Recently I was asked to write a letter to the editor on behalf of teacher librarians whose positions are being cut from the Burlington School District. A district, from what I can gather, actually has a surplus in their budget. This is a sad and troubling trend. Libraries aren't just about providing books to those who wouldn't otherwise have access (though of course that is huge!). They teach students skills that will last a lifetime. They instill research habits that shape how we all make valuable decisions in our lives, how and if we vote, for example. I believe strongly that each time we cut funding from school and public libraries, we chip away at our democracy, and further divide the privileged and the underserved. Please support the libraries in your community! Thanks

To the editor:

I am writing on behalf of the teacher librarians whose positions stand to be cut from the Burlington School District this fall. The trend to cut funding from school libraries is a deeply troubling one, especially when considering the positive influence school libraries have on student success. At least 60 studies have shown that student achievement is higher in schools with full-time certified school librarians. Research, technology, and literacy are dependent on access to school libraries and their trained professional librarians. Limiting access means limiting these opportunities for all students, but especially disadvantaged students who do not have access to technology at home or the ability to visit a public library. When we cut library hours, we hurt the students who need these services most. This also tears at the fabric of democracy, since these students are less likely to know how to access information, judge the quality of information or utilize libraries in their adult lives. Access to information is the key to educational success in our society, which in turn is the key to successful careers and successful citizens. As a children's book author, I've had the opportunity to visit school libraries all over Vermont and it is clear that libraries are the heart of the school. After touring colleges with our son last spring, it was clear this is also the case at colleges and universities. By providing resources to our young students, we prepare them for college, as well as life beyond. I hope that the school district will reconsider their decision.



Sincerely,

Jo Knowles

Recently my friend and colleague Craig Child's posted a beautiful piece on the excellent blog, The Last Word On Nothing" called "A Shooting, A Storyteller". I urge you to go read it before continuing here.

When writing, sometimes it's easy to fall into "the zone" and sometimes the muse or whatever you want to call it, seems unreachable. I believe this is often true because we are terrified of what we want--what we need--to say.

In Craig's piece, he describes how his friend Everett told stories to a group of children on a family camping adventure, and reflects on why the children were so drawn to Everett in particular. "Perhaps they were so drawn to him because of his investment, not just spinning tales off the top of his head, but bringing them up from his soul," Craig writes.

I think this phrase, "bringing stories up from your soul" is a beautiful way to think about how to draw the muse out on challenging days. More than that, of how essential it is when we're telling stories, to allow ourselves to reach there in the first place.

As writers, we entertain, we provoke, we hopefully inspire thought. Those moments are most meaningful when the stories we've shared have come from deep within. When they've come from the most true place in us. These are the stories, as Craig puts it, that "hold us together."

This is my last entry for this season of Teachers Write. You've all inspired me and given me hope in countless ways this summer. But that doesn't mean it's time to put writing aside. Now is the time for you to carry this practice into your daily lives. Our words have held us together this summer, and they can continue to do so in spirit each time you sit down to write.

I wish I could share a talking rock with all of you before we move on, and provide a safe place for you to bring your story up from your soul. To encourage all of you to think about those stories you hold deep within, and how telling them in whatever fashion works best, will draw readers to you, and create community. And more than that, empathy. And more than that, love.

For your Monday Morning Warm-Up, I offer a challenge. This is meant as something to reflect on, and then something to write about privately, as least for now. Since this is deeply personal, I won't ask you to share, but perhaps let us know in the comments what the experience was like.

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

If you had a talking rock of your own, who would you like to sit on it with, and what would you like to say? Once you know that, I urge you to draw the story up from your soul. Draw it up and then, as Craig says, "Pull the plug, and let it drain out raw."



Note: I am away this week doing volunteer work for Habitat For Humanity and a housing group for women and children, so I may not be able to reply to comments until I return. I encourage you though, to have a meaningful discussion with each other, and comment on replies if you have the time. I will miss you all! Love, Jo

We all have secrets.

Some are secret wants. Some a regrets. Some are surprises to share later. Some are an embarrassing memory that you would never tell a soul, not even your best friend. Sometimes our secrets have a huge impact on our daily lives. They might influence our daily decisions, who we interact with. Or who we avoid.

Secrets are powerful.

Take some time this morning to think about the type of secret your character might have. What category would it fall into? Regret? Shame? Embarrassment? Guilt? Surprise?

Once you figure that out, now decide what it is. Let it form in your mind, and feel how it might affect your character. How would it change your character's world?

Once you figure that out...

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Write a paragraph about what it's like to go to bed at night holding this secret.

Good morning, everyone and welcome to Monday #3 :) I've been amazed by all the wonderful lessons being posted each week, and by all of your entries here. I hope you're finding Teachers Write as inspiring as I have.

Today, I was ready to offer another lesson and prompt, but I think since there are plenty of lessons all week what I'd really love all of us to do is take a moment to reflect on what's been happening in the world and what we can do, however small, to put more love in it. To connect.

Today's prompt:

Write a poem or other reflection starting with the phrase, "I am only one person, but I can..."

Dear Teachers,

Happy Monday and Happy Independence Day!

I realize many of you might be taking the day off to spend time with loved ones but for those of you looking for a warm-up today, here we go!

Today I want to talk a little bit about character. There are a lot of exercise and sets of questions people put together to help with building character, and I use these myself. They are wonderful tools. One of my favorites comes from Kate Messner, who asks you to fill in the blanks:

This is a story about a boy/girl who wants ________________________ , but underneath that, it's a story about a boy/girl who wants __________________________ .

It's that underneath part that is at the heart of your story, yes? But often when I ask students to fill this out, I feel that underneath answer they first give is the easy one. And so, I challenge them to go deeper. I prod them and ask, "Yes, but underneath that what to do they want?" And we get a little closer, So I ask them to go underneath that. And then underneath that.

It's hard, even painful. But I think the deeper we can drill down, the closer we get to the real heart of the story, and it's often a big surprise. Often, it opens up the whole book and gives the story deeper meaning and greater importance to the writer. It's also what makes your character real.

But while a crucial step to developing character, it is only the first one. What's next?

Next, you need to understand what it actually feels like to be your character. To be that kid living with that want, and all the obstacles keeping you from getting it. Whether you are writing a picture book, chapter book, or upper YA novel, whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, the most important piece of character development is for you, the writer, to fully embrace what it must be like to live as this character lives. To sleep in this character's bed. To breathe the air in this character's home. To hear the conversations that take place, or fail to. To wear the clothes your character wears. To speak as your character speaks. And of course to want as your character wants, and to fully understand why.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm Up:

Have your main character wake up on a Sunday morning. Be that person right now as you open your eyes. What do you see? Smell? Hear? Feel? Think? Worry about? Look forward to?

Write a paragraph or two in first person, present tense, fully exploring what it would feel like to wake up in your character's skin.

Share if you dare!

And as always, have fun, be brave, and let yourself be free to go wherever your instinct directs you.

Love always,

Jo

Hello everyone and welcome to Teachers Write 2016!!!! I'm super excited to be able to take part again this year and cheer you on every Monday with some food for thought and a prompt to warm you up for a week of writing!

Recently one of my students wrote to me to ask for some encouragement because she was "stuck" and struggling with believing in herself and the story she was trying to write. She worried she might not pass. She worried she couldn't write this thing she had so desperately wanted to write back at the beginning of the semester. It all felt too big. Too hard. Too overwhelming.

Basically, she was going through what all of us go through at one time or another: The great writer freakout. I actually think hitting this moment is a BIG deal because it means, well, it means you have reached another step toward becoming a dedicated WRITER! You care! You want your work to do something that matters! You want it to be the best it can be!

OK, that's great. So now how do you get unstuck?

Here's what I wrote to this wonderful student...

