Teaching Creative Writing

One of my guided mentees recently sent me some questions about teaching writing for a class project she was working on. She asked fantastic questions, and gave me permission to share my answers with you! 

Here are some of my thoughts on teaching creative writing... I hope this post might be helpful or thought-provoking for any of you who teach writing, or are working on writing projects of your own! Teaching writing has, without a doubt, made me a better writer.

Is there a specific way that people should teach the writing process, or are there different ways that can all be good to learn? If there are different ways, what are the best ways to teach it?

Great question! In my opinion, the most important part of teaching the writing process is to be aware of the individual student and what they struggle with. For example, some writers struggle with getting started; others struggle more with editing a completed first draft. So part of being a great writing teacher is helping guide the student through their individual struggles with writing. 

Over-all, I think it is important to allow students to have freedom in the writing process to be creative and to make mistakes -- during first drafts, I tell my students not to “overthink” or be self-critical or worry about spelling/grammar mistakes. Those mistakes can always be corrected in the editing phase, and having your “editing” cap on when you’re trying to write a first draft can be very creatively stifling. I believe people write more and write better when they feel confident, are comfortable taking risks, and enjoy the writing process!

What tips do you give kids who are starting stories?

Don’t think too much -- just write! Tap into your subconscious. Try to start with a BANG! -- skip the “boring” stuff and start in the middle of things.

What tips do you give kids who are developing stories?

If you feel stuck, ask yourself, “What do my characters WANT?” There will likely be at least two characters whose desires are in conflict with each other… and conflict is what keeps plots moving forward.

What tips do you give ids who are trying to finish stories?

It will always be easier to start a fresh new story instead of finishing a story you’ve been working on for a while, but it is infinitely more satisfying to finish a story, so keep plugging away and don’t give up! If you’re trying to finish, don’t introduce any new problems for your characters. Rather, work on resolving the existing problems you have given your characters. Also, be aware that not every problem HAS to be resolved; not every loose end needs to be tied up. Some beautiful stories end with images, a resonant line, or a piece of dialogue that speaks to the overall theme of the story. It’s okay if your reader has some lingering questions, if not every single thing has been answered. In that way, stories are like real life -- we don’t have all the answers, do we?

What are some exercises you give students not just to help them develop a story, but to strengthen them as writers?

• Give students a simple sentence (i.e. “The cat walked across the room”) and have them add adjectives, descriptions, details to make it shine and be memorable.

• Ask students questions about their main character and have them answer the questions as if they are the character. (It is helpful for them to write their answers down rather than just saying them out loud, so they can look back at what they wrote.)

• Have them brainstorm details/descriptions using all five senses and work these details into their story. Often writers use a lot of “sight” details but forget about the other senses!

I think the main thing is to be yourself. Kids blossom for authentic, kind, enthusiastic people. The best writing teachers I have studied under weren't the best because they had all the answers -- the most important thing was that they made me feel excited about writing, like I had something worthy and unique to say.

How is a younger student's thought process or natural writing process different than an older student? (For example, a second-grader versus a sixth-grader?)

Younger kids often write simpler stories (A + B = C) and they usually can’t juggle as many factors in their minds -- character-wise, plot-wise, etc. Thematically, their stories are often more black-and-white, with “good guys” and “bad guys” and less gray area. And that’s okay. These things develop with time. 

I think it is important when teaching writing at any level to let the student write the story he or she wants to write, and not try to change it into the story you want it to be. You can guide them, but it is still THEIR story, and your job as a teacher is to make it the best version of THEIR story as it can be.

Does changing your writing curriculum every so often help with a kid's creativity? If so, how often should you change it up, and how exactly does it help?

Yes, I think it helps -- especially because not every kid will blossom with every activity. Some writers are better brain-stormers, others like more-structured activities, others like less-structured activities. So if you mix it up, it forces kids to try different types of writing and use their brains in new and different ways. I like to mix it up by using a variety of word-based writing prompts, image-based writing prompts, and music-based writing prompts.

Another thing you can do is have students tell a story in a different narrative order; for example, starting at the ending and working backwards to the beginning, or starting in the middle. Or, you could have them take a popular story and write it from a different character’s point of view. (Think: Wicked versus The Wizard of Oz.)

What is the best way to help students when they are stuck?

