Ten Reasons Why I Heartily Recommend WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES

If you read Carmela’s June 29 up-close-and-personal interview with TeachingAuthor Deborah Halverson, today’s post, listing ten reasons why I heartily recommend Deborah's newest book, WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES (Wiley Publishing, 2011), should come as little surprise.

Deborah wears a variety of Children’s Book World hats – Novelist, Author, Former Editor with Harcourt Children’s Books, Independent Book Editor and Founder of DearEditor, a writers’ advice website, and she obviously donned each one to write this easy-to-understand, comprehensive, hands-on text.  Her stated goal in writing the book was to give writers of young adult fiction the tools they need to tell their good stories well.  Boy, oh, boy, did she succeed.

 So, here are my 10 reasons why I heartily recommend Deborah’s book.

(For the record, I could have listed at least 10 more.)

 (1)   Deborah knows her subject matter from the inside out; she lives and breathes its content.  Her editorial and experiential insights take the information to a new level.

 (2)   The text’s/story’s satisfying narrative arc takes the writer from getting ready to write YA fiction to mastering marketing.

(3)  Deborah first grounds the writer in the body of YA literature and its targeted audience before addressing the needs of the story and the telling.

(4)  She includes managing one’s muse before presenting the writing process and key elements of narrative.

(5)  Due consideration is given “the almighty hook.”  The exercise offered on page 71 will be useful to all writers, no matter the format.

 (6)  Speaking of all writers, Deborah’s gems and pearls of wisdom, especially concerning characterization and plot, are not limited to only YA writers.

 (7)  Modeling true Show, Don’t Tell, the text includes concrete examples of key points being taught.

 (8) Author interviews (of some of my favorite YA authors, I might add, including Kathi Appelt and Deb Wiles) underscore, on a more personal level, the insights shared throughout the book.

 (9)  While readers’ questions are anticipated throughout and thoughtfully answered, side-bars further amplify points raised in the text.

(10) The Writing Exercises and Tips are – to quote from my last post’s recommended book – plenitudinous and wallopingly-fresh. 

 Should you not believe me, here’s a free printable cheat sheet

 Comprehensive.  Thorough.  Clearly-written.  Insightful.  Those are but a few adjectives that describe this guidebook.

 Read through the text, from Chapter 1, Part 1, (The Lowdown on YA Fiction/Getting Ready to Write Young Adult Fiction) to Chapter 18, Part V (Ten Ways to Make the Most of a Conference/The Part of Tens).
Or, simply page through the book, randomly picking and choosing – a Tip, an Exercise, an Interview, a Teaching Point.

Either way works.
Either way will make you smarter.
Either way you’ll be on your way to writing young adult fiction.

 Enjoy!

 Esther Hershenhorn

Writing as a Reader

I have spent my whole writing "career" (so to speak) writing the books that I wanted to read as a kid.  As the years have gone by, I'm mostly still writing for the eight-year-old I used to be... thirty-odd years ago. 

Now my six-year-old daughter is gaining the maturity to enjoy the books that first lit the creative spark inside of me.  This is a huge and exciting development in my writing life (and hers, too, I'm sure).  I've had plenty of kids give me feedback on my work, but these were not kids who lived with me, kids I knew nearly as well as I know myself.  My nearest audience is no longer a hypothetical "kids out there"; nor, more importantly, is it a younger me.  It is someone who does not dwell inside my head, someone who was actually born in our current century.

More than anything, watching my daughter this summer has re-reminded me of the power that we as writers hold in our fingertips.  A few weeks ago, she returned from a play date, having viewed a commercial for the movie DIARY OF A WIMPY KID.  Two hours later, she started to shake and cry. "The cheese part scared me!" she sobbed.

Weeks later, she can conjure up tears at the most subtle reminder of cheese, commercials, movies, diaries... Someday perhaps she will be a Method Actor.  Today, she is my tender, sensitive girl, who will laugh, who will cry, who will remember a clever turn of phrase from something she read eons ago.

