Entries in Children's Writing (3)
Ignoring My Last Post
In Friday's post I wrote about making writing a priority and saying no to others. However, if I had followed that advice I would not have attended the outstanding Foster Friends writing workshop yesterday. And that would have been a severe loss, indeed.
The Foster Friends network of NC is sponsoring an art and essay contest for children in the Foster Care system in our area. First prize is a $500 savings bond. I was asked by a friend in the program if I would facilitate the 2-hour writing workshop held yesterday. I said yes, and a friend from my writer's group, Daniel, who used to teach Jr. High English, went with me. Thank God. Daniel is a teaching whiz and...
Dena Harris
in Public Speaking, Writing, General, Things to Think About, Children's Writing
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4 Comments
Literary Discussions with Pre-Teens
I have crossed some line, some where. I've always prided myself on the volume and depth of the books I read. I've kept a list since 1994 of every book that has passed through my hands. And yet I've noticed for the last several months that my most engaging literary conversations come not from like-minded adults, but rather from the pre-teens in my life.
When I went to see my niece Katlin, age 11, over Christmas, she was horrified to learn I'd seen the movie Eragon without first reading the book. She pressed her copy into my hands with the words, "I've read this. You need to read this, too." I went home, read the book, and mailed it back to her with a note outlining how the book was--as she had claimed--infinitely superior to the movie.
My #1 Fan
A few years back I wrote a middle-grade manuscript (writer's note: You can't call something a "book" or "novel" unless it's published... until that glorious day it must be referred to as a "manuscript") called Millicent Powers Picks A Pet. At the time, I had an editor interested in the project but they've since taken a pass on the manuscript. I've worked on it sporadically since then but haven't devoted too much attention to it. I know it needs a major overhaul and I haven't quite found the inner reserves needed to commit to such action.
But, two years ago when I was really into working on the story, I asked my friend Ed if his 9-year-old daughter Katrina, a member of my target audience, might be induced to read the book and let me know what she thought?