Scribblings from a twenty-year homeschool veteran about homeschooling, life after homeschooling, occasional peeks into the world of writing for children, and the ups and downs of life in general.
I'm not one to write on my blog without some really cool things to "share" but I've finally figured out (after a whole year of blogging) that it's OK to just write for fun and share the day. (I learned that by reading all your blogs, friends! So here goes:
I'm trying to keep my head above water as far as my busyness goes. I had a full plate that was overwhelmingly dripping with writing-related things (Go figure!), and I've been slowly but surely tossing things off that I don't really enjoy doing. Teach a summer camp of poetry to kids? Teach an adult writing class on how to get published? Yikes! Off they go. Trouble is, I already said I'd do it, but at the time I hadn't realized exactly what I was getting myself into. Panic set in. (Sort of like saying "yes, I'll do VBS" and then finding out that YOU'RE the VBS director. Same feeling). But I think I've got it covered (as in...asking somebody else to teach it).
I now have my 24-hour rule: NEVER say yes or no until I've given the proposition 24 hours to swirl around in my head and let my "servant heart" gel into my "get real" heart.
The last weekend I spent going over the proof pages for the new Andi book that goes to the printer this Friday. I thought it would be a snap, but the publisher's new font software stripped the italics from the document! Do you know how long it takes to cite every page, line #, and word for the amount of thoughts, foreign words, and emphases that should be in italics? A LONG time. I turned it in, then got the new pdf file today (to double-check it). So I read the book all over again. I'm getting mighty tired of it, even if it IS a good book. Trouble is, every time I read it I find something I want to change. LOL
I thought I'd share some pictures from my latest elementary school visit. It was a long day, but a lot of fun. I'd never done kindergarten and first grade before, but they were delightful.
Here I'm playing "Taffy says" (AKA "Simon Says") with the kindergarten classes. The girls were the "fillies" and the boys were the "colts." This, of course, is to get the wiggles out of the little ones and prepare them to learn about 3 of the 5 elements of story: Character, Problem, and Solution.
"Taffy says, 'All the little colts stand up.' Taffy says, 'All the fillies brush their manes.'"
Later I read a picture book I wrote just for them (since they're too little to read my Circle C Adventures yet). You can see this picture book here: A Horse for Andi.
The older kids had to work harder. Here are some of the forty-eight 5th and 6th graders I taught (at one time) as they did their writing exercise.
Last, but not least, here is a fun visit I had near the place I was staying: a 3-day-old palomino foal: A highlight! This is Shines Yellow Boy, the newest addition to the Bar 3 Quarter Horse ranch.
Last week was a whirlwind of activity. I was off the grid all week, with barely enough time to check e-mails and blog peeks at my folks' house. Here are a few pictures of what I did all week:
30 kids/class + 3 classes/day + 5 days = 450 students Notice the "Narnia" screen. The kids are trying to identify the 5 story elements: Character, Setting, Problem, Plot, and Solution for the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Can you do it?
The kids got a chance to write down the 5 elements of story on a worksheet. They could use the story they created for Young Authors, another book or movie they liked, or for a new story they wanted to write sometime. Then they were given an opportunity to share their work with the group. This young lady in pink is sharing the 5 elements from one of her stories.
Kids from public schools as well as Christian schools participated. Of course I had a book table, so they could see my books then (hopefully) go buy them at the "bookstore" in the cafeteria. I think they bought over 100 books during the week--and sold out of the first 2 titles.
Here are a few eager students posing after class. Everyone had a wonderful time, and I came home tired but pumped from listening to all the creative talent.
If you have kids who like to write, visit Suzy's Writing Corner or go to the Old Schoolhouse Store to get your own copy of Reach for the Stars workbook (e-book or print). Can you believe they want to sell my writing workbook? I'm so excited!
I'm afraid I missed everybody's show and tells yesterday because I was gone all day long at a Young Authors Conference up north for ACSI Christian schools. It was great fun, I sold a bunch of books, and the kids got "live" lessons from my writing workbook. I love doing the on-line writing workshop for who-knows-how-many kids (one pdf file has been downloaded over 400 times!) I guess this means that somebody likes them. My on-line "Mr. Linky" students are such wonderful writers, and it's great to read their work.