Dear [student]:

As your mentor, what I want most for you is to see that you have grown over the course of the semester. What does that mean? All sorts of stuff, but here are a few possibilities, which hopefully might spark something in you as you struggle with creating new work, or linger on something you feel isn't quite "there" yet:

It means that you try new things.
Revise the hell out of something that just doesn't make you proud yet.
Take risks.
Push yourself to write about something you're afraid to.
Explore form.
Conquer a weakness you've been struggling with, such as passive voice.
Surprise yourself and me with a new twist.
Discover the kernel of truth you've been trying to get at all along.
Write something that makes you uncomfortable.
Make connections.
Weave in a theme in a subtle, beautiful way.
Write something suspenseful.
Write something quiet and intimate.
Have your character realize something unexpected.
Have your character do something that hurts.
Think about regrets. But also pride.
Think about how you want this character to grow.

I hope this helps! You can do this. Make a schedule for yourself. If you're too tired at night, maybe try getting up earlier and write before work. If you put in just 30 solid minutes every day, you should be able to meet your goals. Put in a solid hour every day, and you will be golden. You can do this!!!!! Did I say that already? Oh yes. I did. Because it's true!!! :)

Sending lots of strength and encouragement,

Jo

Dear teachers, I hope that any time you feel stuck during this wonderful camp we've created together you will revisit this letter. Sometimes writing is easy. Sometimes writing is painfully hard. But always, writing will show you something about yourself or the world that you might never have known if you hadn't tried in the first place. I wish you all the best as you set out to discover what that beautiful surprising possibly painful but maybe even life-changing thing is.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Choose at least one of the items from my list above and reflect on why it is important to you to try, and how you might achieve it. If you feel brave, please share in the comments to help inspire others! Keep your reflection with you during your writing sessions to reflect back on when you have a tough writing day. Remember why you are doing this, and then try again.

Here we go!

Love,

Jo

Several of you know, I spent a week on a "Mission Trip" with 21 youth and five other adults doing volunteer work for three organizations: Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org), New Reach (www.newreach.org), And CCA (ccahelps.org). All three organizations help provide housing for those in need, many for women in crisis, along with their children. At the end of the day, I tried to jot down a few of the many powerful moments I witnessed on this trip because I knew I was experiencing something I never wanted to forget. Here it is...

"Love Big: A Reflection"

Day One

I climb into a Big White Van
And Dave blasts Paradise by The Dashboard Light
as we circle the parking lot and wave good-bye.
Driving down the highway,
"That part in the song" comes on and I wonder, "Do they know what this is about?"
Answer: Yes. Yes they do.

By the time we cross the border into Connecticut
The Playlist has run through three times.
We joke that whoever made this mix
Must have stopped listening to music
In 1982.

Someone says, "This time we ALL have to sing."
We turn up the volume and do our best,
singing loud and proud and slightly off-key,
ready to start bonding before we even arrive.

That night at vespers
Eli says, "At the end of the week,
We'll say this was hardest we've ever worked.
We'll go home and need a day to recover.
But the volunteers here who guided us
Will start again on Monday.
And they'll do it again the Monday after that."
We all let that sink in.
"This is a time to be your best selves,"
Paul told us in the parking lot back home before we left.
I get the sense we're all silently committing to that now.

Day Two

In the morning
We stagger out of our beds and grumble about
Who got cream cheese on the knife handle,
Then circle up in the parking lot, hold hands
And pray together for a day of good work.

In the vans, we count numbers.
Turn on the play list.
Sing a little shyly with our new group.
Watch as one side of town
Transforms to another.
Manicured lawns of bright green grass
Turn overgrown and weedy.
Freshly painted houses
Turn paint chipped and dirty.
Loved and cared for neighborhoods
Turn to ones of neglect.

At the work site, we huddle together in a shed while we wait for the rain to pass.
Our hosts share breakfast and tell us about the women living in the shelter.
I feel guilty as I eat my jelly doughnut,
Looking at the building and thinking about the stories inside.

When the work starts
We pull weeds entangled with garbage,
Grown together as if they're the same thing.
We discover someone's shelter under a truck bed liner:
There's a sleeping bag
Some personal belongings.
Bottles filled with a liquid none of us want to identify.

The teens handle these things tenderly.
They worry out loud about what will happen
when the owner returns to find everything gone.
I try not to cry because
I'm the adult.
But this first morning is already hurting my heart
In unexpected ways.

All day we sweat and pull weeds
Shovel rocks
Power wash
Paint in the blasting sun.
At the end of the day, we collapse in the van
and count down the number of times we have to do it all again.
But then I think of Eli's words,
And put the blister on my toe out of my mind.

Day 3

Breakfast is quiet as we wander out one by one
and compare predictions for how hot it will get today.
On the highway there's a billboard that says "Love Big,"
And I tell myself, that's my motto for the week.

At the site, we start sweating as soon as we unload.
We shovel more rocks.
Pull more weeds.
Pick up trash.
Mow.
Mix cement.
Trim hedges.
And compare sweat stains.

As we pour the cement,
I see a little girl watching from an open window.
She's eating cereal out of a tall glass.
I smile and say hi.
She says hi back.
I wonder "What's your story?"
I bet she wonders the same thing.

Tonight, we drive to the shore,
Swim in the cool salt water and watch the sunset.
We talk about grief,
Troubled waters,
And how important it is
To cause a stir of change.

I feel an overwhelming sense of privilege
Looking out at the ocean,
Wondering if any of the residents we helped today
Have ever shared this view.
The irony of our troubled waters discussion hits me,
while the quiet, calm water laps the sand.

Day 4

Today we work on the second floor balcony
Staining a porch railing.
To get there, we have to use the stairs inside.
Now, we catch glimpses of who we're doing this for.
We hear them behind thin walls.
A baby crying.
A mother comforting.
It goes on and on as we paint a second coat,
And I'm sure we're all wondering again:
What's your story?

When we all reunite back at church,
We share survival stories
And agree we all worked hard,
Just in different ways.
We joke that there are teams,
But we are One.

We visit a quarry and jump off cliffs.
Swing down ziplines
And have a picnic dinner.
We sing happy birthday to Eli as the sun sets.
At vespers we talk about joy instead of grief,
But circle back again to acknowledge
How connected the two tend to be.

Day 5

As we drive to our site, Paul inspires us with an Elvis song.
We plant trees.
Dig up mulch.
Sing
Dig
Sing
Sweat. So much.
I think about the billboard sign from earlier in the week:
Love Big.

Logan and I name our tree Buttercup.
We put flowers in our hair and say we have Flower Power,
And power through the afternoon with new energy.
Every day, I have seen our youth rediscover their best selves.
Pushing harder, singing louder, embracing their work with
"lovely energy" that astonishes and lifts me up.

Day 6

On our last morning of work,
we listen to our usual playlist,
And Molly says,
"If you change the subject of this song from romance to the mission trip,
This is exactly how I feel about all of you."
We sing "Hooked on a feeling" a little bit louder after that.

There are tears on our way home that day.
We sing "Country Road, Take Me Home"
But I get the sense none of us really wants to go yet.
That night, we share thank you's.
We talk about how much our lives have changed this week,
And whether we've caused a big enough change
in the troubled waters we've witnessed.
There are more tears. More hugs.
I look at this circle and see a new community.
I see Loving Companionship.
I see Family.
I think of the Love Big billboard.
It's a motto that sticks.

Day 7

We caravan home. Some sleep. Some sing.
I keep turning around, looking at the faces in our van.
They were mostly just acquaintances on the ride down 7 days ago.
Now, they are "loving companions." Family.
I know all year I will hear a song
Or a phrase
Or see a pink flower
Or a newly planted tree
And think of these inspiring youth.
I'll wonder where they are and how they're doing.
They're part of my deep well now.
Part of my heart.
They have helped me be my best self.
And I'm forever grateful.
I will always love them big.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:
As you can see, this isn't necessarily a poem, but a list of moments. My challenge to you is to find the things in your day this week (and later the firs week of school) that you could do something similar with. Turn meaning into the mundane. Reflect on what inspired. Give purpose to what angered. Show gratitude for a moment of joy or comfort. And as always, try to have fun.

