For starters, you should read Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance
Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
It is a very funny guide to correct punctuation, complete with
history of why things are the way they are.
Next, learn to use spell check and grammar check. Here are some things to
help you get started:
Spell check: If something is underlined in red, you've made a spelling
error. If it's underlined in green, there's a spacing error. Unusually
spelled names will often show up as red. You can tell spell check to ignore
them, if you're sure you're spelling it right. If it's a name you use a lot
(like your own), you can tell spell check to add it to the dictionary.
Grammar Check: Common Messages
Sentence Fragment. Consider revising. This message means you've typed in
a sentence that is not really a sentence. Like this. Grammar check wants
every sentence to have a subject and predicate (noun and verb).
Passive voice. Consider revising. This message means your sentence might
be backwards. For example:
The ball was thrown by Eric.
Who threw the ball? Eric should be the subject. The subject acts on the
direct object. To revise for active voice, rewrite the sentence like this:
Eric threw the ball.
This is better for several reasons. Fewer words make the sentence clearer.
The subject is doing the action, which creates a clearer picture in the mind
of the reader.
When is it time to start a new paragraph?
Start a new paragraph when:
1. The time changes.
2. The setting changes.
3. Dialogue begins.
4. The speaker changes.
5. The subject changes.
6. To show a shift in mood, action, or awareness.
7. To highlight an important moment or thought.
Other Writing Standards
In addition to spelling and grammar, writers also use standards in format.
Most writers and publishers use Microsoft Word. When writing a fiction or
non-fiction piece, here are the rules:
1. Name, date, address, phone number and email are single-spaced in the left
hand corner.
2. Use Times New Roman, 12 pt. font.
3. Word count is in the upper right corner.
4. About half way down the page, center align and type in all capital
letters the title. Underneath, single-space and type: by your name.
5. Double-space the rest of the manuscript.
6. If you get to a second page, create a header. In the header on the left
is your name/TITLE. In the header on the right is the page number.
Signs of an Amateur
* Submitting work with wacky fonts or fonts bigger or smaller than 12 point.
* Making elaborate cover pages.
* Single-spacing, spelling errors, grammar mistakes, incorrect punctuation.
Setting:
Setting has a lot of jobs to do. It's not just about describing what things
look like, although that's important. Setting also establishes the time and
place of each scene, the mood of the scene, and reveals the mood or
perceptions of the character.
Using setting is something that I struggle with a lot. I attended a
workshop with the author Joyce Sweeney a few years ago and she outlined some guidelines for knowing when it's time to insert more setting. Following is my interpretation of her rules.
It's time to describe setting when:
A. The place changes.
B. The time changes.
C. The mood changes.
D. Someone new enters the scene.
E. To plant a clue.
F. To show character movement.
G. To develop theme.
H. To rest from too much action.
I. To "show," not "tell."
I attended another workshop with author Alex Flinn and she gave us a great
exercise for exploring the relationship between setting and character.
Here's a variation on her assignment:
Exercise: Imagine a typical school lunchroom.
1. Describe it from the point of view of an angry character.
2. Describe it from the point of view of a happy character.
You should notice that your word choices change. An angry character might
stomp about and slam things. A happy character might bounce and laugh. How they describe a color can even be different. An angry character might
describe the walls as baby-puke yellow. The happy character might think the
walls are sunshine yellow. Play around with this exercise and see how
different you can make the two descriptions of the same place.
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