Sometimes simply having them talk through their ideas while you listen and tell them it’s a good idea is enough to get them un-stuck. I like to jot down notes as they are talking to me, so then I can give them a piece of paper that has all the ideas they were just telling me about. Then I can say, “Look at all these amazing ideas! Now go write these down into your story!” 

Another helpful thing is to set a timer for seven minutes (I’ve found seven to be a good number -- more than five, but less than ten) and tell them they have to keep writing SOMETHING for that entire period. Even if they think what they are writing is silly or stupid, they just have to keep writing. This is a trick I use when I am stuck myself; it's a way to tap into your subconscious, which often helps you get unstuck.

How do I spark inspiration in kids?

I think your energy and enthusiasm will do a lot to make kids feel inspired. You want to set a tone of freedom to be creative and express imaginative ideas. You can also do things like bring in costumes for kids to “act out” characters, or magazines for them to cut out words or pictures that inspire them, or even a “magic writing wand” that you wave over all their heads before you start a writing session. Anything to make the vibe FUN and feel exciting and out-of-the-ordinary is wonderful.

How do I create assignments that will keep them entertained while also helping them learn a wide variety of tools and skills?

I think a great template is to have them read an example of a piece of writing that shows a concept you are trying to get across (i.e. realistic dialogue or vivid sensory details), discuss as a class why this piece is so effective and what is so great about it, and then give them time and space to practice that element of writing for themselves -- making sure you are positive and encouraging, always always! And then afterwards give them time to share their work and give positive feedback to each other, and review again what everyone learned about writing through that activity.

Anything else I should know?

I think the main thing is to be yourself. Kids blossom for authentic, kind, enthusiastic people. The best writing teachers I have studied with weren’t the best because they had all the answers -- the most important thing was that they made me feel excited about writing, like I had something unique and worthy to say.

Wisdom from Anna Deveare Smith: on acting and writing

In an interview about her groundbreaking play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith says, "You're not the character, and you're not yourself. You're in the 'not not' -- which is a positive. I think this is the most we can hope for. I don't think we can really 'be' anybody else. The actor is a vehicle of consciousness, projected through a fictional character, and the fiction displays great truth."

I think this sentiment applies to writing as well as to acting -- actually, I think it apples to any creative art. When I write a piece of fiction, I am simultaneously myself and the characters I create. I give pieces of myself to my characters, but as the story progresses something magical happens: they become their own individual selves, with their own identities and desires.

Often when I set out to write a story, I have a specific ending in mind, but sometimes the main character will decide to take the action in a different direction, or a minor character will pop up and demand attention. It's as if I am merely the vehicle for expressing these various voices.

Here's a writing prompt that you might try: When I'm stuck or the writing becomes stagnant, I place two characters in a situation and let them talk to each other on the page. Often the story takes form in ways I never would have guessed before I began writing.

I also love something that Anna Deveare Smith says about the actor: he or she has "a deep desire to connect and people come to the theater because they too want to connect. The actor does not produce the connection alone, the audience has to push forward also; the two have to meet in the middle." This is true for all types of art.

One of my favorite things about the medium of writing is that once a piece is published and unleashed upon the world, it is open for interpretation from all different perspectives. The meaning of a piece of writing can shift and morph as the times change and society's needs for sustenance and meaning through literature changes.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!

Lessons from Pablo Neruda

I am reading an amazing book right now called The Dreamer that is a fictionalized retelling of the childhood of Nobel-Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. (I'll post a review of the book on here when I'm done reading it!) For now, I wanted to share with you some quotes by Pablo Neruda and some quotes by author Pam Munoz Ryan about his writing and life that I found incredibly inspirational -- hope they inspire you, too!

Neruda wrote to the common person and about the common thing. He thought that when people touched an object, their fingers left a bit of presence upon it and that a bit of their being was somehow absorbed in the object's memory. He believed that all the stories he ever needed already existed and that their inspiration would be found in the simplest things and the most minute details: in the garden tool, the rolling pin, or the uneven table on which bread was kneaded. Neruda was fascinated by what he called "the permanent mark of humanity on the inside and the outside of all objects."

