Teachers Write - Sunday Check-In 4.1

Welcome back! You made it through week one of Teachers Write! Aren't you loving it? All of the prompts and exercises made me think and so many of the questions on Wednesday were ones I was happy to hear answers to. Friday Feedback was a hit, too. I can't wait to hear what you loved about Teachers Write this week and what your new goals are for this week. 

Today I would like to remind everyone that writing is a process. That means there are some steps we have to go through. But other than that, we have to find what works for us - and in turn, our students. I've learned to trust the process and accept that it works differently for each of us and it might work differently every time we write. 

At Nerdcamp last week, I moderated an author panel with Tricia Springstubb, Cassie Beasley, Lisa Graff, Laurie Keller, Kristen Kittscher, and Erin Soderberg (Downing). I called it Secrets of the Writing Process. They shared their writing process and while we talked through brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing...each of their styles was unique. There are no secrets! There are just lots of ideas to try to see what works and doesn't work for you.

What I love about Teachers Write and taking time once a week to reflect is that I hope you take a few minutes to go all meta and think about what you have learned about writing. What works for you? What doesn't work for you? What helps you overcome fears of that blank page? What - or maybe who - encouraged you to keep going? And how did it feel when you did? 

Recognize all the tricks in your own writing toolbox but open your eyes to others that may not work for you but that you can have at the ready for students. Know that when you feel caught up in the hot mess, it's possible to keep going because you have a toolbox full of ideas. Remember that what works for you might not be what works for students. Soak up all the advice here at Teachers Write because you never know what you might be able to share with a student writer who needs your support. 

First to share, I've blogged about 10 Things About My Writing where I thought about what I know (at least at this moment) about writing and what works for me. This idea comes from Clarissa Harwood and you can read her post, too. Last year, I also blogged about what strategies worked for me. Maybe you want to take a snapshot like this of what works right now...and then you can see how you change over the next few weeks. P.S. Wouldn't this be so fun to ask students to do at the beginning of the year, throughout the year, and then at the end?

Now, I'm going to share some of my all-time favorite resources and feel free to chime in with any that have impacted you as a writer this week or ever. We'll build a mega-list of off-the-hook writing resources! I wholeheartedly recommend all of these!

 

Marcie Atkins (lots of mentor texts ideas and resources)
Linda Urban
Tara Lazar - Writing For Kids (While Raising Them)
National Writing Project
Teachers College - Reading and Writing Project
Plot Whisperer
Two Writing Teachers

My Teachers Write Weekly Recap:

It's been a whirlwind of a week for me. Last Sunday, I made the trek to Michigan for Nerdcamp and didn't get home until late Tuesday. I loved reading everyone's comments here and I tried to respond as much as I could but after coming back from Nerdcamp, I had two days of professional development in my new district and now my nephews are in town. It feels like I've barely had time to breathe!

These crazy guys are fun but nonstop energy!

But here's why I love this weekly reflection - despite all of the hectic-ness of this week, I still fit in time to write. It wasn't what I had planned or hoped but I still made time to fit things in. I had hoped to be drafting this last week but I was still finishing up  a major revision of my novel. But now that major revision is done and off to readers so I can actually focus on a first draft I started last summer. I'm ready to crank out some words!

My goal for this week is to write for one hour everyday and/or 1,000 words. I would love to add at least 7,000 words by next Sunday Check-In so we'll see how it goes!

A reminder of my rules for Teachers Write Sunday Check-Ins:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we do.

2. We only offer constructive criticism.

3. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

4. We recognize and maintain this as a safe environment.

Today, in the comments section:

What resources do you have in your toolbox that you love what in comes to supporting students?

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)
What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)
What are you looking forward to and planning for the week ahead?

*Thank you for replying to each other's comments! I read them all and I will do my best to reply but there are a lot of us so thanks for cheering each other on!

59 Reasons to Write

Teachers Write changed me. It changed my life - as an educator, as a blogger, as a writer, as a person. I'll never forget when Kate Messner told me she mapped out a plan for a virtual summer writing camp for teachers while on her morning bike ride back in 2012. 