Hello Teachers and Welcome to our Final Teachers Write Monday Morning Warm-Up! I've had such a great time reading your work and being inspired by your enthusiasm and energy! I hope you've had fun, too.

For our last exercise, I thought I'd focus on strong beginnings and having the confidence to dive in to your story, trusting yourself and the reader to fall into an engaging, active scene. Now that you've been working on pieces all summer, you know you characters, you know your story, now it's time to try working on a beginning that pulls the reader in, and gives you a strong foundation from which to write from every day.

Four authors who I think are masterful first page writesr are Laurie Halse Anderson, K.L. Going, and Jack Gantos. If you want to study strong first pages, go read and reread their openings. That's how you do it.

Last year, I was a judge for several writing contests and read many beginnings and I can tell you after a while, you begin to see patterns and common mistakes. I outlined these in detail in this entry:

http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/484416.html

Then, a wonderful reader put all that information into a rubric, for writers to use when looking at and evaluating their work:

http://www.shannonrigney.com/2015/01/28/fun-with-rubrics/

Pretty cool, huh?

So today's Monday Morning Warm-Up is to let yourself go and start on a CLEAN piece of paper. Think of it as a White Page Day Do-Over, and try a new beginning, after reading some good examples and all my notes from the link above. Don't think about writing a strong beginning, which I fear is what hung up so many of these writers. Instead, envision where your story starts, what your character is doing, thinking, feeling. Let all of that emotion and longing and setting fill you up. Breathe it in and really place yourself in the moment. Then, let yourself drop into the scene and say what's going on. You'll see that's exactly what Anderson, Gantos and Going do. They trust their reader to drop in with them and take off. Now it's your turn!

Hello, Teachers!

Welcome to Week 3 of Teachers Write! I hope you're all still having a great time. You've all been incredibly inspiring to me, that's for sure.

To start off the week, I'm going to challenge you to practice marrying senses with emotion. Often how we experience a particularly strong sensation (eating a chocolate ice-cream cone, being stuck outside in the rain, sitting at a baseball game in the hot, baking sun), depends on our mood/emotional state. In writing, showing your character experience something that you would expect to elicit a certain emotion but behaves or experiences it surprisingly different, can reveal a lot about him/her without you having to tell the reader. And, I would argue, it does so far more powerfully. Think of it as another lesson in showing, not telling.

Below is a list of experiences that typically elicit strong senses, and then a list of emotions. Chose one from each category and write a scene with your character to show him or her feeling the emotion while experiencing the sensation. Make it challenging by choosing two items that you would NOT expect to go together.

List One:
Eating a dripping strawberry ice-cream cone
Sitting in a hot tub
Sunbathing
Taking a final exam/test
Eating corn on the cobb
Riding in a convertible with the top down
Waiting at a bus stop in a downpour
Eating cotton candy
Watching a scary movie
Sitting at an elementary school concert
Watching a parade
Eating spaghetti
Singing/performing a solo
Riding a roller-coaster
Swinging
Dancing
Shopping in a candle store
Eating an egg roll
Lying in the grass
Changing the cat box
Washing the dog

List Two:
Excited
Sad
Anxious
Scared
Happy
Jealous
Hurt
Disappointed
In love
Resentful
Obsessed about something
Mournful
Hostile
Nervous
Giddy
Holding a secret

If there is another emotion that better fits the current state of your character, pick that, and then chose from List 1 to work on conveying that emotion effectively through scene. Have fun! And as always I hope you'll share.

Love,

Jo

Hello Teachers and welcome to Week 2 of Teachers Write!

Last week was so amazing. I loved getting all of your entries, and also reading the other lessons throughout the week. Great job all around!

Today I'm going to send you on a path of discovery. Last week I asked you to tell me what you know about your project/character. This week, I want to help you discover something that you don't know.

The following writing prompts are real subject headings from my town's e-mail list. I am a big fan of believing that there are stories all around us and these subject headings are certainly proof!

So, pick from the list below and write a brand new scene in your work-in-progress beginning a paragraph with one of the phrases. HAVE FUN. Remember, you don't necessarily have to end up using this scene. It's meant to help you change course momentarily, which often leads to unexpected surprises. I especially like these kinds of exercises when I'm feeling like my work needs something fresh and unpredictable thrown in.

Your list:

Need two guys and a truck

Flamingos found

Wanted: Uncle Sam

Dogs running loose

Ivy has returned home

He's young he's horny and he loves the sound of his own voice

Free dusty round bale

Three white male goats escaped from their pen this morning on Gilson Rd. Last seen around 7 am. Please call if you see them…

If anyone has a bear skin rug preferably with the bear's head - let me know

Cows loose on Advent Hill

Cat With Stubby Ears Missing From Damon Road" His name is Polliwog.

I would love your dead mice

We NEED Uncle Sam. Do not wait until the last minute to reply.

Found dog 3 Corners


Yup, believe it or not those are ALL real subject headings. I live in a fun town, huh? :-)

OK, now get writing! Hope you enjoy this! And as always, if you'd like to share, please do! I will try to respond to everyone's entries, as well as unlock any that show up as anonymous and need to be unscreened. This week my son and I are busy on a local Habitat for Humanity project so I won't be around as much, but I will try to keep up! Thanks for your patience.

Have a great week, everyone!

Jo

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO TEACHERS!!!!

Woohoo!!!! It's #TeachersWrite Time!

I'm your friendly Monday-Morning Warm-Up host and I'll be posting here every Monday Morning with a little writing encouragement and exercise to get you going for the week.

To start, let's think about why you're here. What are your goals? What do you want to say? Why is writing important to you? These are big questions, but I find the answers are what help me keep going on days when it's hard to sit and write.

Here's a favorite passage from Jacqueline Woodson's brilliant and beautiful book, Brown Girl Dreaming (from the poem "Composition Notebook"):

Nothing in the world is like this—
a bright white page with
pale blue lines. The smell of a newly sharpened pencil
the soft hush of it
moving finally
one day
into letters.

(Brown Girl Dreaming, page 155)

Guess what, friends? Today is your white page day!

Today, you get to open a new notebook, start on a new page, a new screen, a new scrap of paper, a new sticky note. Today, that wonderful blank page is waiting for your words to fill it up with a note, a memory, a phrase, a thought, a piece of love. Your truth. Your story.

How can you make that white page colorful? Meaningful? Special? What do you want to tell the world? How might the story inside you change a life if you share it?

My task for you today, on this White Page Day, is to find a blank page and make a list of what you know about your project, and the reasons this particular one is important to you. Just start listing each little piece, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Write everything you know so far. Everything you hope for. Everything you see when you close your eyes and think about this particular story.

As you make your list, watch how your words turn into a poem of promises to yourself. Then keep your list somewhere near, so that when your energized days start to wilt, you'll remember the spark that got you started.

Since I'm beginning something brand new this month, here's mine. I'd love it if you shared yours in the comments, too. Or, share them on your own blogs, or on facebook, or tumblr, or wherever you might be spending time these days. Or don't. You can also hold it close to your chest for now. This is your White Page Day. Celebrate it however you want. :-)

A Work In Progress

This is a story about a girl
Thirteen
It's not a lucky year
Next door, there are new neighbors
They are The Haves
She is a Have Not
From a Have Not family
It's summertime
Dry and hot
I think there's a pony she didn't ask for
And an angry pig to feed
And too many responsibilities
There will be dirt
And resentment
Jealousy
A bit of self-loathing
And blaming
Forgiveness
And longing
There's be a boy who can't see her
And a brother who sees too much
There will be loneliness
And there will be loss
But there will also be joy
This is my story
But I'll make it someone else's
I see the scenes like ghosts
They've been haunting me all my life
The images aren't vivid yet
Just pieces of memory and wishes from the past
Secrets and missed chances
Grudges
And misunderstandings
I feel them slowing down now
Waiting for me to reach out and pull them close
Own what's mine finally
Face fears and face facts
Turn them into story
Put it on the page

Hi everyone! I've been getting a lot of questions about where I'll be this spring so I decided to put it all in one place. If you'll be at any of these events, please let me know! This is the most travel I've done for a book and I'm both very excited and very nervous. Friendly faces always welcome and appreciated.Thanks! xx

March 13-15
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Festival of Books
http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

Scheduled events:
Story Interrupted: Moving In and Out of Time and Space in YA
Sat, Mar 14, 10:00 am - 11:00 am Education Room 353
Panelists: E. Lockhart, Jo Knowles, Andrew Smith; Moderator: Celeste Trimble

A Conversation with E. Lockhart and Jo Knowles
Interact with authors as they read aloud from their new books and answer questions
Sat, Mar 14, 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Teen and Author Meeting Place (Seats 88)

Signing at Mostly Books, Booth #148 (Seats 1)
Sat, Mar 14, 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Workshop: Brave Beginnings — Find a Way into Your Story
Sat, Mar 14, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Education Room 349

March 20
Montpelier, VT
VCFA Novel Writing Workshop in Montpelier
(So excited to go back after missing for many years, and both my writing partners will be there!)

March 27
University of New Hampshire
NH Council of Teachers of English Spring Conference
http://www.nhcte.org/spring-conference.html
Keynote Speaker (!)

April 3
Concord, NH
Gibsons Bookstore
http://www.gibsonsbookstore.com/event/YA-April-2015
6:30pm Talking writing with Jennifer Richard Jacobson!
Followed by a signing

April 11
Norwich, VT
Norwich Book Store
http://www.norwichbookstore.com/
1:00-3:00pm
Panel of middle-grade and YA authors, including Tara Dairman and Adi Rule
(Still in planning stages, more deets to come!)

April 14-17
Austin, TX
Texas Library Association Annual Conference
http://www.txla.org/annual-conference
Authors Area H-Q
(Schedule to come)

April 18-19
Los Angeles, CA
LA Times Festival of Books
http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/
(Schedule to Come)

April 19-21
Pasadena, CA
ABC Children's Institute, American Booksellers Association
http://www.bookweb.org/ci2015
Author Reception 5:30-7:00

April 24-26
Springfield, MA
NESCBWI Conference
https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1650417
10:55-11:45am Q&A--Ask me anything!
7:00-8:00pm Keynote (OMG!!!)

May 15
Rochester, NY
Rochester Teen Book Festival
http://www.teenbookfestival.org/
Schedule to come but here is the schedule link: http://www.teenbookfestival.org/?pg=Schedule

I'm not super religious and have never observed Lent but I went to a great UU service last Sunday and the minister read a lovely and moving poem. She didn't have the source and I can't find anything online, so I'm sharing here, as printed in the Order of Service, and hoping that's OK. No matter your religion, I think this is worth pursuing for the good of us all. <3

Lent: A Call to Fast and Feast - Author Unknown

Fast from judging others; feast on Love dwelling in them
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the oneness of all
Fast from actions that pollute; feast on deeds that purify
Fast from from discontent; feast on gratitude
Fast from pessimism; feast on hope
Fast from worry; feast on trust
Fast from guilt; feat on complementing
Fast from stress; feast on self-care
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness
Fast from selfishness; feast on compassion for others
Fast from apathy; feast on enthusiasm
Fast from being so busy; feast on peaceful stillness
Fast on being in control; feast on letting go

Recently Lynda Mallaly Hunt reached out to authors with books coming out in the next month or so and asked if we'd like to take part in a giveaway for teachers! I love teachers. So I said YES. There are two giveaways going on, one for teachers looking to build their middle-grade libraries and one for teachers looking to build their YA libraries. So, if you are a teacher and would like to win a set of the books shown below, keep reading! :)

If you submit your name to this rafflecopter...

a Rafflecopter giveaway


...you could win 6 books to add to your collection. That's right. All SIX BOOKS just for your classroom! And they are brand new!

I've included links to the authors' Web sites and Twitter handles. You should check them out! Follow! Make friends! And we'd love it if you could help spread the word! If you're on Twitter, use the hashtag: #authorsloveteachers THANK YOU!!!! :-)


Sarah Darer Littman
Twitter: @sarahdarerlitt
Author site: Sarahdarerlittman.com


Lee Kelly
Twitter: @leeykelly
Author site: www.newwritecity.com/books


Alexis Bass
Twitter: @alexisbasswrite
Author site: www.alexisbassbooks.com


Nova Ren Suma
Twitter: @novaren
Author site: novaren.com


Cindy L. Rodriguez
Twitter: @RodriguezCindyL
Author site: cindylrodriguez.com


Jo Knowles
Twitter: @JoKnowles
Author site: www.joknowles.com

Hi everyone,

If you thought my last post about judging writing contests was helpful, check out what this amazing writer did with the information! She made a rubric!! :)

http://www.shannonrigney.com/2015/01/28/fun-with-rubrics/

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I posted here, and I have completely fallen down on the job for my Monday Morning Warm-Ups. Please forgive me! If you are ever looking for some prompts, you can always go to my Web site and check the resources page for some oldies but (hopefully) goodies: http://www.joknowles.com/Prompts.html

I came back today to share some thoughts I have about writing contests. It's very odd and awkward to be a "judge" when you've spent most of your writing career being the one in the other seat. So when I was asked to be a judge for several contests this year, I told myself I would try to use the experience to learn as much as I could and then share whatever that was with my writing friends.

Right away, I realized I was picking up on a lot of common mistakes (well, I hesitate to use that word but it's the best my tired brain can think of at the moment) when submitting first pages/chapters of their work. I decided to start taking notes on submissions, classifying them into groups. So below, you will see how, as I read, I would place subs into one of three categories: No, Maybe, Yes! and finally WINNERS. I can tell you that almost all of the no's were clear no's almost from the very first paragraph, though I continued to read the entire submission.

Note: These are comments come from more than one contest. Some are pictures books, some middle grade, some YA, and I didn't include ALL of my notes on every single one, especially various winners, in the interest of keeping this very anonymous.

Looking at them all again now, it's fascinating to me how similar my comments were for so many, even the ones I loved. Obviously what spoke to me most was work that had:
• strong voice
• active pace
• engaging plot
• meaningful dialogue
• rich description that grounded me in the time and place

I offer these notes in hopes that you can use them to look at your own opening pages and wonder if a judge like me, or an agent or editor, would say the same thing. I hope you find them helpful!

Love,

Jo

Comments on No's:

Entry 1
Lacks voice
Sounds too adult
Main character not believable and therefore hard to connect to

Entry 2
Great first line
Too much info dumping
No action
Too agenda filled?
No voice

Entry 3
Nice dialogue and description
No voice
Fantasy element added with no surprise (too easily accepted by main character)
No character development

Entry 4
Inconsistent storyline
Too much physical description that doesn't actually work-characters are too perfect
A bit far-fetched
Dialogue forced

Entry 5
Very disjointed and hard to follow
Voice is very distant
Plot is vague
Not sure what the conflict is

Entry 6
No real conflict
Not clear what's at stake for character
No character development or growth

Entry 7
The writing is good, but the pacing is really slow.
Didn't have anything to pull me in.

Entry 8
Story starts without any introduction of time/place/character
No clue where person is, how old
No setting established

Entry 9
Interesting subject matter but text not very engaging
Needs some conflict
Needs to feel more like a story

Entry 10
Not really a story but a scene.
Needs more.

Entry 11
Interesting story but REALLY slow
Lots of telling but the details don't actually help build the story

Entry 12
Narrator feels too removed from story
Slow pace
Lots of explaining/info dumping instead of letting back story flow more naturally
Has potential! But needs lots of work.

Entry 13
Too much telling/explaining rather than showing
Launches into fantasy too fast
Nice writing but feels too preachy
Author's "cause" too strong on page

Entry 14
Too preachy
Voice is too young
More message than story
Too simple

Entry 15
No character development
Setting/time not clear
No idea what's happening or who main character is
Too much action without context
Not clear who audience is—feels adult
No connection to characters

Entry 16
Voice doesn't reflect time period (feels too modern for time depicted)
Agenda too obvious on page
Nice writing but story needs to feel less forced

Entry 17
Has great potential!
Not sure this is YA given age of characters
Overdramatic
Need to slow down pace and do more scene setting/character building

Entry 18
Nice writing
Captivating in some ways but not grounded in a familiar world and without stage setting, it's too confusing to follow or understand what's happening
Not really sure who the main character is or what her plight is

Entry 19
Writing is snappy and fresh but too much banter for too long—doesn't move the story forward
Dialogue is too light—doesn't reflect what's actually going on in a believable way

Entry 20
Too much dialogue that doesn't move story forward or provide secondary info.
Premise is interesting and has promise but tragedy made light of in a strange way—would be OK if it was clear why. Not really believable as is.

Entry 21
Good writing
Some really lovely phrases
Good dialogue
Story was a little hard to follow
Seemed to be a few inconsistencies in relationships
Slow beginning
Whose story is this?
Author withholding too much information

Entry 22
Well-trod ground
No real conflict

Entry 23
Chapters are too short and disconnected-nothing really seems to happen
Reads like a series of vignettes but the point of each isn't clear
Parents act in a way that doesn't make sense/not believable
Not sure what the point is
No clear conflict

Entry 24
Reads more like a summary than a story
Too much telling
Agenda on every page

Entry 25
Rhyming too forced
Powerful story but would be more effective in free verse or prose
Too bad because there is some really raw and powerful stuff here


Comments on Maybes:

Entry 1
Beautiful writing
Lovely scene/setting descriptions
Nice character development
Sweet characters, nice dialogue
No action until page 6
Lots of info dumping where there doesn't need to be
Agenda too visible on page

Entry 2
Very good writing but very slow pace
Story never really starts
Felt very distant from main character-didn't know enough

Entry 3
Good!
Like the pacing and introduction to the secret.
Compelling, but not a great voice.
Written in first person but feels more like a distant narrator, which isn't quite working.
Too much telling.

Entry 4
Sweet
Great writing but concept doesn't actually work

Entry 5
Very nice writing
Flow is OK
Lack of any character/setting development before the big conflict happens

Entry 6
Great voice
Wonderful writing
Loses threads
Not good choice of 2nd person
Not good choice of format-doesn't work
Plot/time span moves too quickly-summary vs. story

Entry 7
The fiction sections are good but too preachy
The nonfiction sections disrupt the story
Good writing but the format doesn't work
Needs to be more engaging

Entry 8
Excellent writing
Snappy dialogue but goes on a bit without moving plot forward
Does a nice job with character development
Wish this was written in first not third

Entry 9
Very nice writing but the agenda is too present on the page. Gets in the way of the story

Entry 10
So much to love
Great voice, wonderful writing, but SO SLOW
20 pages in and still getting backstory
Nothing has happened

Entry 11
Good writing but a bit too repetitive
Starts at an odd place
Very intriguing though!

Entry 12
Very nice writing but too many props to help story along
Too much looking back instead of showing story unfold
Inconsistent voice

Comments on Yes! -- considered for win but in end didn't make it:

Entry 1
Really beautiful
Original voice
Nice pacing
A little agenda-y at end

Entry 2
Beautiful writing
Great storytelling voice
Rich details
Nice character development
Good dialogue
Tension, heart, longing—all nicely conveyed

Entry 3
Wonderful!
Engaging tone
Mystery
Care about main character
Great connection to prologue
Beautifully written
Perfect pacing and dialogue

Winners:

Entry 1
Amazing voice!
Rich dialogue
Wonderful dialect
Strong female protagonist
ORIGINAL and ambitious story
Beautiful writing
Got lost in story and invested in character
Secondary characters very believable
Love the hint of adventure and danger
Perfect pacing

Entry 2
Excellent writing
Strong sense of place
Great character development from the first page
Fantastic dialogue
Powerful opening
Wonderful balance of tension/action/suspense
Rich descriptions that fit the scene and don't slow it down
Connected with and became invested in character's plight immediately

Entry 3
Lyrical, light, moving
So simple and beautiful
Perfect word choice with surprises that were a delight
Could see and feel every scene, sweet, but not too much so

Entry 4
Love!
Great storytelling
Perfect pacing
Nice balance moving story forward while still giving enough backstory and setting the scene/developing character
So original and engaging!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Soooo... what do you think? See some common threads in each category? I sure do! So, for your Monday Morning (really afternoon, sorry) Warm-Up: Go check out your opening pages and see what you think! Would your reader put you in a Yes! Or a Win? What can you do to take your work to the next level? Give it a try!

Not long ago, I wrote this:

"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."

Early Saturday morning, my cousin Josh went missing, and soon later, his body was found in the woods near his home. He took his own life after years of battling depression.

Growing up, my sister and I babysat for him and his two little brothers. We spent vacations together in Maine every summer. We spent Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter together. But when he got older, his family moved away and we didn't see them for a long time. Long enough that we weren't close the way we used to be. In fact, we really didn't know each other at all.

Not long ago, he moved back to New England and I saw him last Christmas at my parents' house. He was quiet and reserved. I knew he'd had a hard life in our years apart. We didn't talk much. We were strangers linked by childhood memories. And I sensed he felt as uncomfortable and shy as I did, having let so many years go by without being in touch.

One day, not too long ago, he messaged me on Facebook and said he'd like to call and talk to me about writing a book. I put off replying because I felt like I didn't really know him, or what to say, and imagined how awkward it would be to talk to him over the phone. I told myself I would send an e-mail first, with tips to get him started, and then, if he had questions, we could talk. A few weeks later, I left him a note, "I owe you an e-mail and promise to be in touch soon!" Or some such. I was on deadline for school packets and told myself I didn't have time. And then I did have time but sort of forgot until I'd see him update his page with an inspirational quote, I would get mad at myself for not writing that e-mail yet. Just last week, I thought of some books I would recommend he read. Some good memoirs. Mentally, I made a list. And then I started to think of tips I could give him to help him get started. But I still didn't manage to write that e-mail.

And now he's gone.

For the rest of my life, I will always feel this aching regret that I didn't take the twenty minutes of effort that e-mail required to reach out. I will regret that I didn't try to get to know my cousin again. That I didn't know he was hurting. That I didn't do a single blessed thing.

Suicide isn't anyone's fault. I know that. But how we care about people and treat each other and reach out to each other is. And I'm ashamed.

On Saturday morning, I was sitting at a table with dear friends in Maine. We were about to start a weekend writing retreat. We were drinking coffee and laughing. And then my phone buzzed. "Call home immediately."

The ground shifted underneath me when my husband told me Josh had died.

A veil of grief and sadness and guilt and regret slid between me and the rest of the world. Nothing had changed on your side, but on my side, nothing will ever be the same. It's like looking at the world through some sort of gauze, as if I'm not a part of it anymore. On the other side, life goes on as usual, on mine, I can't seem to move.

My sister drove to Maine to come get me and bring me to her house so we could be with my parents, aunt and uncle. On the drive home, memories of losing my brother, wounds I thought healed, slowly reopened and all that pain wrapped around my heart. So much guilt. So many regrets. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I say that? Why why why? Why. Why did he have to die?

Life isn't fair. This was the year to see the beauty in the world and I have seen a lot. But I have also seen misery. I have seen it and felt it deep in my bones. I feel it right now.

Every day, there are people who die and people who are born and people who love and people who hurt. And every day, we need to remember this.

Every day, we need to be more kind.

We need to reply to the e-mail we've been avoiding. To answer the phone. To make the coffee date with the needy friend. To walk the dog. To pat the cats. To make the bed. To breathe the air. To shower. To love. To live. Every. Day. But on days like this it is so, so hard.

But I know. For those of us living behind the veil of grief, we need to remember that it's OK to slide it to the side again and walk back through. That eventually, we will have to. Eventually, we must.

It's OK to enjoy a blueberry. It's OK to keep living our lives and seeing beauty, even in the depths of despair.

It's more than OK.

It's necessary.

So I'm going to force myself out of this room and go walk my dog now. I'm going to honor Josh's memory by seeing the beauty in every step. I'm going to breathe in the peace around us, and try to be grateful that that's what Josh finally has now.

Peace to you now, Josh. Rest in peace.

A big thanks to wordsrmylife for the very thoughtful review!

http://wordsrmylife.livejournal.com/230248.html

"One of this novel's great beauties is that the many different perspectives allow us to view one relationship--say the cheerleader who dates the closeted basketball star--from multiple perspectives. The reader, unlike the character, is able to understand how tricky and difficult a situation is for all involved."

Thank you Kathy!!

Hello Teachers!

I just learned that this is our FINAL week? What?! How did that happen? Why did summer have go by so darn quickly?

Today's Lesson on Kate's blog is about revision (thanks, Erin Dionne!). So, I thought I'd tie my final warm-up to that as well.

You've learned a lot this summer about making words count. We've talked about how to use specific actions or descriptions to reveal something about your character in a way more powerful than an explanation would do. This morning, look through some of your writing and choose your FAVORITE of these sentences. Now revise it a bit more. Make it sing. Make every word count. Make it something your reader will want to read again just because of its precision. Make it something to inspire your reader to say to the person sitting next to him or her, "You've got to hear this."

You can do it!!! And I hope you'll share here. I'm in the mood to read out loud a lot today. :-)

Thanks for joining all of us for Teachers Write! I hope you'll try to keep writing a part of your daily routine, even as life gets busy. Have a wonderful school year! And thanks for all you do.

Love,

Jo

Good morning again, teachers!

We've rounded the bend into August. I hope you've all been productive and are having a great time putting your stories into the world.

Today, I want to talk about how your character's actions can give your character personality and depth. How your character moves, responds, and just generally functions throughout the day says a LOT about the kind of (hopefully unique) person he or she is. What kind of cereal does your character eat? Why? How does your character dress? Is there a lot of care put into it, or none at all? Is your character aware of labels? Is your character sarcastic? Grumpy? Quiet? Boisterous? How does your character interact with his or her parents? Siblings? Friends? Enemies? Teachers? Strangers? And how on earth do you get all this across in your writing?

Here's an idea. Write a scene showing your character waking up and getting ready for school in the morning. Look at the list above and see how much you can get across by SHOWING us how your character gets up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and gets to school. Here are some more questions to consider:

Will your character be chipper when he or she wakes? Scared? Filled with dread? Excited?

What does his or her room look like? Is it messy or clean? Does it smell?

How will your character go about finding clothes and getting dressed? Will they be neatly hung in a closet or pulled from a heap on the floor?

Will your character eat breakfast? Why or why not? If so, what will it be? Will your character eat in silence or talk to family members? Or eat on the bus?

Will your character walk to school, ride the bus, get a ride, drive?

What do each of the answers say about who your character is and what he or she is going through? (Because each detail SHOULD say something about your character or else it shouldn't be there. Every word and every description need to earn their place on the page. They must have a purpose.) You see what I'm getting at. You can do a tremendous amount of worldbuilding and characterization in a simple scene like this.

How much can you tell us about your character's world without explaining it all, but showing it through dialog and action? Let's find out!

Hello Teachers!!!! Today I'm going to cheat a tiny bit and share with you a post I wrote back on July 19, 2010, which I wrote after attending a lecture by Holly Black. Yes, the Holly Black. It was a lucky day! And since that day, I have been using what I learned to help my own students understand world building and why it's important no matter what your genre. I hope you'll give the exercise a try! :-) And THANK YOU, Holly, for inspiring me yet again. <3

Using world building techniques in realistic fiction via Holly Black
Original link: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/382006.html

This Saturday I attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts Special Day on fantasy. Holly Black (blackholly) was the first speaker and I believe had everyone in that room aching to go home the minute she finished to tackle our projects and answer the insightful questions she proposed when creating a magic system.

Hold up.

Magic system?

I know. The theme was fantasy after all. And no, I'm not writing one.

But as I sat there listening to how Holly builds her brilliant plots, I realized all the questions she asks of magic can be directly asked about the underlying theme running through the microcosm each of our characters lives in (home, school, community).

Here's one example. Change the word "magic" to "power" when thinking about realistic fiction. (You can use another word, too, this is just the first example that came to me.)

1. Who has the magic?
2. What does it do?
3. How do you make it happen?
4. How is the user affected?
5. How is the world affected?
6. How are magic users grouped and perceived?

Let's try it, with some tweaks/notes:

1. Who has the power? (parent, relative, friend, teacher, bully—or the "who" could be a "thing" such as a disability, disease, economic situation, etc., which gives the illusion of having power)
2. What is it? (money, influence, abuse, manipulation, a secret, pain, threat of death, etc.)
3. How is it used? (physically, psychologically, emotionally, as a threat, etc.)
4. Why does the person use it? (to gain power, feel superior, survival, etc.)
5. How is the world/victim affected? (weakened, hurt, victimized, drawn inward, scared, etc.)
6. How are those in power (the bad guy/thing) grouped and perceived? The victims (our hero/main protagonist)?

Well, this is rough but you see what I mean. And you can see how having a clear understanding of the ins and outs are essential in developing plot and character no matter what you're writing. Even if they may seem obvious to you on the surface, going deeper you may discover a lot more. In fact I'm sure you will.

Holly went on to discuss in depth how to look closely to really understand the world you've created, and how important it is to understand all the costs of magic (to those who have it and don't), to understand the limits, and what the rules of the magic say about the world. And again, all of her points made me think deeply about the real worlds I've created for my own characters, grounded in the contemporary landscape we know, and what those say about the world, too.

Holly said, "How we set up our magic system reflects how we feel about the world... In writing fantasy, you're telling us what you think about the world." And aren't we doing that in everything we write? Fantastical or not? I love that. And I would add that it's not only what we feel, but what we believe we know. (I say believe, because sometimes, we end up being wrong. But part of that journey from saying things with such conviction, to opening your mind to other possibilities, to seeing the light in a place you once condemned to darkness, is how we make sure the world keeps changing.)

Finally, Holly noted well that when we write, we are in conversation with every book we've read. Every time we write we add to that conversation. She said it far more profoundly, but I love that notion. It's how we get better.

Well, I think I probably got this a bit jumbled but I loved the way Holly posed these questions and how they got me thinking more closely about the how's and why's of the dynamics within my own character's household, group of friends, etc., and what they mean more globally. Because there are different rules within each setting, and you do have to understand where they come from and why they stick in order to fully understand your character's motives, flaws, desires—and what they say about your character's world, as well as the one you—all of us—live in.

Don't you think?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Answer the questions above in relation to your own current work-in-progress.

Hello and welcome to Week #3 of Teachers Write! I hope you're all having a wonderful time writing and creating and thinking and learning. I know I have!

Today I want to talk about moments of clarity. Moments of realization. In real life, these can come like a slap to the forehead, or sometimes more deeply, like a fist to the heart. I'm going to give an example.

Last week, my son and I spent five days volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. We got up early, met with an incredibly inspiring group of people, received our goals for the day, and got to work. By the end of the day we'd be tired and sweaty, and extremely grimy. My job for most of the week was putting up vinyl siding which had been stored in a wet spot of ground that received little sun. Each strip was covered in mud, leaves, pine needles and a fair amount of slugs which I continuously stuck my fingers in. We'd sweep the siding off (there was no electricity or running water for a hose) cut it with what we lovingly called "snips" which had my hands bruised by the end of the week, and cross our fingers that we'd measured correctly and hung them true. Most of the time, our fearless leader would come around the corner, inspect our work, and have us start over. It was difficult, and frustrating, but we kept our sense of humor.

As you can imagine, coming home to electricity, water, soap and (honestly) a toilet, was pretty nice. On one day, I went out to check our blueberry bushes and discovered several were ripe and ready to eat! Plus, they were HUGE. Beautiful, plump and oh so sweet. I took a photo of one and posted it on Facebook. Then, since I'd been away from electronics all day, I started to read headlines from the BBC, and catch up with friends' posts. And I realized that while I was off feeling so good about building this home and then celebrating the glory of a blueberry, horrifying events were happening. In that moment, I thought of that stupid blueberry photo and how insensitive and lost in my world I'd been. It was my punch to the heart moment.

Here's what I wrote on my Facebook wall:

"After I posted my blueberry photo, I realized how crazy and selfish it is to post a photo of an especially large blueberry when there is so much horrific violence going on around the world. And close to home, learning of the tragic death of a woman who babysat for us when we were kids. I am thinking about all the people who are touched by grief every day. Every day there are horrors and tragedies. And every day there are things like the wonder of a blueberry you picked from a bush you've been nurturing for ten and a half years. And every day there are cats doing cute things. And baby photos posted by a proud new grandparent. Every day there is sadness. And every day there is joy. And every day there is love. And who gets what every day seems to be a cruel crapshoot. And I don't know what to do about that except try to remember it. And try to be more kind. So I am sorry about the blueberry. But I am also grateful for it. Maybe more so because it grows despite the sorrow."

After that initial punch of guilt over the blueberry I realized that the world continues to spin no matter what happens on it. I have had my share of grief and I know what it feels like to not understand how this is so. There have been days in deep sorrow when I couldn't understand how people could keep going on with their daily lives, oblivious to the pain next door. But they do. We all do, eventually. And this, too, is another type of moment of clarity, or realization: That when faced with despair, we have a choice. We can feel the despair, and carry on trying to make the world a better place, or we can feel the despair and let it win.

The day after the blueberry incident, after feeling that despair and anger over all that senseless killing, I was filled with more determination than ever. I wasn't changing the world, but small acts of good work add up, and they do make the world a little better. I really believe that. I went back to that frustrating siding with a vengeance. I was determined to work harder. To make that house more beautiful. Liveable. Loveable. It fueled me. On the last day, we nailed the final piece of siding up. But the walls were still dirty-looking and it was hard to feel 100% proud. So another woman and I (she is a teacher!) filled a bucket with water from a nearby stream, got some rags, and washed every last strip until it looked new. We had to refill that darn bucket over and over because the water got muddy so fast. I fell in the stream up to my knee and had to spend half the day with one wet foot. It was gross and stinky but I didn't care. Because in the end, the siding did look just like new.

So what does all of this have to do with fiction? I would argue that this is how stories work. The protagonist makes a big realization, usually early on in the story, and it's what sets the story in motion. It's how quests begin. They hinge on a choice: give up or carry on and try to fix the problem. Fixing the problem, solving the mystery, trying to survive, whatever the situation, that's your story. And whatever it is that fuels your character to try, that's your characterization.

So what, specifically, is your character's big realization and what fuels him or her to try to make things better, or survive?

I started this entry talking about my work with that gross siding. And it seemed like kind of a drawn out story to get to my point. But I told it because of all the parallels I see in writing, and in particular revision. We almost never get it right the first time. We think we've measured correctly, or at least well enough, but when we step back and look, we can see it's a little off balance. So we take things down. We get help. We get feedback. we remeasure. We try again. We get dirty. We get frustrated. (Luckily there are no slugs!) But something in us doesn't let us give up. Something fuels us to keep going. And eventually, we get it right. Then we clean it up. And hopefully we feel good about it. Hopefully we feel proud. :-)

Today, I want you to think about your story, your protagonist, and what he or she is facing. Why is his or her story important to you? Why is this story worth telling? Try filling in the blanks:

This is a story about a _________________ who realizes/learns that _____________________________________________________ . So, he/she __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ .

This story is important to me because ______________________________________________ .

OR...

If you aren't working on a particular story, try writing to the prompt, "Maybe I was wrong..."

I hope you'll share what you come up with!

And as always, have fun. :-)

Love,
Jo


My son and I, working for Habitat for Humanity

Welcome to Week #2 of Teachers Write!

A few years ago I was on a panel with our own Kate Messner. We were sharing tips and techniques we use in workshops with kids, and Kate provided this simple yet brilliant worksheet she gives kids to help them pinpoint what their story is about.

Here it is:

Fill in the blanks...

This is a story about _______________________________________ .

But underneath that, it's a story about ________________________________ .


These two very basic and seemingly simple questions go straight to the heart of the book, don't they?

When I introduce these to my own students, I give Harry Potter as an example.

This is a story about a lonely boy being raised by a cruel aunt and uncle who discovers he's a wizard, and not only that, he must defeat an evil wizard in order to save the day.

But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who wants to be loved.

As you all know, these two themes run through the entire seven books of Harry Potter. But it's the second one that is what endears Harry to us. It is the deeper, more meaningful and emotional one, that brings us to tears. This underlying theme is a shadow moving through every chapter. It's the real thing that drives Harry forward.

I would argue that this is the case in every story. There's the overarching drive, and then there's the more emotional one. Think about the book you're currently reading, or one you've read recently and fill in the blanks above. See what I mean?

For your Monday Morning Warm-Up, try it with your own work-in-progress. Can you do it? Don't worry if you're struggling. Sometimes those questions are hard to answer early on. It's in revision that you really need to know, and start weaving the deeper thread through your work. But keep those two sentences near your workspace, ready to be filled in, or reread as reminders. This is the big want that will keep you on track as you move your story forward. Because naming that "underneath that" part of the equation is where you'll find the true heart of your book. As I said, it's OK if you don't know how to answer it yet. But soon, you will need to. It will be your anchor, and it will be the emotional arc of your story. The piece that allows you to add depth and meaning and heart to your work.

Since that panel with Kate, I've come up with additional fill-in-the-blank questions to help my students go even deeper into the heart of their books. Again, the questions are simple, yet the answers help lead students to the core of their journey, the real purpose.

Try these:

This is a story about a boy/girl who wants ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really wants _______________________ .

This is a story about a boy who wants to defeat Voldemort.
But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who really wants to be loved.

This is a story about a boy/girl who needs ___________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who really needs _______________________ .

This is a story about a boy who needs to fulfill his destiny in order to survive.
But underneath that, it's about a boy who really needs to keep his friends and new-found family.

This is a story about a boy/girl who is afraid of ________________________________ .
But underneath that, it's about a boy/girl who is really afraid of ______________________ .

This is a story about a boy who is afraid of Lord Voldemort and the dark wizards who threaten to destroy Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.

But underneath that, it's a story about a boy who is really afraid of losing the world and people he loves.