He said, "It is very appropriate ... to look deeply into objects at rest. ... They exude the touch of man and the earth as a lesson to the tormented poet. ... The flawed confusion of human beings shows in them ... the prints of feet and fingers. ... That is the kind of poetry we should be after, poetry worn away as if by acid, by the labor of hands, impregnated with sweat and smoke, smelling of lilies and urine, splashed by the variety of what we do."

Neruda even applied emotion to his pen, preferring to write in green ink, because he thought it was the color of esperanza -- hope.

7 Ways to Be Inspired

I subscribe to a daily email newsletter called "One Minute Motivator" by Edward W. Smith. Each day, Smith sends out a brief email with something to consider for the day and to get you motivated. I'd highly recommend signing up -- it is always a great start to my day!

The following is from a recent "One Minute Motivator" that I found especially applicable to the writing life:

Here are 7 ways to be inspired:

1. Approach things with a child-like wonder.

2. Be a continuous learner and watch your life expand.

3. Shift from negative statements to positive statements; change from "I can't" to "How can I?"

4. Clear out the clutter in you physical and mental environment.

5. Make notes of inspirational things you see around you.

6. Take time to reflect on what is going on in your life right now.

7. Be compassionate with yourself and others.


I think these are not only great ways to get inspiration for your writing, but for all aspects of your life as a whole!

Edward W. Smith is the author of Sixty Seconds To Success, the Producer/Host of the Bright Moment cable TV show, is President of The Bright Moment Seminars, and a motivational speaker. Visit the Bright Moment Blog at http://brightmoment.com/blog.asp.

Where Elizabeth Berg Finds Inspiration

I just finished reading Elizabeth Berg's captivating collection of short stories, Ordinary Life. I was drawn in immediately her portrayals of everyday men and women, struggling with the ups and downs of ordinary living and loving. The Boston Globe raved, "Elizabeth Berg's gift as a storyteller lies most powerfully in her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, the remarkable in the everyday."

I think that could be a challenge for all of us writers: how can we imbue the ordinary with a sense of extraordinary in our work?

About ten years ago I was fortunate enough to get the chance to meet Elizabeth Berg when she gave a talk at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. I went up and introduced myself to her afterwards, and after she had signed my book -- her terrific novel Durable Goods -- I asked if she had any advice for a young writer like me. She gave me some of my most cherished writing advice, words I find myself turning to again and again: "First, please yourself." The older I get and the more I write, the deeper this advice rings true to me.

In an interview at the end of her story collection Ordinary Life, Berg discusses where she finds inspiration for her stories and novels:

Ideas come from life: what happens in mine, what I see happening in others', mixed with a great deal of imagination. I might see a person in a grocery store and build a whole character and life out of what's in her basket. I might read a newspaper story about a guy on a bus and build a family for him. I might get a phone call from an old boyfriend and it might raise a lot of "what if" questions that become material. I might watch people in a bar, overhear a piece of a conversation. material is all around, all the time. Pots are boiling on all four burners. The only thing I have to do is feel in the mood to cook, which I usually do. Once I get a vague idea, I let the story write itself. When I write, I operate as a writer and a reader both -- I never know what's going to happen.

Do you write this way, too -- as a "writer and reader both"? Or are you more of the outlining type? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!

I'll close with a final passage from Elizabeth Berg's "Author's Note" at the end of Ordinary Life:

I love these stories the way I love my novels, which is rather how I love my children. My children are not perfect, but they are perfect. These stories are not perfect either, but they are the best I could do to portray certain life events, to illuminate certain ways of thinking, to illustrate the way we can get from here to there, or document some interesting insights. More than anything, they are meant to celebrate the extraordinary moments and events that make up ordinary life.

Guest Post by Beth Erickson

Not in the Mood to Write? Do this.

by Beth Ann Erickson

It's inevitable. You'll come to a point in your career when you don't feel like writing. You sit down, you try to force the words to come but they don't. What do you do?

Here are a few ideas:

1. If you can't write, it's likely you haven't been "filling your cup." This means you've been pouring words through your fingertips without pouring words into yourself. This means it's time to read. If you're not reading daily, you'll run the risk of hitting more dry spells than if you balance the two activities.

2. Perhaps you have nothing to say. If you have nothing to say, you'll either have to come up with something to say, or ditch the project. Passion is a vital part of this profession. Discovering you have nothing to say is a clue that perhaps you've selected an unsuitable topic.