The first thing I thought was Kate Messner is amazing. 
And the second thing I thought was Hooray! 

I had been writing but I wasn't sure what I was doing, how I was doing, or where I was going. I was writing but I was lost. And then Kate dreamed up Teachers Write and I didn't just feel found, I felt wrapped up in a writer hug - safe and secure, supported and taken seriously. I know now that when someone takes you seriously, it's a whole lot easier to take yourself seriously. And when someone else believes in you - stands next to you and supports you - you can't help but feel safe and secure. With Teachers Write, I had what I needed to write more, to explore what worked and what didn't, to try new things, to think about how writing myself would help me know how to better help student writers. The Teachers Write community helped - and still helps - me immensely. Kate and Gae and Jo, the generous, book-related people and all the teachers taking risks in writing have all touched my heart. 

Me and Kate Messner - Our Amazing Teachers Write Leader

Now, I get to celebrate Teachers Write in a new way - by sharing Kate's new book 59 Reasons to Write. The GoodReads summary shares this description: "Throughout the book she offers mini-lessons, writing prompts, and bursts of inspiration designed to get you writing every day, whether on your own or as part of a group. Dozens of guest authors also share their writing processes and secrets, from brainstorming ideas and organizing research to developing characters and getting unstuck from writer’s block." Fabulous, right?

Kate points out what writers do - how teachers might do it, too - and then how students might as well! It's perfect. Kate talks about how writing along with students impacted her writing instruction. How she looked at texts as models but how her own writing became a model for students as well. She talks about the process and how writing scared is good - maybe even great. Kate explores plot and character, fiction and non-fiction. And she asks her writer friends to talk about these things (and more) as well. 59 Reasons to Write gave me ideas for my session for Day 1 of NerdCamp Michigan and I'm sure you'll find ideas for your own writing and for your students. Every one of the 59 reasons is great. 

I believe in writing with students and helping them have an authentic writing experience instead of fixing sentences in workbooks or finding figurative language on a worksheet. Here's what Kate has to say:

"Writing this book has reminded me of the joy in the journey,

the importance of celebrating process, 

for ourselves and for the writers we teach.

When we write alongside them, we are more than teachers; 

we are mentors and travelers on the same 

rocky path of the writing process." (p. 196)

The process is a journey and there is so much to learn along the way. I couldn't agree more with Kate, traveling with our students is critical. Whether you already write with your students or are ready to embark on the journey with them, I hope you'll read 59 Reasons to Write!

Teachers Write - Weekly Reflection #7

Wah! Teachers Write is over. It made me sad to see Kate's Friday Farewell and Gae's final Friday Feedback (for the summer). This summer was full of fun and lots of traveling for me and loads of writing. Being able to connect with our Teachers Write community again was definitely a highlight of this summer. Over the last three summers I've learned so much and know that I've developed, grown, evolved as a writer like crazy. NaNoWriMo got me semi-started on my novel but Teachers Write really helped me to get to where I am now. I agree with Gae that the summer went way too fast but I can say that I made the most of it and that it was great. If you read Kate's post, you saw that Teachers Write will be back next summer and that's hooray-worthy...and even more exciting, Kate has a new teacher book coming out, too. Did you see!?! 59 Reasons to Write is going to be amazing, I'm sure. I cannot wait for this book and will be sharing it with colleagues for sure. 

Teachers Write is officially over for this summer but we have Kate's 59 Reasons to Write to look forward to and next summer will be here before we know it. So what do we do until next summer and Teachers Write comes around? Well, we get to share our love (and sometimes frustrations or vulnerability or doubts) with students. This is where Teachers Write gets to make it's most important impact: on students in our classrooms. 

Let's reflect this week on which strategies, supports or ideas worked for you this summer. Participating in the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? meme helps me look at how my reading life ebbs and flows. Reflecting every week during Teachers Write helps me see how my writing life has its own ups and downs. There are a few things that stand out as far as which strategies keep me going.