However, it IS fun to have an entire class as a captive audience, and I love to interact with them.
Here are some pictures of what I did yesterday:
Here I'm teaching a class of 3rd graders about the 5 elements of a good story. Yes, I "dressed up" for the event, even wearing my cowboy hat.
Here is a class of 6th graders. They are in groups, trying to come up with words that "show" how a character is feeling.
Lastly, I give them an individual writing assignment to take a character from the story they brought to the conference and write a short scene showing that character's feelings. We ran out of time, so we didn't get to listen to any of them share.
I have one free week, and then I will be "off the grid" for an entire week, when I teach at a week-long public school Young Author's conference up north (over 1,200 kids get bussed in). My Christian books are sold at the event by a bookstore, which is unusual and a wonderful opportunity.
So please forgive me if I don't drop by and say "hi" this weekend!
Announcing the first graduate from my Reach for the Stars Writing Workshop at Suzy's Writing Corner. Amy (Booklover) has diligently completed the entire course and has earned this nifty certificate for her school portfolio: In order to qualify for this official-looking proof of completion of this 16-lesson, work-at-your-own-pace writing course, student smust complete the following tasks:
1) Work through the lessons in order (since they build on each other), completing all of the activities (homework) except the one that asks students to start working on their own story creations.
2) Post their work so I can give feedback.
3) When corrections and/or more complete posts are suggested, the students make an attempt to follow through and make such changes in their work, and notifying me that corrections have been made.
I asked Amy a few questions about the writing workshop. Here is the "interview."
1)Which lesson was most beneficial for you (where you learned something you hadn't known before or if you would write stories differently now because of it)? Lesson 6, Writing Cameras Part 1 where you talked about "dead words". Ever since that lesson, I try to watch out for dead words in anything I write.
2) Which lesson was the most fun to do and why? Lesson 7, Writing Cameras part 2 was probably my favorite lesson. I think its because you had "before and after". Thats' one thing that I really liked doing in the lessons. (Before and after means I gave a boring sentence, and the students change it to a vivid, grabber sentence, using the skills leaned).
3) Would you share what you plan on writing next? I think that I'll end up writing another poem soon. Otherwise, I really don't have any ideas right now. But these lessons have gotten me excited about writing!
4) Now that the lessons are finished, what would you like to see happen at Suzy's Writing Corner? Now that "Reach for the Stars Writing Workshop" is done, I want a "Reach for Higher Stars" Writing Workshop. A class with more advance stuff in it. I would also like it if kids could send in their stories/poems/essays to you so you could post them, and other kids could read them.
Congratulations, Amy! You can read Amy's lessons/stories on her Story Blog. Head on over and congratulate her on a job well done (this course is not "quick and easy" and requires higher-level thinking skills). Oh, in addition, to day is her 11th birthday. Head over to Amy's Artsy Articulations and wish her a happy birthday.
I look forward to posting other graduates as they work their way through this workshop.
(If you're wondering why I'm posting at all, the court system called last night and I didn't have to report for jury duty today, after all. Probably tomorrow, though)
Like a mother with a new baby, I'm afraid I'll be talking about my newest arrival for the next few weeks, off and on. But you know how it is with new mommies. My third book for kids, Andrea Carter and the Family Secret, was released a month early, so I'm--obviously--excited about the unexpected news. As all mothers know, a baby coming a week or two earlier is always better news than the baby coming a week or two overdue, right?
I'll be launching an official Show and Tell about this glad event next Friday (Not tomorrow! I'm not ready), which will include a book trailer and other interesting "tells." For now, however, my marketing manager has asked me to put together an author interview for their Kregel homeschool blog. This is where you come in. I write stories. I'm not so good at thinking up questions for interviews. Since it's for a homeschool audience, I figured you bloggy friends could think up some questions that you might like to ask me if we were sitting together at the Secret Garden Tea Shop talking about life, writing, books, and homeschooling. Note: I would LOVE questions from the kids, too!
