Stories, plays, books, articles and classes for children, teachers and writers.
Posted in A Writer's Life, Holidays and Observances, Writing for children on Oct 13th, 2009
I threw my back out and couldn’t sit at the computer long enough to write a post, but I’m back now (and so’s my back).
Today is National Face Your Fears Day. I really like this one. It’s the opposite of the old maxim, “Don’t look back, something may be gaining on you.” I prefer to [...]
Posted in Writing Prompts, Writing for children on Oct 9th, 2009
This isn’t really a prompt story. It’s something I wrote that goes with my book, Turtle Island. It’s one of the teaching tales of the Gopher Tribe. I cut it from the book but liked it enough to save it for some future use. I hope you enjoy it.
FIRST GOPHER AND THE THREE SISTERS
In [...]
Posted in Holidays and Observances on Oct 8th, 2009
Today is Alvin C. York Day. Ever heard of him? Probably not if you don’t live in Tennessee. He made quite a splash, back in his day. He was the “most well known soldier of World War I” and a movie was made about him in 1942, Sargeant York, for which Gary Cooper won the [...]
Posted in A Writer's Life, Writing Basics, Writing for children on Oct 7th, 2009
I am working on Halloween costumes for my granddaughters (fairy dresses with “ice cream cone hats,” as ordered). As I was tweaking the pattern for the dresses, I realized how similar my process is in both sewing and writing.
When I was a beginning seamstress, I did exactly what the pattern directions told me. Now, the [...]
Posted in Writing Prompts, Writing for children on Oct 6th, 2009
My picture book, On No, Woolly Bear is an autumn story. Let’s see if I can come up with another one. How about one from real life?
NUTS!
“I’d better get the recyles cleared out,” Daddy said. “I can’t believe it’s October already. Pretty soon, it’ll be cold enough to freeze an ogre’s toes!”
“Can I go [...]
Posted in A Writer's Life, Writing for children on Oct 5th, 2009
I got to do a reading of Oh No, Woolly Bear on Friday. It was a great experience, as usual, and really got me psyched up to do more school visits. My goal for this week is to get at least ten more visits lined up. There are plenty of schools on this side of [...]
Posted in Holidays and Observances on Oct 4th, 2009
Today is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint, according to American Catholic.org of animals, ecology, Italy and merchants. The last seems very odd to me since Saint Francis renounced all material wealth, even going so far as to take off his clothes and walk naked through Assisi to show his [...]
Posted in Writing Prompts, Writing for children on Oct 3rd, 2009
SHOE BERRIES
“George knows his colors!” 5-year-old Susan exclaimed. George, her 2-year-old brother stood grinning in the doorway.
“Really? That’s wonderful, George,” Mother said.
“Debbie and I just taught him red and green and orange and yellow,” Susan said proudly. She ran back outside.
“So, George. What color is this?” asked Mother, pointing to a red rose in a [...]
Posted in Writing Basics, Writing for children on Oct 2nd, 2009
I’ve been working on a YA historical novel written in first person reminiscent narrative style. This is tricky because the viewpoint continually moves back and forth between scenes of the narrator as a child and the narrator as an older person commenting on her childhood. one of the best examples of this style is To [...]
Posted in A Writer's Life, Holidays and Observances, Writing for children on Oct 1st, 2009
I ran across a great website, Brownielocks, that lists holidays and observances for every day of the year. Today is International Older Persons Day. The World Health Organization classifies older persons as over sixty. I haven’t quite achieved older person status, but I’m getting closer by the minute.
With the demise of extended families, elders were [...]
Grian McFadden writes award winning fiction and non-fiction for and about children, as well as teaching materials for various educational publishers.