1. Knowing My Why - I've thought a lot about why I write...especially when it's hard and I find myself revising again. I stick with it because I believe in the process. I believe that I can continually make my writing better and learn more about myself along the way. Whether I'm writing fiction or non-fiction, writing fuels me. I'm passionate about spreading my love of writing with teachers I work with and ultimately, to students. If I ever feel discouraged, I remind myself why I write.
2. Setting Goals and Checking In - I hope you enjoyed our Sunday Check-Ins and that you learned something about yourself in terms of setting goals and reflecting on them. I'm a very goal-oriented person. Just this week, I received a compliment from a colleague who said that I get things done. That felt amazing and I'm very proud of being able to get things done. My strategy for getting things done is being specific about what my goal is - whether it's word count or minutes per day - and then deciding how I'll check in and adjust what I'm doing. Going forward, I'll continue to use my Google spreadsheet to keep track of how I'm doing.
3. Making Time and Space - Yes, making time again. It's about making time. I know that I have to make the time and that sometimes finding a super-productive space makes a difference, too. Each week and each day, thinking about when I can fit writing in and where has been a great strategy for making sure I get writing in. This past week I wrote twice during lunch at work and there was one night when I didn't, promising myself I could make up for it the next night. Being conscious of the fact that I need a plan for when and where makes it more likely that my writing will happen.
4. Rallying My Team - Last week, we talked about having a support team. For me, when I set my mind to something, I tell my family and friends and I seek out people who might share their experiences and/or be my cheerleaders. I believe in the growth mindset and know that I always have something to learn so it helps me keep going if I surround myself with people who encourage me. 

If you've read Visible Learning for Teachers by John Hattie, you know that the number one influence on student achievement is self-reported grades - of students self-assessing and setting expectations for themselves. This is similar to setting goals and checking in and by analyzing my writing life - what works and what doesn't, when I feel energized and motivated and when I feel ready to throw in the towel - I know what strategies work well for me. I'll continually be reassessing my writing life, trying new ideas and comparing them to what I've found to work already. I'm excited to see how I'll develop as a writer between now and next summer when Teachers Write rolls around again. I have no idea what this school year has in store and where my writing will take me but I'm ready to find out.

When working with and encouraging student writers, 

I urge you to remember your Teachers Write experience.

Stay true to your writer self and nourish the writers you teach.

What strategies did you try? 

Which exercises and prompts got your writing on a roll?

What conversations and feedback helped you stay the course? 

Who were the people who believed in you and recognized you as the writer you are? 

Why not invite students to try their hand at writing? 

How might you help students truly know that writing is a process and that it's okay to start with crap?

How might you help them find the strategies that work for them?

I didn't think I was going to cry, but Oh! the tears. Teachers Write changed my life. YOU have entered my heart. I agree with Imagine Dragons and this lyric from their song On Top of the World: "If you love somebody, you better tell them while they're here." Thank you for being here, thank you for committing to Teachers Write whether this is your first, second, or third year. I appreciate you and your support of me and for letting me into your life by sharing your writing life with me. I know I feel pretty gosh-darn great and proud of everything I accomplished this summer and you should, too! Here's a song for you...I hope you take the time to celebrate - dance around your house, throw your hands in the air in victory, pat yourself on the back, buy yourself a Starbucks to celebrate. However you decide to celebrate, please do. Whether you did as much as you hoped to do or not, you win. Bravo, you!

My Teachers Write Weekly Recap:

This week was a much better week for me. I wasn't able to make time to write everyday but I did find a few spots when I could focus in. I stayed up super late Friday night working away on this revision. I'm almost to the end and feeling like I'll definitely be ready to query soon. I'm amazed by how much I have evolved as a writer in the last three years. I know we won't be officially checking in next week but I'm going to keep writing away. My goal is to finish revisions and send out queries soon. I plan to continue writing here, for Choice Literacy, and drafting my next novel. I'm going to make it official: by the beginning of Teachers Write next summer, my goal is to have a complete first draft of my next novel. Feel free to tweet me and check in on my writing!