Kids, we all know, are not little grown-ups.  Their reactions are anything but predictable.  Yesterday she said to me, "Does R.L. Stine write things that scare kids?  I hate R.L. Stine!"  (As though she knew him personally.)  In five years, she will probably adore R.L. Stine.  But right now, my daughter is a living and vivid reminder of the awesomeness of the task we set for ourselves as those who write for children.  Wow, what an opportunity.  Wow, what a responsibility. --Jeanne Marie

A Play Doh Poem for Poetry Friday (and a Play Doh writing exercise, too)

~

Howdy, Campers!  Happy Poetry Friday!

Poetry Friday is hosted by Karen Edmisten this week.

Thank you, Karen!

I was fiddling around with dactyls and double dactyls this week.  A dactyl contains three syllables: one stressed followed by two unstressed (/ - - ). So, for example, the word marmalade (MAR-ma-lade), which we say with a stress on the first syllable, is a dactylic word.  The phrase, "Talk to me!" is also a dactyl.

The rhythm of a dactyl makes you want to dance.  It's light and suits playful topics.

Dactyls remind me of pterodactyls.  But that's not where I went.  Instead, I took out a handy can of Play Doh and opened it. WOWZA!

photo from Morgue Files

I read a bit about Play Doh's inventor and history and then, in honor of National Play Doh Day, (September 18th), I wrote this poem:

AN ODE TO DOH
by April Halprin Wayland

Play Doh, invented by Joseph McVicker,
is putty that's squishy and spongy and soft
and supple and yielding and malleable colors--
its bouquet bewitches, it lingers, it wafts

across much of our planet--
over two billion sold!
There's even a fragrance (and who wouldn't want it?)
a perfume in honor (it's fifty years old!)

The recipe's classified--
water and flour, and a sprinkling of salt?
I can fiddle with Play Doh for hour after hour
and if I'm not writing, it's McVicker's fault!

poem (c) 2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved

For today's WRITING WORKOUT, let's think out of the box.

You'll need:

• twice as many small cans of Play Doh as you have students
• plastic forks, knives and spoons
• writing materials

1) Let each student choose one can of their favorite color Play Doh...then scatter other cans on everyone's desk so they can share.  Make plastic forks, knives and spoons available, too.
2) Give them five minutes (or more) to make a person, animal or other creature.
3) If there's time, let everyone walk around the class to look at each creation.
4) Now tell each student to move to the next desk and make one radical change in the figure there.
5) Have them return to their desks and let the class walk around again, looking at the changes.
6) Discuss.  How did it feel when someone changed your art?  Do you like what it looks like now?  Which do you like better?

OCTOBER 2021 UPDATE: When teaching this exercise Virtually, I tell students the week before to bring a paper plate and 2 different colors of the smallest cans available of Play-Doh, the popular soft clay for children. It doesn't matter what color.

They can purchase it or use ANY kind of pliable clay they have...or make their own. Here's a 3-minute video on how to make your own (minus the wonderful Play-Doh smell):

In the class on rewriting, I take them through the grand slog of publishing NEW YEAR AT THE PIER. 

And once they're completely depressed, they take out their Play-Doh.

PLAY-DOH exercise part 1:

1)  Each student has two colors of Play-Doh and a paper plate.

2)  Working silently (most choose to mute), each makes a character. It can be a child, an animal, a fantasy character, a tree...whatever.

3)  Each takes a photo of her character. 

Then I talk about rewriting MORE THAN ENOUGH, with which I had a completely different experience from rewriting NEW YEAR AT THE PIER.

PLAYDOH exercise part 2:
1) Each student shows us their character.

2) I move them into BREAKOUT ROOMS (2 people per room).  Each person in turn becomes the other's editor, suggesting one "edit" of the character (such as adding clothing onto the hippo or turning the horse into a dragon...or something super simple, like adding polka dots).

3) Tell them to take a photo of their character after the edit.

4) Back in class, we share how our characters changed and discuss how it felt to be edited. Was it difficult? Did they resist it or feel defensive? Did it make their work better? Different? 

