‘They say’ that writing requires equal time. What genres interest you? Do they relate to what you write? How does what you read influence your writing? Send me your answers. If you are considering dipping into other genres include them as well.
by PaddyEger · Published September 12, 2017 · Last modified September 8, 2017
Looking for a fun activity to share with kids, maybe an entire classroom? Look no further. Here’s a great way to support reading which will, in the long run, support student writing since books develop vocabulary and expand student interests. Make literature bags for school with prekindergarten or Kindergarten through grad 3 classrooms. Please make a class set of 30 so all students in an individual classroom will receive a bag. (30 will be ample and provide replacement bags as needed during the year.) PLASTIC BAGS Purchase gallon-sized plastic freezer bags with sturdy zip-lock slides. Leave plain or send to...
musings / reader suggestions / reading
by PaddyEger · Published December 20, 2016 · Last modified November 9, 2016
With the craziness and hype of the holidays and the end of the year, why not kick back, slow things down, take a break, and plan a family read aloud. I remember how excited I’d feel when adults read aloud in my elementary classrooms. It was a party for my ears and my imagination. I’d have loved to be part of a family read aloud, but it never happened in our home. As 2017 slides into view, start a new family tradition. Start a 20-minute read-aloud where everyone gathers to read, listen, and enjoy classic stories, jokes, adventure books, graphic...
by PaddyEger · Published December 6, 2016 · Last modified December 10, 2016
I’m always on the lookout to learn about people and their reading habits: when, where and what they read as well as what influences them to select certain books. My When I most often read in the afternoon usually before prepping dinner. I find it relaxing (and hope I don’t get so relaxed I fall asleep!). My Where My favorite place to read in the living room where I can sit in the rocking chair or on the love seat and watch the birds at the feeder out of the corner of my eye. Usually I also enjoy a cup...
book reviewing / details in writing / musings / reading / writing process
by PaddyEger · Published October 25, 2016 · Last modified October 9, 2016
You may read a lot and have found many of these unusual ways authors share their stories. If not, be aware that all books are not straight forward. Here are a few tricks that may entice you or, if you are unaware of what is being done, these methods may cause you to close the books or even toss them across the room in mild anger. ** Books with no paragraph separation ** Entire books in poetic form (E Hopkins) ** Books with excessive punctuation (E.E.Cummings) ** Books without quotation marks to alert you to who is speaking (C. McCarthy)...
book reviewing / Letters to Follow / marketing / reading
by PaddyEger · Published October 11, 2016 · Last modified October 9, 2016
Letters to Follow-A Dancer’s Adventure, my last book in the ballet trilogy, is being shipped. That means I’ll soon hold it in my hands and then start planning how to get out the word about it. It’s much like anything new we start: the anticipation keeps us up nights, the event arrives, and then we must get busy by putting on the finishing touches; in this case sharing/marketing the book. My favorite way to work is events or chances to talk with readers directly. I can read from the book, answer their questions, and talk about whatever people want to...
The measure of a man comes down to moments spread out like dots on the canvas of life. Kristin Hannah, Angel Falls p. 149 Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward. Soren Kierkegaard She stood in the hallway,blinking back the latest rush of tears, and wrestled with the monster-sized ball of stubbornness and terror that stuck in her throat. Susan Donovan Knock Me Off My Feet p.277 She developed a profound desire to stay as if her center of gravity was so low it connected her directly to this particular patch of earth. Ann Patchett ...
Last month I asked you about how early children’s books may have influenced your adult reading. As I shared the partial list, I thought a lot about my answers to the questions I posed. Here are a few of my reactions, marked PE. Question #1: Which newer titles have you read and were able to identify with? PE: I love the stories that create strong visual images (Where the Wild Things Are), those with deep emotion (The Velveteen Rabbit), and ones with the humor as in The Day the Crayons Quit. Question #2: Which newer titles left you wondering what...