A reminder of my rules for Teachers Write Sunday Check-Ins:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we do.

2. We only offer constructive criticism.

3. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

4. We recognize and maintain this as a safe environment.

Today, in the comments section:

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)
What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)
What are you looking forward to and planning for the YEAR ahead?

Which strategies work for you?

What will you continue going into the school year?

How has Teachers Write impacted you?

Poetry Friday: A Is For Awesome

Today Poetry Friday is hosted by children's author and poet, Robyn Hood Black. Thank Robyn for sharing all the great Poetry Friday posts! Be sure to check on over at Robyn's blog for other terrific poetry posts!

Title: A Is For Awesome 
Author: Dallas Clayton 
Illustrator: Dallas Clayton 
Publisher: Candlewick 
Publication Date: March, 11th, 2014 
Genre/Format: Poetry/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Inspirational artist Dallas Clayton infuses his trademark whimsical art and positive message into an absolutely awesome alphabet book.

Alliterative and rhyming words of wisdom surrounded by all new art fill this energetic alphabet book by Dallas Clayton. Bursting with color and life, each spread offers a rhythmic phrase and an abundance of artwork illustrating the featured letter. The message of dreaming big and living life to its fullest permeates every page, inviting readers to "learn some new letters that you can use to make magical words and share big ideas." 
What I Think: I'm a complete optimist and I'm not afraid to admit it because I think it's a great way to look at the world. Sometimes I get caught off guard when something suddenly seems big and overwhelming or I'm struck by an idea someone has that completely challenges or shocks me...and I've noticed lately that I've had those encounters and I've felt rattled. My change in position this year puts me in so many schools and encountering so many teachers with different perspectives and different experiences in education. I wholeheartedly believe that all kids can learn and that it's a teachers job to give kids experiences that scaffold learning for them so that they can access the learning we want them to. Surprisingly enough, I see people making decisions that don't reflect this and it hurts.
    I don't want to get off track but my point is that I so needed to read this book. I've read Dallas Clayton's An Awesome Book! and I was expecting something uplifting and I really enjoyed this so much. As I read, I thought of so many people I would love to gift this book to. Likewise, I was thinking this is a book I need to read every morning to remind me that A is for Awesome and everything is All good.
     When I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2003, I came up with a mantra that I repeated to myself every time I went out for a run, "I am beautiful, I am strong, I can run a marathon." Lately, when I run, I find myself spelling out the letters, "I-M-A-R-U-N-N-E-R." This kind of self talk completely helps me when I run but encouraging students to have their own catchphrase that they use to cheer themselves on is great. This year, I've modeled free writing for students and we say, "Bring it on blank page!" and then after we write, we say, "We proved it on the page!" Both of these phrases seem to help kids feel that they can write and then to celebrate when they have written.
     A is for Awesome is an opportunity to share some positive self talk with students. Students could choose one of the rhymes from the book and decide if they want to memorize it or if they want to write their own variation. I love the idea that they might have this phrase to encourage themselves and believe in themselves whether it's in writing or something else.
Read Together: Grades K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades K - 4 
Read With: The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud 
Snatch of Text:  

"D is for dreaming things never expected"

"L is for living life up to its fullest"

"M is for making the most of your day"

"V is for values and keeping them true" 

Writing Prompts: Write your own personal positive self-talk phrase using the ideas in A is for Awesome.  
Topics Covered: Optimism, Determination 

I *heart* It:

The One Where Words Don't Come #slice2014

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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All day I've thought of writing about chores and how I'd rather do laundry than any other type of housework and now I'm trying to make the words come out of my head and it's just not happening. 

I'm trying to find my way into a story where I profess my love of doing laundry and expound upon why laundry is the best kind of chore and I would pick it any day over doing dishes, cleaning toilets, dusting. 

I'm sitting here with my eyes closed, remembering the smell of warm laundry right out of the dryer...feeling the soft fabric...folding and folding and folding. 