In one of the classes I teach through UCLA Extension Writers' Program, most of my adult students are surprised that they like the changed creature best.  One woman admitted that she liked the changes...but also missed her own creation and felt slightly violated.

Yes...that's exactly how I feel when an editor or my critique group wants to edit (gasp!) my work.  Hurt, resentful, violated.  Sometimes, if I sit with the suggestions, I end up liking them.  I can see how it can take a village to create a vision bigger than my own.  Sometimes, though, I reject the changes.

If you'd like to make this more of a writing exercise, you can have your students write a story or poem during the process.  You might decide to have them write as soon as they've made their creature, before it is changed.  If you have time, you can also have them write after the changes--either about the changed creature or about how they feel now that it's different.

So--dive into Play Doh!  Let your room fill with its delicious perfume!

And remember to write with joy!

poem and drawing (c) 2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved

Photos as Story-Starters: Another Back-to-School Writing Activity

We've been doing a series of posts with ideas and references for back-to-school writing activities for teachers. I hope that writers are finding these ideas useful too. If you're a writer, I encourage you to try the Writing Workout at the end of today's post.

Jeanne Marie kicked off this series with a Writing Workout that asks students to describe (among other things) what a character is wearing. I've used a variation of this exercise with my adult writing students, asking them to write specifically about a character's shoes. Students are often surprised by how something so mundane as a character's shoes can provide insights into the character's personality, and even plot ideas.

Thanks to Esther's post, I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of Better than Great by Arthur Plotnik, and trying out her splendiferous Writing Workout with my students.

JoAnn's post last Friday reminded me of the importance of encouraging my students. And whether you write poetry or teach it (or both) you'll want to check out the book she discussed, Seeing the Blue Between, compiled by Paul B. Janeczko.

Finally, on Monday, Mary Ann shared an alternative to the dreaded "What I did over summer vacation" assignment. She has her students write about something "they know a lot about," in other words, something based on personal experience. Today's Writing Workout is similar in that it also asks students (and those of you who are writers) to write about an event you personally experienced. But in this case, students use a photograph as a story-starter.

The inspiration for this exercise came from reading Lois Lowry's Looking Back: A Book of Memories.  Here's a description of Lowry's book:

"People are constantly asking two-time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry where she gets her ideas. In this fascinating memoir, Lowry answers this question, through recollections of childhood friends and pictures and memories that explore her rich family history. She recounts the pivotal moments that inspired her writing, describing how they magically turned into fiction along the complicated passageway called life. Lowry fans, as well as anyone interested in understanding the process of writing fiction, will benefit from this poignant trip through the past and the present of a remarkable writer."

See the following Writing Workout for ideas on how to use Lowry's book to inspire your students' (or your own) writing.

Writing Workout:
Using a Photo as a Story-Starter

Note: The following exercise is for use with young writers. I've used it successfully with grades 3-8. If you're a writer, see below for information on adapting this for your own work.

1. Before introducing Lowry's book, I ask students to bring in a photograph of themselves with at least one other member of their family. (I define "family" to include extended family, such as cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., as well as family pets.) The photo should be of an event or special occasion or vacation and not a posed family portrait. If students like, they can bring in an extra photo so they can later choose which one to use for the assignment.
2. The day of the assignment, I introduce the topic of writing from memories, or "memoir writing." Then I present Lowry's book, Looking Back. We discuss some of Lowry's fiction books, and I explain that, unlike her fiction, Looking Back is about events that actually happened. However, some of those events inspired Lowry's other writing.
3. I page through, Looking Back, showing the class how each photo is followed by a memoir about the depicted event. Then I read a sample memoir. For grades 3-5, I typically use the memoir associated with a 1940 photo of Lowry's older sister reading The Gingerbread Man to her. 
4. Now it's time for students to write their own memoirs using the photos they've brought to class. I ask them to "tell the story behind their photo," being sure to answer the 5Ws: Who is in the picture? Where are they? What are they doing? When did the event take place? Why were you together (for what occasion or event)? I also ask the students to answer the "H" question: How were you feeling?
5. I emphasize that the memoir should not be a list of answers to the above questions. Instead, it should read like a true story with a beginning, middle, and end. This may take several drafts to accomplish. One of the things I ask students to do as they revise is to try to create an intriguing opening that will make readers want to read on. And every story should have an appropriate title.  
6. After completing the assignment, students are usually excited to read their stories and show the class their photos. While this exercise can be used any time during the school year, I like to assign it early on because it helps me learn a little about the students and their families.

