Blog

In the last post, I mentioned going to the AASL in Minneapolis. Sharron McElmeel, Jeni Reeves, Carol Gorman and I spoke on how to foster curiosity in young readers and how librarians can become an important part of the collaborative process with teachers in helping students to become better readers. Our session had a … [Read more...] about Good Inuksuit

Beginning a new writing project has often been compared to taking off on a journey, or a hike, maybe, for short projects. When we start there's some trepidation. We don't know what lies ahead-- a surprise snake across the path? someone's territorial dog? Will we, or our story, fall into a pit? But there's also an … [Read more...] about Start Here: Learn Something New

Starting a new story, with only a seed or two for that story, seems very dicey to me. Perhaps I expect too much too soon. Perhaps, as Jane said, I resist for a while because I know how hard it will be. But eventually, the story demands that I pull up my socks, sit down at my chair and write. Today's guest Dian Curtis … [Read more...] about Start Here, “Moodling” a Story Along

We've all started, once or twice, with "Once upon a time," but even with that beginning, we usually don't use it until we know where we are going. The hard part about starting is that we often don't know where we are going and we make a lot of bad turns, enter a lot of avenues that don't go anywhere we want to go with … [Read more...] about Start Here, Part 2

I love notebooks and can hardly resist adding another to my collection when I'm in an office supply store. A new notebook is so full of possibility. Maybe this time I'll make the transition from glistening idea to actual story with no loss. I always start a new writing project with a new notebook and a new pen. Once I … [Read more...] about Start Here