I can hear the snap of the dryer door and the clack clack clack as I spin the knob and the slam of my palm on the button that starts the whir of the machine with the clothes spinning and spinning.

But that's it. That's all I can say. I wish I had the energy to make the connection with laundry and a profound, pivotal moment in my life but it's not happening. 

What I can say is that sometimes it's not about working your way into a story or proving a point or reaching the depths of your soul. Sometimes it's about writing whatever comes to your head, letting it all out and seeing where it takes you. It doesn't always have to make sense, it doesn't always have to be toiled over, it doesn't always have to move mountains. 

But it needs to be written. So write.

The One Where Writing Is Awesome #slice2013

Every Tuesday, Ruth and Stacey, host Slice of Life at their blog, Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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Last week was absolutely amazing for my writing life! On Sunday, I loaded up my car and headed off to Indiana to meet up with other Choice Literacy contributors to write and talk about writing. I'm so thankful to Brenda Power, founder of Choice Literacy, for inviting me to be part of this retreat. As soon as I got there, we were sent off to write and bring back something to share with a small group. We shared and talked about our writing and then had free time to get settled. My roommate was Katherine Sokolowski from Read, Write, Reflect. Sunday night, Katherine and I walked down to the lake, dipping our toes in the warm water. It was so peaceful and a perfect beginning to our time there.

This picture is a little dark, but Katherine and I were so excited to be here! I'm glad we were able to be roommates. We talked about blogging, writing for Choice Literacy and working on writing books. The whole time we were there, I was flooded with inspiration from the writers around me and the time to really think about my own writing. It helps to surround yourself with other writers and to be able to talk about writing, support and inspire each other. It was awesome to fall asleep after talking with Katherine about writing and then to wake up and start talking about writing all over again!

As scary as some people find sharing to be, I actually find that sharing is what I love most about writing. I love being able to express myself through writing. Writing something that makes someone else think or laugh or ache or want to write, too, is the most exciting part about writing. Without being able to share my writing, I don't think I would feel as motivated to write. Just knowing that someone somewhere might read what I have written and enjoy it...or hate it enough to be moved by it, is a great feeling. If we look at writing as a way of communicating, then sharing our writing is an integral piece. I believe in giving students experiences where they can share their writing, no matter where they are in the process, I think it's great to give students an authentic experience with sharing their writing. I know it helps me. 

Here is the group of wonderful writers I got to share this experience with! From left to right: Deb Gaby, Katherine Sokolowski, Katie Dicesare, Shari Frost, Max Brand, Ruth Ayres, Franki Sibberson, Brenda Power, Bill Bass (and me!). 

I got lots of writing done for Choice Literacy but also worked on revising my WIP. It was awesome. Here I am hard at work, I found all sorts of writing places but when it was time to spread out, I ended up in our room on my bed.

Look at how happy I was! It was just so energizing and fulfilling to have the focused time to write!

One of the things we revisited throughout our time together was the idea of developing writing habits. Brenda put out rows and rows of cards with writing affirmations on them and asked us to walk around and choose 2-3 that really resonated with us. I'm at a place in my writing where I just need to push myself to make the time to write but also that I need to celebrate when I do get writing done. I chose these two cards:

Every time I sat down to write, I took off my watch (and anything else on my wrists) and read the first card, focusing on the phrase, "Bring it on blank page!" And then when I was done with writing, I did a word count and recorded it on my computer and then read the second card, changing it in my head to, "Today I proved it on the page!" and celebrating that I wrote and just how good it felt. 

This habit has a beginning and an end (with writing in the middle) and it is portable, I can take it anywhere with me at any time, and it really helped me focus on that great feeling of having written something. While I'm sure we all feel relief or satisfaction to know we have written something, I know I didn't always make a conscious effort to really relish in the happiness. Now, I do! And I love it. It reminds me of when I was training for the Chicago Marathon...ten years ago...and I developed a similar routine with a mantra to tell myself again and again and then I always did a celebratory double-fist pump when I finished my run. They say that so much of running a marathon is mental and I think it applies to writing, too. We can't get in our own way, we have to celebrate and motivate ourselves. It's all in the decisions we make. 

Developing writing habits and finding friends to talk to about writing, people who will really critique and support you, is so important. I've never felt so good about my writing. I love writing, I love the writing process, I love sharing my writing but being at the Choice Literacy writing retreat helped me really see myself as the writer that I am. I've been reading The Productive Writer, which Brenda gave us at the retreat, and am so excited to share some of the ideas about writing. So far I feel like I'm owning my writing in a different way and feel empowered as a writer. And that's pretty awesome. 

What experiences have shaped who you are as a writer? How has talking with others about writing influenced you? And what makes writing awesome for you?

Teachers Write Sunday Check-In Week 6

When ALA was in Chicago this summer, I had the opportunity to meet Laura Golden, author of Every Day After. Seeing as Laura is a debut author, I had lots of questions and ideas to share with Laura about writing. It was fun to share my experiences with writing through Teachers Write. 

It just so happened that Laura’s husband was with her at ALA and I talked to him about what it’s like to be married to a writer. Just the week before, I had talked to my husband about a scene in my work-in-progress and I shared it with Laura’s husband. My poor husband...and then Laura’s poor husband had to answer my ridiculous question. My question was this:

When someone’s learning to kiss, what do they practice on? 

How might they practice?

Isn’t that a great question? While I have an idea of what most kids might do, I was curious what someone else would say. (I would love to hear your answers, by the way!) This type of anecdotal research can be so helpful and Laura and I are so grateful to have our husbands to refer to when we want to share writing ideas. When I'm brainstorming how stories will go together or how to get through a revision, I usually run my ideas by my husband. Sometimes he thinks I'm a little goofy, but he always does his best to listen and try to help me work it out.

The hubster and me - my #1 supporter!

In general, talking through problems, with a husband or a friend, can be super helpful. For me, I usually work my way out of my problem when I talk about it but it helps to have someone ask questions or offer some ideas. Last summer, I found a Maquizga (a mini-critique-writing-support-group partner) in Brian Wyzlic. I know that I can go to him for anything about writing - whether I’m stuck or excited to share, I know he’ll be there to support me, too. Thanks to the awesome-ness of Teachers Write, I found Brian and a wonderful community to connect with. It’s a great support network!

Me and Brian - Maquizgas Unite!

Today, I invited Laura to Teach Mentor Texts to talk to me about how helpful it is to have her husband or others to talk to about ideas. This week, the tip is to talk it out. When you are brainstorming, plotting, drafting, revising...just talk it out. Both Laura and I find that it helps so much.

JEN: Hi Laura! Thanks for joining me today! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing?

LAURA: Hi, Jen! Sure! I began writing with an eye toward publication about 8 years ago. I started with picture books, but they proved too tough for me. I’m not kidding. Writers of picture books have my utmost respect. They possess mad talents. My husband convinced me to give middle grade a chance, and four years ago I began working on what became EVERY DAY AFTER. I enjoyed the process, and I’m now working on my second novel. It’s much harder this time around. I’m constantly worrying over perceived successes and failures of my first book, and it’s a huge challenge to shut out the noise and focus on writing. But...I’m learning.  

JEN: Give a big hello to your husband, Michael, for me! Can you talk about how he helps you brainstorm or talk through ideas?

LAURA: (Michael says ‘hi’, Jen!) I didn’t discuss ideas or drafts of EVERY DAY AFTER with him as much as I should have. I was super-scared of failure, so I kept my progress on that one relatively private. I didn’t want to look or sound stupid. But now that I’m working on a second book, all that self-censorship has gone completely out the window. I ask him his thoughts on everything from plot points to names. I hope he’s not sick of me yet, because I have quite a ways to go!  

JEN: Hi, Michael! *waves* Do you find yourself needing to talk through different parts of the writing process more than others? For example, with my own writing, it really helps for me to talk through the whole book so I can see how it comes together. It really helps me during brainstorming. I find that it helps to talk about ideas whenever I get stuck, too. If I get to a part that I’m writing and I just can’t seem to figure it out, it really helps to share that and work through it with someone else.