I hope you all have fun with this warm-up. And feel free to share in the comments! I will be away working on helping to rebuild a home with Habitat for Humanity all week, but I will be back in the evenings to reply to your comments if you leave them. I'm looking forward to hearing what you come up with!

Love,
Jo

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Teachers Write!!!!

This is such an exciting day. I love the thought of all you teachers all over the country writing together and putting your stories into the universe. It's a beautiful thing.

My role in Teachers Write is to provide a weekly writing prompt to all of you to help get you warmed up for the week. These prompts are meant to be fun, but also inspiring. I will try to help you think more deeply about your work: your intent, your stories, your characters. I hope you'll stop by each week to check in, try the prompts, and share how things are going!

To start you off, I want to ask you to think about finding the beauty in your work, no matter what your story is about. Why beauty? Every year, I choose a theme to try to live by, or live up to. It helps me stay grounded on hard days, and it helps remind me of the big picture when little things get me down. This year, my theme is "Finding Beauty". You can read more about what I mean by that here: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/480410.html

Even in the grittiest, saddest, hardest stories we read (or live), there is almost always a glimmer of hope somewhere. It's what makes us read on, or live on. And that's the point. In fiction, this glimmer, this promise, is the heart of your story.

Often when we start writing we give our characters a big conflict. Even in picture books, the theme is to try fail, try fail, try fail, succeed! What's the beauty there? The willingness to keep trying after each failure. The beauty is hope.

The beauty in our work is why we write in the first place. It's why the story called to us. It could be triumph, it could be love, it could be survival. Joy. Discovery. Truth. Understanding. Forgiveness.

Many of you are beginning your stories today, so you may not even know exactly what you'll be writing about, or where your character's journey will lead. But you can still think about the themes that are important to you, and how underneath that, lies something beautiful. It's where the heart is, or will be, pumping life into your story.

Today, I ask you to consider the work you plan on doing this summer for Teachers Write. First, think about the over-arching story. Then, think about why this story is important to you. What's calling you to write this particular one? What do you think the beauty of it will be?

I hope you'll share in the comments. But I also know that sometimes, these are the things we want to keep close to our hearts. (And if that's the case, I hope you'll just say hi.) But do keep it, either way. And revisit what you've written as you write your story, and especially when you get stuck, as an important reminder of why you are doing this, and why you must keep going.

Good luck everyone! And next week, we'll get to more specific exercises/prompts as you dig deep into your stories. I can't wait!!!!

Love

Jo

The past four days have been nonstop smiling, hugging, note-taking, speech-giving, workshop attending, bad-food binging, wine drinking, late night talking, friend-making, lack-of-sleeping awesomeness.

Usually I document absolutely everything with photos but somehow I got almost none! So I will have to try very hard to plant these memories firmly in my heart. I don't think it will be hard.

Thursday started with dinner in Stowe, VT (which I'd somehow never been to) at an amazing restaurant called The Phoenix with members of the DCF committee. I had the best veggie burger I've ever eaten and met some fascinating people. Great conversation about books and art and kids and nature. Wow.

I was also given the news that the keynote speaker for the conference had a flight cancellation so I would be the keynote speaker instead. *gulp* But I must admit it was the most uplifting, rewarding experience. I've never felt so truly connected to an audience as I did that morning. I talked about books that change us, books that save us, and the role teachers and librarians have in connecting that special book to that child in need. I was that child. And I am so grateful I had the opportunity to talk to a roomful of teachers and librarians who are the ones who bridge the reader and book. It was a real gift to be able to thank them, and encourage them.

Here is a photo of me with Grace Greene as the audience gave my first ever standing ovation. What a moment. I don't think our faces are reflecting the awe and gratitude I was feeling. But it may just be because my friend Cindy was trying to take the photo with my phone :-)



Thank you Grace, for inviting me to speak at this special conference. It was an honor.

Directly after that talk, I was in a break-out session to keep the discussion going and it was both intimate and eye-opening. There may have been some tears. What a wonderful audience.

After that, we had lunch and then it was time to listen to Gary Schmidt! I love his books so much and his talk was very powerful. I'm really glad I got to be there to hear it!

I signed lots and lots of books, which is always a thrill. One woman couldn't decide who to have me sign her book to. Martha finally won. :-)



Then, it was time to head to Springfield, MA for the NESCBWI conference. Cindy Faughnan and I drove through the mountains, coming upon rainbow after rainbow. It was the perfect way to close a magical day.



We met Tamra Smith and Sharon Darrow in Hartland, VT and continued our journey to Springfield. Sadly we were so late I missed the faculty dinner so we went out seeking a restaurant and it took so long to get back we missed the cocktail party, too! Boo! But it was lovely to have some quiet time together.

Saturday morning, I got to sit with long-time writing partners Cindy Faughnan and Debbi Michiko Florence. This was our first conference together, even though we have been working together for, oh, close to ten years? :-)



We listened to Peter Reynolds talk about the power of a single dot. But more importantly, the power of a teacher's encouragement to trust that you are just as special as anyone else. That your dot, your words, _you_ matter. It was a continuation of the theme that began back in Stowe, and it filled my heart with hope for those kids who need to hear that message most.

At lunch, I had the honor to present Tamara Ellis Smith with the first of two Marguerite (Peggy) Davol scholarships. What a joy! Then, I accepted the Crystal Kite Award for SEE YOU AT HARRY'S. Also, obviously a big joy. A big honor. A huge moment. In my acceptance speech, I talked about how there were times when I thought Harry's was just too hard to write. And how it was friends (including Peggy) at an NESCBWI conference years ago who gave me the courage to keep trying. I also talked about how last year, a friend was having similar feelings about her own work, and how we also encouraged her to not give up. Well, she didn't, and she just got her first book deal! :-) I extend that message to all of you, feeling doubt about whether you can do this thing. You can. It will be hard. And it will probably require you to work extremely hard. But if you are willing, you can do it. You CAN!



Saturday night proved to all of us that this conference can feel just a wee bit too big and overwhelming, as we realized just how impossible it was to find each other and try to meet for dinner and then find those we couldn't earlier to meet to visit and chat at night. Yikes! There were so many people at this conference I meant to see and catch up with but I simply never did. Usually we at least spy each other walking through the halls but boy there were just so many people it became impossible. I love that this conference has grown, that so many people are pursuing their dreams of telling their stories. But I also wish I could have been in about ten places at the same time, so that I hadn't missed catching up with so many dear friends.

On Sunday morning, Laurel Snyder talked about who we write for, and how to filter out the voices and advice that stifle our creativity. My favorite quote: "You can't write for everybody because everybody isn't a person." I have been thinking about that a lot.

Then I got to give a workshop on "Brave Beginnings" and encourage people to rethink the beginnings of their works-in progress. I realize now this workshop could have easily been 2 hours long instead of 1. But I hope people were inspired by the blank page and could see how sometimes not looking at what's already there can be liberating and help them find the beginning that works just right.

Driving home with friends, it was awfully quiet. I think we all had our own thoughts swirling around in our hearts. The friends we reconnected with. The people we met for the first time. The advice we received. The food we regretted eating. But mostly, that question about who we write for, and who we want to reach, and why, and how we can, and what might happen if we do.

Thank you to all the volunteers who make this conference possible. There is a reason it keeps growing, and it's because you all make it so wonderful.



~*~*~*~*~*~

Think about what Laurel said about how you can't write for everybody because everybody isn't a person. Think about it really carefully. And now think about who we _DO_ write for? Think about who _YOU_ write for. Who do you imagine reader your words? Who do you want to, most specifically? Write a letter to that person and explain why. Why do you want him/her to hear your story? Why him/her most of all? What do you want this special reader to know? To hear? To feel? Then, if you're still feeling brave, share!