Research Project on Young Adult Literature

Julie Graddy, my publisher at Maupin House, suggested that I look at this blog. For those of you who are interested in young adult literature, this is a very interesting research project.

Writing Classes in Charlotte, NC

If you are looking for writing classes in Charlotte, you might want to check out Maureen Griffin's website. In addition to being a poet and instructor at Queens College and CPCC, she also has a full schedule of writing classes. A number of people who take her classes and/or use her coaching and critique services have been published. Her book, Spinning Words into Gold was featured on the North Carolina Arts Council's website.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for a family vacation and will join up the rest of the Baldwin crew in Arkansas. I hope to catch up on writing fiction--it seems as if I rarely have time for "fun" writing anymore! Later in June, I'll share what I learn in the process.

Things that Make a Writer's Day

One of the editors at Maupin House notified me that Barnes and Noble is ordering my book! That's BIG news for a small author like myself. Apparently Maupin House sends a book and press release to their Small Press Department for each new title they publish, and their buyer decides whether to carry it. It will be on barnesandnoble.com but individual B&N stores might also carry it. You can find it by clicking on: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=%22teaching+the+story%22+baldwin&z=y.

And a word from our graduate, Lori Baldwin

Lori, our 17-year-old, graduated from Covenant Day School on Saturday and we are very proud of her. She is bound for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a possible major in journalism. (I wonder where she got that from? Not from her father the dentist! I believe she has potential to be a better writer than yours truly...but I keep warning her that there's not much money in writing.)

I was looking through some old files and found the following excerpt that I wrote 7 years ago:

"During a routine sports physical my eleven-year-old daughter, Lori, was diagnosed with scoliosis. Our family was shocked and she was scared. She worried that she would have to wear a brace and when her orthopedist confirmed her fear and said that her 27-degree curvature required a brace until she stopped growing, it was tough news to swallow. Then when he showed her a young man’s body brace it was hard to control the tears. What would the other kids at school think? How noticeable would it be? Could she still compete in sports? Lori was full of questions.

We went the route that families with scoliosis patients go: x-rays, measurements for the brace, waiting, and then finally, getting the brace fitted.

The first two days were the hardest as we tried to figure out what Lori could wear that would fit over the brace. We finally found one pair of shorts that were handed down from her older sister—just to go shopping in. Several trips to Old Navy and the mall, and several exchanges later we finally settled on a set of “brace clothes” and a few non-brace, for when she would be at camp, biking, or running(She was greatly relieved when the doctor OK’d taking the brace off for sports and other “necessities,” like going to an amusement park with friends).

At school the first day most of her classmate didn’t believe her when she told them she was wearing a brace. The next size skort and shirt cleverly concealed it.

I encouraged Lori to write her feelings and experiences down in a journal. “Maybe you can write a story about a girl with scoliosis, one day,” I told her. After a few entries, the journal dwindled down and her brace became a non-issue. Friends, relatives, even her orthopedist all commented that they couldn’t tell she was wearing a brace.

I knew that the dreaded brace was no longer Lori’s enemy when a few months later I asked Lori if she was ready to write her story. “I would Mom,” she answered, “but there’s really no conflict.”

That was from the mouth of a writer-in-training. Postscript: Lori successfully wore her brace for three years.

And a word from Highlights

In an e-mail correspondence with Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor at Highlights, I mentioned that even though I've written about Paul Stankard several times, the article I wrote for Highlights Magazine is probably the best explanation I have written about the paperweight process. My 19-year-old daughter Lisa (who actually visited his NJ studio and saw the process several years ago) read the article and said, "Now I know how he does it!"

I told Kim that I have always maintained that when someone writes for children, they write the best. She responded, "Absolutely! You can't fudge things or be unclear when you're writing for kids. It's the toughest kind of writing to do, and the most rewarding."

That proves two things. Highlights is for kids of ALL ages, and writing for children and young adults is not something that writers do before they go on to "real" writing for adults.

A word from Maupin House

I asked Julie Graddy, the publisher at Maupin House to comment on why teaching through reading is "hot" right now, and this was her response: "The link between reading and writing is obvious, but no one has been taught how to teach the two concepts together as reciprocals. With all the time constraints that teachers have, it makes sense to be able to open up the K-5 reading block and use writing as a strategy for teaching reading. All the research supports it." Julie Graddy, Publisher, Maupin House.

Check out this fun definition of copyright!

A friend passed this along; it is a very creative way to teach kids what copyright means. Check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo

Why I am a Writer – Part 2

Last week I had written about how Paul Stankard was so delighted with the article Paperweight Magic in Highlights Magazine. Yesterday, he received this e-mail which was forwarded along to me:

"My seven year old daughter, Clarity just got done reading the article about you in Highlights Magazine. She was completely enthralled in your work. She loves art, nature, painting, clay, etc. I think she could see herself doing something like this. She just won First place in her school science fair for a project on Honeybees. The judges told her the display was a work of art. She even made a 3 segment bee out of Sculpey clay and fastened it with velcro. Not too bad for a seven year old. Is there anywhere in Northern California we could see your work?"

Is there anything more thrilling for a children's writer than to have a reader become excited about a subject because you wrote about it?

I don't think so!

Attention South Carolina Homeschoolers!

I just wanted to let you know that I'll be giving three presentations at the South Carolina Home Educators conference on June 15-18 (Scroll down and you'll find me on the speakers list). I'll be giving workshops on "Mining Your Students' Lives: Writing Fiction in Middle and High School", "Show Them How to Create a Character (and More) With a Little Help from the Masters", and "Making the Red Pencil Your Best Friend: Fostering Critical Thinking through Focused Revision." You will learn skills that you will be able to take home and use with your children…and probably a few that you'll try out yourself! My hands-on workshops are always fun and go so fast that the hour is up before I even know it. Hope to see you in Sumter.

Learning from Literature

As I'm writing my second IRA proposal on "Show Don't Tell: How Creating a Genre Setting Enhances Reading Instruction" I am once again thinking about how I have learned to be a writer because I am a life-long reader. Lots of time writers give the same advice as I do, "If you want to write, read." But what should an adult or young adult be looking for when she reads? How do novels or short stories become writing textbooks?

When I read (or listen to an audio book) I look for the following:

1. How has the author created realistic dialogue? How do the characters' voices stay consistent through the story?
   
2. For that matter, how does the character himself stay consistent through the story through his reactions, emotions, and thought patterns?
   
3. How does the author use similes or metaphors to help me picture the character or setting? Is the text heavy with figurative language or is there enough of this spice thrown into the mix to enhance the story?
   

For young adults, two examples of consistent characters and settings in imaginative, well-written fantasy books are Cornelia Funke's books Inkheart and Inkspell.

These principles can be applied to creative nonfiction as well as to fiction. My first "official" creative nonfiction book that I read was Susan Orlean's book, "The Bullfighter Checks her Makeup." (For homeschooling parents: You might want to read this first before recommending it to your children.) Orlean has a magnificent grasp of language and tells stories through her nonfiction essays.

Linking to Technorati

Technorati Profile.
I am hoping to link to many homeschool parents and teachers this way. Bring it on!