If you're a writer, I suggest you read Lowry's Looking Back for inspiration before you try the above assignment. Then, consider taking the assignment a step further by using some aspect of your photo-inspired memoir in a fictional story.

Do let me know how this exercise works for you and/or your students.
Happy writing!
Carmela

Revving Up to Write or Curing Brain Freeze

     When I was a student back in the last century, there were three things you could count on happening the first day of school;  somebody would throw up, the PA system issued a stream of incomprehensible directives ("First lunch students will eat during second lunch...").  While my teacher figured out the intricacies of her Delaney Book seating chart, there would be our first assignment on the chalkboard, right under "Hello, my name is Mrs. (Fill in the Blank). 99 per cent of the time it was "What I Did on My Summer Vacation." Sometimes this was followed by the threat "Spelling and punctuation count. Must be at least 250 words."

      This assignment was so predictable that after second grade, I started wrting the essay in advance, so I could read a library book instead. The kids who went to the Wisconsin Dells or some place truly exotic like Disneyland had no problem. Kids who stayed home and spent the summer running through the lawn sprinkler or worse, in summer school, (the equivalent of a stint in Sing Sing) stared at their three ring binders, and sweated bullets.  Five minutes into the school year, and the threat of next year's summer school was already nipping at their heels.

     Somewhere between my school days and my daughter's, the "What I Did..." essay had gone the way of the dodo bird. Instead, every morning, she was expected to write in a "journal" for five to ten minutes, using a writing prompt on the white board. I am not a fan of writing prompts. It's hard to come up with a hundred and eighty or so age-appropriate writing prompts, year after year. The kids knew that what they wrote didn't matter, just that they wrote something. Their grade came from the teaching flipping through the journals looking for blank pages or suspiciously short essays.

    Whoever came up with the journal idea had good intentions. Being able to write English fluently is always a handy skill. Unfortunately, journals turn an awful lot of kids off. I wouldn't be a writer today if I had been expected to write on a narrowly defined topic, first thing in the morning. Every morning. By middle school, these journals were used in every class (except P.E.). Six or seven prompts a day would give me brain freeze.

     OK teachers, I am going to give you a writer's workout that will cause you to roll your eyes, gnash your teeth, and call me nasty names (hopefully, not in front of your class.) And yes, it will take more time (in the beginning). Ready?  Let's rev up that creative part of the brain that has probably lain dormant all summer.

Writer's Workout

(This is adapted from Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi.)

   Equipment needed:  Teacher:  A timer, a small legal pad, and writing instrument. Students; the same,minus the timer.

    Plan plenty of time for this exercise; the more students you have, the more time you'll need. Don't plan on multitasking. Your students will need your full attention.

    First, share a couple of your own (short) ancedotes. This serves several purposes. One, students seem more open to learning if they know a little something about you. Something interesting to them.  For instance, second graders are probably not going to care that you like gardening, have two grandchildren and your cat got stuck in a tree last week.

   They may be interested that your grandmother helped you plant your first vegetable garden (and you hated picking worms off the tomatoes).  Or that one of your grandchildren plays hockey and the other wants to be a beekeeper.  As for the cat in the tree (and this is from personal experience), you can't coax them down with their favorite food (they can't smell from that far away), and that a hook-and-ladder truck is useless if the tree is in a fenced yard.

   Now, tell the students to write something "they know a lot about." The only restrictions are they can't use the topics you just used; and it can't be a synopsis of a book, TV show or movie. This is not a made up story; this is a story about something that happened to you, or something you know a lot about.