LAURA: Yes. I’m a pre-plotter, not a pantser. I want to know everything is going to fit--that I’ve found the right pieces to put the puzzle together. I talk to Michael (and my mom) most during this phase of the writing process. I want to know if something is believable or too outlandish/coincidental. If it’s the latter, I’d rather address it before I’m 30,000 words into the story.

I also talk out character motivations and arcs. I’m a total character arc nerd. I want to see change of some sort in the main character at the very least, in several characters at best--not merely that they do or don’t get what they want in the end, but that that desire caused some meaningful change inside them. During my discussions with Michael, I’ll try to make sure that the “goal” leads to “change”. I don’t want to write a story where the MC’s personality remains static the entire time.

JEN: I'm not sure if I'm a plotter or a pantser yet! I kind of do both, going back and forth throughout the process. Do you ever find that by talking to someone else about your writing helps you figure it out on your own? Sometimes, I think I have a problem but by just having someone listen to me, I can work through it on my own!

LAURA: Talking things out definitely helps to get me unstuck. I think perhaps that casual conversation and brainstorming helps to relax my mind. When I’m staring at my notebook or computer screen wracking my brain over a story problem, it typically ends in a block. My brain just shuts down. But when I’m talking things out, my mind opens up to new possibilities and solutions. It’s like magic. For what it’s worth, sleep and riding shotgun in the car also help relax my mind. And it’s nice to know that if I do these things--talk it out, take a ride in the car, or sleep on it--and a solution still doesn’t arrive, chances are Michael will have a suggestion I hadn’t thought of. A nice bonus.  

And, if you don’t mind my asking, I totally have to know: did you arrive at an answer to your kissing question? Michael and I voted “a pillow” and “arm”. Final verdict? ;-)

JEN: Right now, the practicing kissing scene is how my manuscript currently starts off and I went with my husband’s suggestion of...fruit! My main character’s best friend actually suggests she practice on her but she ends up going with the fruit, a plum, as a matter of fact. But there’s a chance I can work in some more practice and maybe I can work in her arm or her pillow.

LAURA: Ha! A plum! Love it. Excellent choice. Thank you for sharing. :-) And many more thanks for having me on your blog. I’m a big fan, and it was such fun talking writerly processes with you--both here and at ALA. Hope we meet again soon!

Laura and me at the Newbery banquet in June!

JEN: Thank you so much for sharing some of your process with us! I so appreciate it and love the idea of going for a ride or sleeping on an idea. I can see how both of them would help me clear my head or help me work through ideas.

My Teachers Write Weekly Recap:

I'm so happy to be able to look back at this week and know that I really got a lot of great writing done. It was such a wonderful week. I'll share more about my experience at the Choice Literacy writing retreat during my Slice of Life on Tuesday, but what I can share today is that I wrote over 3,000 words between articles for Choice Literacy and my Slice of Life from last week and then I also revised the first chapter of my novel. Delving back into my novel and piecing together a first chapter that I'm proud of feels phenomenal. I think the beginning is much stronger now. I shared part of it on Friday Feedback with Gae and with Brian and another friend. 

At the Choice Literacy writing retreat, I was able to talk so much about writing and the writing process. It's really amazing to talk with others who are writing and share the ups and down of writing. It was like Teachers Write come live and in person. It made me think about how phenomenal it would be to have a Teachers Write retreat someday...how awesome would that be?

I also worked on developing writing habits which I'll share Tuesday. Can't wait!

A reminder of my rules for Teachers Write Sunday Check-Ins:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we do.

2. We only offer constructive criticism.

3. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

4. We recognize and maintain this as a safe environment.

**I reserve every right to put the smackdown
on anyone who messes with our positive energy.**

Today, in the comments section:
Do you have someone you turn to for writing support?
What do you look for in someone to talk to about your writing?

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?
What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)
What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)
What are you looking forward to and planning for the week ahead?