Girl Scout Workshop, May 2012

Last week, I had a blast teaching a writing workshop to two Brooklyn Girl Scout Troupes at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. My friend Matt Kaplan of Mini Max Toys and Cuts hooked me up with the great gig. Thanks, Matt! The girls received a story writing badge for participating (I got one, too!). They are currently working on family trees and are hard at work writing stories about their families. I used to be a Brownie and never went on to Girl Scouts (I don't remember why) but all I remember about Brownies is going to this girl Kristen Gormley's house and eating Rice Krispie treats, which was fun, but maybe not as fulfilling as making a family tree. Below is me and Troupe 2388.

Troupe 2070

Elements of a story...

Before the girls did some writing, we talked about what makes stories stories. I introduced an exercise that I often do in writing workshops. I ask that students get into their minds a significant chunk of time in their lives (i.e. the year my parents got divorced, or the six months I lived in France, or in seventh grade when we moved away, or when my dad remarried. A memorable and crucial "key moment" in life. Then I ask that they write, based on that chunk of time, given each the following prompts: 1. The Setting: where does the story take place? 2. The Want: what did you want? 3. The Conflict: what stood in your way? 4. The Change: how did things change in your struggle to get what you wanted? 5. NOW: how is this chunk of time significant to your life now? Ideally, this exercise helps students plug true events into a story structure, showing that you can build a story out of your life.

Wheels turnin' pencils flyin'

Book Club meeting, May 2012

I had the best time ever at a book club meeting in Manhattan earlier this month. Wow. I got to hang out with four ten year olds who read Next to Mexico and had TONS of great questions and AMAZING writing advice for me. If you're a writer for kids, here are some of the reasons they gave for NOT liking a book (these are from the HORSES' mouthes): *It doesn't have enough action or bumps in the road *It doesn't have enough bad things that happen; it's too perfect *It doesn't have a plot, or a good enough plot; it has to have a point and drama *There are too many words about things that you don't care about, like too much description of someone's face instead of what that person did *It has to be current, like they have to have cell phones Okay. I went to grad school for writing and this is pretty much what we learned there. So, if you're thinking of spending a bunch of money on getting your masters, think again. Thank you to Chloe, Hannah, Natalie, and Ava, and to mom Ilissa for inviting me to this awesome meeting!

SCBWI Presentation, April 2012

After years of attending SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, I was honored to present a workshop last month at the New England SCBWI's spring conference. My workshop focused on bringing improvisation and writing together and how you're striving to tell the truth in each discipline. I was scared to get up and do the presentation and had the feeling that you sometiems have before these things where you wish you were home in your pajamas and not putting on mascara in a hotel room, but once I got up in front of the group in Springfield, we had a great time. Below is a photo of my back and shoulder blade and a bunch of participants during the 2-hour workshop.

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A giant thank you to Kathryn and Marilyn who brought me to the conference and to all of the participants. For a list of all of the awesome authors that were featured at the event, and to read more about SCBWI, visit nescbwi.org.

Brooklyn Public Library visit, April 24

I was lucky enough to have been invited to visit the Carrol Gardens branch of the BPL last month. Thank you to Adriana from the branch and all those who helped make the visit awesome. Friend and fellow writer Judy Palaferro hooked me up. Check out her adorable books here!