    Partner each student and give them each a minute to tell the other what they are going to write about.
(I love my old-fashioned egg timer...you can't argue with a loud "ping"!) Announce that you will have
a "writer's conference" with each of them, preferably in a comfortable, private environment, like a "reader's corner."  You will need your timer (keep it short. You'll need the extra time for those suffering from Brain Freeze.)Those who seem to be on the right track should be given a quick thumbs up and sent on their way.

    If this is new territory for you, you might want to have a cheat sheet of potential topics.  Teachers get Brain Freeze, too! Now on to those stuck in Popsicle mode.

  The conversation might go something like this. Student reluctantly shows you blank or nearly blank paper. You: Courtney, it looks like you're having a little trouble thinking of something to write about. Let's think together (I have a personal dislike of the term "brainstorm")

Here are some topics you might have on your cheat sheet.

Who is your favorite relative? Why?

Have you ever had to move? How did that feel? Did you have to leave a best friend? How did that feel?

Do you play a sport? Do you like it? Or do you play because all your other friends play? Who is your favorite team or player? Why?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

If you could meet any person in the world (living or dead) who would it be? Why? What would you ask them? What you want to share with them?

Do you (play an instrument, chess, computer games, go to dance class or gymnastics) You need to be specific, because I have discovered that a lot of kids do not know the meaning of  "hobby" or "pastime".
Asking "what do you do for fun?" may result in some-stories-that-should-not-be-shared!

Are you the oldest, youngest, middle, or only child in your family? What's good about that? What's not so good about that?

Do you have a pet? If you could have one, what would you pick and why?

Do you collect stuff? How did you decide on this item to collect?

(These are just examples. I would prepare as many as there are students. You can never have too many back up questions.)

    Hopefully, the student will respond to at least one or more of your suggestions. When they do, write the cue word ("soccer", "Lady Gaga", "Madagascar") on your small legal pad.  Hopefully, your little Popsicle has shown interest in at least three topics. When you get to three or four, give them your small sheet and send the student back to consider their choices. (Small legal notepads are less intimidating than the full-sized ones.

    Points to emphasize: no one has to "share" if they don't want to (once things get rolling, usually everybody wants to share). Don't worry about spelling and punctuation. That's what revision is for
(and that's another topic.)

    Not only does this exercise take away the pressure of committing words to paper (graphophobia--I looked it up) but you and your students will know a little more about each other than they did an hour ago.

By the way, it costs way more than you want to know to retrieve a cat from a thirty foot pine tree.

Posted by Mary Ann Rodman

Encouraging Words

With fall classes starting at the end of the month, I’ve been thinking about structures and schedules and teaching plans. I’m excited about teaching two new classes, "Writing Poetry for Children and Young Adults" at Mount Mary College and "Writing a Children’s Picture Book" at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Continuing Education.

One of the books I’ve reread in preparation for teaching reinforces my belief that a large part—maybe the most important aspect—of teaching creative writing is providing encouragement. Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets, compiled by Paul B. Janeczko, includes letters and poems from poets who not only write for children but also encourage them, give them specific tips about writing, and understand the roadblocks along the way.

Wondering what to write about? Alice Schertle says, “I used to think that poems could be found only in 'big' subjects like beauty, wonder, birth, death, love. Now I like to find the poems that lurk in unexpected places—on a slice of pepperoni pizza, perhaps, or floating down the gutter after a rain. I once found a pretty good poem in the ear of my cat. Oddly enough, I sometimes find the big subjects lurking somewhere within the little unexpected poems.”

How to begin? Marilyn Singer’s advice: “Observe everyone and everything around you. Learn all kinds of things, especially words. The more words you know, the better you can find the best ones to use when you write a poem. Sing and listen to music. Poetry is as much about rhythm as it is about words. Know that there is more than one way to see, hear, say, and imagine anything. Find what is new in every person, animal, place, thing, and, especially, in yourself. Then, sit down and write!”