Please think of something you'd like to know either about this newest book, the Circle C Adventures series, or writing in general. Leave me questions in a comment or on my Cbox. (I'll feel very lonely if nobody asks me any questions. ) When I compile the questions and answers into a creative (hopefully) interview format, I'll put the link up and you all can go and read it.
Here is a picture of my newborn. If you click on the cover you can read about it, and maybe that will help you think up questions.
I've been on HSB the past hour reading and giving feedback for the kids' lessons from my writing workshop blog, Reach for the Stars. I started the workshop last fall and have had a few faithful students, but apparently word has gotten around. The holidays are over and the kids are "back in the saddle" and doing school work. I'm thrilled that writing is part of it. I now have over a dozen eager writers on my roll-call of "Writing Stars." Here are their names:
Amy (the template genius)
Ashley
Mt. Princess
Sarah
Alyssa
Curufinwe
Aragorn
Legolas
Brenna13
Luthien
Nimrodel
Sunflower8
Cucumber
Woody
Emily
BigSister
LovetoRead
Nathan
Miranda
Luckily, most of the students are going SLOWLY, so I'm not inundated with a dozen kids doing multiple lessons at once. I know more are just downloading the worksheets and not posting, which is fine, too.
Here is a sample of the fine work I get to read and comment on. This particular assignment was to create your character (physical and personality traits) using a chart; then take the notes and turn them into a nice "Character Sketch" of your character:
Madeline Brown is a ten-year-old girl who lives in the Montana country side. With her long dark brown hair, and bright blue eyes, when sitting on her horse Firedance, she makes a beautiful picture. Maddie loves to ride Firedance around the ranch, and sometimes she even rides to the lake that borders their property, and paints pictures of Firedance.
Since Maddie has chores to do around the farm, she often braids her hair down her back, and then she is free to go. She loves to cook, and so she often helps the maid Joy in the kitchen.
When sent off to school she gets to ride Firedance. In school, she doesn’t do her best in anything except math. In science, Maddie can hardly keep her mind on the lesson. She claims that science bores her to death.
When she grows up, Maddie wants to be a chef, an author, and a horse breeder.
The only sibling that Maddie has is a five-year-old girl named Sofia. Sofia likes to tag along with Maddie everywhere! Sometimes it annoys Maddie, and she loses her temper but she tries hard to spend a lot of time with her sister and set a good example.
Can't you just see a great story in the making, based on this personable character? So you can see I love to read what the kids are writing!
However, this means that instead of visiting Suzy Scribble's bloggy friends today, I spent all my time visiting my other friends (and peer group!). So forgive me if I don't get around. I'm helping your kids today.
After I post this entry I have a HUGE project to complete: my friend edited my newest "Andi" story (#4) which I intend to send into my editor this week. But I need to spend this "jury-free" day going over all 40,000 words and revising, etc. (Hmmm...that might be a good lesson to explain to the WW students: Writing the first draft of a story is only the first step!)
Here I'm playing "Taffy says" (AKA "Simon Says") with the kindergarten classes. The girls were the "fillies" and the boys were the "colts." This, of course, is to get the wiggles out of the little ones and prepare them to learn about 3 of the 5 elements of story: Character, Problem, and Solution. 
"Taffy says, 'All the little colts stand up.' Taffy says, 'All the fillies brush their manes.'"
The older kids had to work harder. Here are some of the forty-eight 5th and 6th graders I taught (at one time) as they did their writing exercise. 
This is Shines Yellow Boy, the newest addition to the 
Notice the "Narnia" screen. The kids are trying to identify the 5 story elements: Character, Setting, Problem, Plot, and Solution for the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Can you do it? 
This young lady in pink is sharing the 5 elements from one of her stories. 
In order to qualify for this official-looking proof of completion of this 16-lesson, work-at-your-own-pace writing course, student smust complete the following tasks:
