The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt it didn't matter. --- Edward Albee

Linda left a comment on my last rereading post reminding us about the voices we ask kids to turn off when they are writing. You know the voices -- the monsters that tell you evil things like: This is dumb; You can't write: Why are you writing those words? These monsters must be squelched. This… Continue reading Little Writer or Little Monster?

Last Friday, after Christi read Thursday's post about rereading, she said, "Will you teach a lesson like that in here?" Naturally I was game and a little excited. Lessons are always better when you get to try them again. This time, I explained rereading is something writers do to get a feel for how the story… Continue reading More on Rereading

Make plans now to attend the All-Write Summer Institute! I'll be there along with: Jeff Anderson Ann Marie Corgill Georgia Heard Lester Laminack Debbie Miller Katie Wood Ray Terry Thompson Cris Tovani Kristina McBride (YA author of Tension of Opposites) Barbara Morrow (children's author) As if this isn't enough, Gordon Korman will be speaking on… Continue reading Sundays for the Soul: Summer PD

It begins with character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does. --- William Faulkner

This book will be for sale on May 10 and I suggest you make a plan to get it! I've read it to my own kids more than ten times already and today I shared it with two second grade classrooms. True to Lauren Child's work, the illustrations + text are full of whimsy and… Continue reading Slightly Invisible

Something that I've noticed about myself is the thing I do THE MOST when writing is rereading. I spend exorbitant amounts of time rereading. Then I reread some more. Then I reread it aloud. Something  I've noticed writers in classrooms DON'T do is reread. Hardly ever. And when they do reread it is rarely worthwhile. Today I… Continue reading Rereading. Rereading. Rereading.