Karla Kuskin calls writing “kind of a conversation with myself. It is also a way of keeping myself company. As I write, my thoughts get clearer.” According to Lillian Morrison, “Keeping your eyes and ears and heart open as you write, little by little, you get to see better, hear better, and know and understand more about yourself and the world around you.” Janet S. Wong agrees: “Part of being a poet is being willing to put yourself out there, to open up.”

On persistence, George Ella Lyon says, “Writing is practice, not something you just do in a burst of energy now and then. Most people know if you want to be on the swim team, you don’t jump in the water for the first time at tryouts. And, if you make the team, you don’t swim only at meets. No, you practice, practice, practice. It’s the same thing if you want to sing with a band or play in a chess tournament. Working at your dream becomes part of your every day life.”

Other poets offer suggestions for reading, revising, and revealing true feelings. Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets contains practical advice and encouragement for young poets and also welcome reminders for those of us who sometimes need a nudge to get back to work!

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at A Year of Literacy Coaching. 

JoAnn Early Macken

Announcing the Winner of our Zachary Ruthless Book Giveaway

The winner of our latest giveaway is Beastly Betty, the super villain also known as Beverly Herrera. :-) Congratulations, Beverly!
(Beverly, if you haven't received our email asking for additional information, please check your Spam folder.)

Beverly will be receiving an autographed copy of The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless, by Allan Woodrow. Thanks again, Allan, for your terrific "Student Success Story" interview.

A big THANK YOU, also, to all the super villains who participated in the contest. Don't feel bad if you didn't win--we're planning another interview and giveaway for later this month.

And, as always, happy writing!

Carmela

In Praise of a Superlative (New) School Year!

I’m just back from Duncan Creek Elementary School in Hoschton, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, singing the praises of the 185 Young Writers who participated in the 7^th Annual Mill Creek Young Writers Literacy Institute.

What heart-walloping fun I had, first, sharing the A to Z of my jarringly-good Writer’s life and bone-delicious process with the grades 1-8 all-star students in the morning,

then, workshopping the afternoon with their fifty-carat teachers, putting forth ways to keep their bang brilliant Young Writers fed!

The teachers LOVED my newest Writer’s Bookshelf Recommendation:  Arthur Plotnik’s Better Than Great – A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives (Viva Editions, 2011) 

Author and editor Plotnik believes: “Praise can be greater than amazing.”
And he should know.
He combed through thesauruses, lexicons and countless compendiums to compile 6,000 (!) alternatives to used-up superlatives.
You read that right – 6,000!
And that number doesn’t include the 50 text-friendly synonyms (1drfl), relevant quotes and foreign phrases (mockered up) he thoughtfully added.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins labels the collection “amen-astonishing.”

Donna Seaman of Booklist describes the book as “high-fiveable hot sauce for the brain.”

Understandably, Plotnik’s collection has drawn nothing but praise.

An especially acclaimable feature? 
Plotnik makes the collection especially user-friendly by categorizing the plenitude of possible fine-hair distinctions, from Great (postcard-perfect) and Sublime (all-knowing) and Physically Affecting (eye-misting) to Cool (cookin’), Wicked Cool (stompin’) and Forceful (bionically buff), in between offering Beautiful (bellafatima), Joy-giving (embraceable), Large (continental-shelf-sized)  and Exceptional (giga awesome), as well as Intense (pincering), Delicious (plate-licking good), Mentally, Emotionally or Spiritually Affecting (nutso-making) and Trendy (out-front).

Better Than Great is just that - a true landfall of bliss for any lover of words.

Hmmmm….

                 180 school days in a year,
                 6,000 ways to say “amazing” –
                         first, written on the blackboard,
                         next, copied into a Writer’s Notebook,
                        then, spoken in conversation,
                        finally, chosen for a story.
Amen-astonishing, indeed.
What a superlative way to begin a superlative (new) School Year.

Happy Back-to-Schooling!

Esther Hershenhorn

P.S.
I am off to LA, to the pinnacular, jaw-slacking, joy-spreading, worldwide, all-eclipsing, boot-in-the-face intense, gulp-worthy, fabulosa, outta sight 40^th Anniversary SCBWI Conference!
Why not attend too - vicariously - by clicking on Team Blog  or tweeting with the #11LASCBWI hash tag?! 

