Journal
Journal
03/10/23 Taking Time to Write
It's been great to participate in this year's Book Revision Lab, to reconnect with my old writing pals from 2020’s Novel Incubator while adding new people to my writing community. Everyone has been ...
01/26/23 Taking Time to Write
I enjoy novels written with multiple points of view. I love experiencing the same plot twists and storylines viewed from different perspectives. It’s amazing how the same event can look really diffe...
12/22/22 Taking Time to Write
Every day in my first-grade classroom, my students and I read stories together. We discuss the author’s message, describe the characters and the setting, and share our reactions. Then, we reread our...
11/03/22 Taking Time to Write
For years, whenever I thought about writing a book, I imagined myself sitting at a desk in a small cabin on a lake. With endless hours stretched out before me, I would produce page upon page, giving m...
09/27/22 Taking Time to Write
When I decided to take my first writing class at Project Write Now, what if questions crept in. What if my writing is awful? What if the other people in the class are way better than me? What if I can...
08/25/22 Taking Time to Write
People say, “If you want a task done quickly, ask a busy person to do it.” Meaning a busy person manages time wisely and gets things done while someone with more free time might squander away hour...
07/28/22 Taking Time to Write
Many writers are familiar with the practice of “reading like a writer”—paying close attention to an author’s choices while reading to better hone our own writing skills. We observe what other ...
06/20/22 Taking Time to Write
As an elementary school teacher, I often read and discuss stories with my students. Recently, we read Giraffes Can’t Dance, a tale about a giraffe who believes he can’t dance because the other ani...
05/23/22 Taking Time to Write
To help to prioritize my writing time, I like the metaphor of putting rocks, pebbles, and sand in a jar. The biggest rocks are the most important things that should be placed in the jar first, allowin...
04/28/22 Taking Time to Write
The writer’s retreat sounded perfect: The gift of time, unstructured, peaceful days to write, surrounded by nature, away from everyday stresses and demands.
As a full-time first-grade teacher...