This is a strong interview by Kate Messner for her book, Writing is Magic, or is it? Her message is simple and direct: writing is about revising. She talks about when she was a child thinking she could never write as well as her favorite authors, like Judy Blume. Then, she learned that it isn’t what you first put down on paper but rather what you end up with – and that she could! Young writers cannot hear the message too often! I’d play this video at least once ever couple months in your classroom. • Writing is about revising! • A work is done when you find yourself going in circles over minor corrections. Kate Messner’s Wake up Missing has been reviewed in Stone Soup Magazine. Internet links for Kate Messner Website Facebook Twitter Books by Kate Messner Hide and Seek All the Answers The Seventh Wish Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time #1) Capture the Flag
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Young Composer: Brandon Thibodeau
Brandon Thibodeau is a young American composer. This award winning Tango titled, A Collaborative Conversation, was composed by Brandon Thibodeau in 2014 when he was twelve. It is written for clarinet and piano. In this video, Brandon is playing the piano. Brandon works with the composer Narong Prangcharoen.
Madeleine L’Engle Talks about Letting the Book Write Itself
Author of “A Wrinkle in Time”. . Madeleine l’Engle. Many authors talk about the precision with which they plot out their books, taking pride in being in full control of the process. Other authors, Madeleine L’Engle included, acknowledge and even embrace a less conscious level of control. In this except from a longer talk by Madeleine L’Engle, she talks about writing as a mystical process in which she, the author has a relationship with her story that is rather mystical. She talks about the story as having a life of its own — with its own needs — and herself, the author, as a servant of the story. A practical way of helping students understand what Madeleine L’Engle is saying is that once you start writing you may find that the story you have created takes on a life of its own and that you need to follow where it (your imagination) is taking you even if this may not be the original direction you had planned out for your story. • Let your story tell itself. • Let your heart speak, too, don’t just write a story from your mind.