P.P.S from Carmela: Don't forget: today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a copy Allan Woodrow's humorous new middle-grade novel, The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless! 

Writer’s Workout:  Name That Superlative!

An eponym is a person, real or imagined, from whom something, as a tribe, nation, or place, takes or is said to take its name.   Name-based terms, are called “eponymous.”  Think: Amelia Jenks Bloomer of “bloomers”;  innkeeper Cesar Ritz of “Puttin’ on the Ritz”; Midas touch; Mickey Mouse.

Many eponyms form adjectives.

Think: Christian, ritzy, Lincolnesque, Dickensian, Jordanesque.

To create your own eponymous superlative, follow Arthur Plotnik’s advice:

 
(1)   Start with a name recognized by your audience and having the desired positive association
(2)   Add endings such as –an, -ian, -seque, -ic, -ish, - al.

Note: if name ends with a consonant, add “ian” or “esque.”

                       if name ends in e or i, add “an”
                       if name ends in a, o, or  y – add “n”, "ninan,” “esque,” “ ist,” or “nic.”
What eponymous superlatives might students create - using their names, the first day of school - to introduce themselves to their fellow classmates and use throughout the year?

It's Still Summer!

In our household, time-telling is a big deal.  "It can't be Tuesday," my four-year-old said the other day.  "It's still summer." 

Indeed, it is!

Seeing all of the back-to-school displays at the store this morning, my daughter was very worried.  "Is August fall?"  She has been having nightmares about her first grade locker, and in all honesty, I'm having nightmares about my husband going back to work and leaving me with all of the household chores he's been doing all summer long. 

But... while those of you in the south are savoring your last moments of summer vacation, we've got a month to go (not to rub it in).  I just finished teaching and taking my summer classes.  I'm sorry, but I'm not quite ready to think about going back to school.

While our vacation plans have paled in comparison to April's, we've had a little beach time and a little NYC time and this coming week, Hersheypark (and a chocolate martini!).  I was working while we were at the beach, so now I've been doing my "beach reading" from the comfort of my recliner -- the divine Jennifer Weiner for my grown-up book club and some great "boy books" for me.  Since all of my favorite kidlit authors are women, I made a concerted effort to branch out, and as a consequence I'm now in love with Dan Gutman, Anthony Horowitz, Rick Riordan.  I also can't wait to meet Zachary Ruthless.  (Have I piqued your interest? Don't forget to enter our current book giveaway contest.)

At the SCBWI retreat I attended last month, one of the speakers was well-known boy-book author John Coy.  He gave us a number of writing-intensive workouts, which probably work just as well at school visits with fifth-graders as they do with writing conference attendees.  I am not, as I have mentioned before, typically a fan of such exercises.  However, these were helpful to me in noodling on a new character/premise, so I will (thank you, John Coy!) share them here.

Writing Workout
1) Picture your main character in a scene that involves a conflict.  Now... describe what he/she is wearing.

As an aside, I am not a visual thinker.  I rarely describe much about my character's appearance, and I can't get through a book that goes on in detail about Jimmy Choos or Juicy Couture. 
I hadn't given a thought to what my character was wearing -- nor would I ever stop to describe it in this particular scene -- but I definitely had a better mental picture of her when I was finished.

2) Describe what she's wearing on her feet.

I'd already done this, down to her nail polish, so I was amazed to find how much more there was to say about her feet.

3) Describe her hair.

Ditto!

4) Describe the sounds your character would notice in the room.

5) Describe the smells.

6) Describe tastes. 

Adding sensory detail to scenes is, we all know, what makes them come alive.  I am much more apt to add smells and tastes to my descriptions than I am visual details, but I am strange! 

When my students write descriptive essays, I typically have to do a great deal of prodding to get them to move beyond cliches and to use strong, evocative sensory details.  The specificity of this exercise was helpful, and I look forward to repeating it with my Comp 101 students.   Oh, no, I'm thinking about school!  --Jeanne Marie