"Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly" by Gail Carson Levine

Writing. For those of us who enjoy doing it, writing can be magical. We can create our own little worlds on paper and fill them with characters from our own imaginations.  

When our hands touch the keyboard or our pen touches the paper, anything becomes possible.

But sometimes we get stuck. We don’t know what to write. Our characters don’t feel real. We get bored with the story.

In Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly award winning author Gail Carson Levine shares tips and techniques she’s learned in her career. She admits that she often gets stuck or bored or completely frustrated with her characters.

With fun examples and ideas, she gives you advice on how to get over these humps and discusses what stories are made of. From this book I learned what a good beginning to a story often looks like, tips on how to wrap up a story, and the best way to write a conversation.

But the thing that impressed me most about this book was that it wasn’t boring. It didn’t feel like a typical how-to book. It was actually extremely fun and enjoyable to read.

Really, though, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Levine’s always been able to grab my attention with her writing.

Through this book you might just learn how to grab your reader’s attention too.

Note:

Some of what Levine shares is just her opinion. Whenever you are listening to advice about writing, try to keep in mind that quite a bit of it is probably just opinion. Don’t discard the advice, however: listen and consider it.

Just know that writing is not like math. There is no exact formula, no “one” answer to a problem. Everyone has his or her own unique writing style.

With math, two plus two always equals four and if you dispute this people will think you’re crazy.

With writing, one person will tell you one thing and someone else will tell you something entirely different. Who’s in the right?

They might both be in the right. Their advice might be equally viable. In the end, you have to decide what your own unique style will look like.

Will you use the first person’s advice or the second person’s advice?

You decide. You’re the writer.     

Should your sentences by long or short?  

You decide. You’re the writer.

Should you use first-person point of view or third-person? Which is better?
You decide. You’re the writer.

A Child's Anthology of Poetry

A Child's Anthology of Poetry, edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword with Victoria Flournoy McCarthy

Do you find poetry boring? Dull? Dreary? If so, then you have not yet read this book. It is an anthology of some of the most interesting and entertaining poems I have read. They range from light-hearted poems by such authors as Emily Dickinson, to dark tragedies like the famous poem, “The Highwayman.” All in all, this book will give you a round diet of some of the best poetry written. Even people who strongly detest poetry might just change their mind after reading this collection.

Inspirations 4 Writing

After reading some of the poems in “A Child’s Anthology of Poetry” try your hand at writing a poem or two of your own.

Stuck? Here are some suggestions to get you started. Study the rhythm of the words in “The Highwayman.” Why is it as haunting is it is? How can you infuse this style into your own poetry?

Read a poem by Emily Dickinson and then write your own poem from the unique outlook of life that she possessed. See if you can see things in a new and whimsical way, like she did. Keep studying the other poems in the book for inspiration. Who knows? You might even become the next Robert Frost!

Book Review of "The School Story" by Andrew Clements

Natalie Nelson is a normal 6^th grader…and she intends to stay that way, even though she has just written a novel that her best friend Zoe insists should be published. At last Natalie gives in a little and lets her English teacher read it. Her English teacher loves it almost more than Zoe. The next step is getting published. Natalie’s mom is an editor for a publishing company and the obvious thing to do would be to give it to her. But Natalie knows that if her mom’s boss once found out that Natalie wrote the book, she would never let it get published. That is when Zoe comes up with a harebrained scheme. Natalie can turn the book in using a pen name and Zoe can pose as her agent. Their English teacher promises to help.  The only question that now remains is will it work?

This book has been a favorite of mine ever since I  read it several years ago. I was about Natalie’s age and, like Natalie, a writer who deeply desired to have a book published. This book reminded me that my young age does not have to be a barrier to this dream. Andrew Clements writes in a compelling style that makes it very hard to put the book down. When you do finish the book, rest assured that you will someday want to pick it up and read it again!    

Inspirations 4 Writing

One of the best pieces of encouragement an author can give is that you are never too young to become a writer or even a published author. “The School Story” inspired me in this way, and I hope it inspires other young writers as well!