3. You need a break. Perhaps you're facing a bit of burnout. Again, read. Go for a walk. Rediscover life outside your writing studio. Give yourself a little time, then approach the topic with fresh eyes.

4. Look at the topic through a newbie's eyes. Capture the excitement, amazement, the freshness. If you can do this, you'll inject life into not only your writing, but also your career.

When your primary stock and trade is the exchange of ideas, it's imperative to keep on top of the newest thoughts in your area of expertise. Funny thing is, when you do this, you automatically
always find something to say.


This article is courtesy of Filbert Publishing. Make your writing sparkle, write killer queries, get published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the free e-mag for freelancers and receive the e-book "Power Queries." http://filbertpublishing.com

Guest Post by Mariana Ashley

Hearing Voices: A Brief Guide to Writing

by Mariana Ashley

We writers are a strange breed. Often idealistic, we also have to realists; often introverted, we are “people-people,” fascinated with everything outside ourselves. We also tend to classify ourselves as writers before we have written anything—this at least is my vice.

I am fortunate enough to write for a living, but that only makes days when I don’t write all the more hypocritical. In all my years of writing, there is one question that I am still unable, no matter how deeply I research it, how frequently I ponder it, or how desperately I agonize over it, to answer: Why is it so hard to write?

The search for an answer to that question has produced several conclusions, mostly about psychology, anthropology, and whether or not I should seek professional counseling for wanting to write in the first place.

What asking that question has not done, however, is force me to write.

If I have learned anything from my pursuit of the writing craft, it is that second-guessing the pursuit gets us nowhere. Anyone with enough courage to call herself an artist of any sort will also inevitably contend with self-doubt; art is an unconventional career path, and one that does not provide easy answers.

To be a successful writer, you only have to do one thing—write. Take your dream seriously. This advice is certainly easier said than done, but if you follow it, you’ll be writing your way to fame faster than you ever thought possible (I’m assuming here that, like me, you sometimes feel like it will never be possible, therefore any time frame will be faster).

There’s nothing easier to listen and/or give in to the many voices in your head telling you not to write, for whatever reason—don’t worry, those voices are normal, I looked into it. Half of the challenge of being a writer is finding ways to outsmart and out-connive those voices. But there are some devices that have helped me when all I could see was the vast emptiness of a blank page, and all I could hear was the belittling voices of my subconscious.

• Write like clockwork. You’ll hear a lot of talk about your “creative times” and some crazy theories about when you are most attuned to the Muse’s song—don’t listen to it. Pick a time to write, and write for an hour. Every day. Wake up at 7am and write for an hour before work; write for an hour right when you get home; write for an hour before you go to sleep. It doesn’t matter when you write, just make writing a consistent thing in your life.

• Set goals. During your one hour writing slot, have a goal to meet, no matter how absurd. In fact, sometimes crazier goals make for more productive writing sessions. Tell yourself you’re going to write one full page, two full pages, a new character, a synopsis of your story, an outline, anything. It’s easier to break your art down in to pieces than it is to sit down once every six months and try to write the next great American novel.

• Just do something. You won’t be inspired every time you sit down to write, so don’t expect yourself to be. And don’t just write when you’re inspired either. If you’re stuck, paralyzed, bored, beaten down, just take the pressure off yourself by writing something unrelated to your current project. Do a character sketch, try to recall a conversation you heard during the day, write a haiku, imagine an alternate ending to your day, make up a fairy tale, call a friend and talk non-sense. It is more the act and process of creating than the final product that inspires.

You’ll never get anywhere by questioning your abilities or lamenting your creative block. Learn to tune out the voices that would impede you, and you will have learned your secret to success. And always remember: if you’re writing, you’re on the right track.

Bio: Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

Interview with Anna Geare

Anna Geare is an 18-year-old recent graduate of Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, California. She has been writing poetry since the 7th grade and is also in love with the theatre -- she has written a one-act play and multiple scenes and monologues for her acting class, and is currently working on her second one-act play. In addition to theatre, she has an interest in science and engineering. At Foothill she was on the school robotics team and is planning to major in chemistry in college. She plans to become a chemical engineer while continuing to be involved in acting and writing.

Anna's poem "Through Open Eyes" is featured in Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing, available on Amazon here.


How did you get your idea for "Through Open Eyes"?

"Through Open Eyes" is a poem about the different problems that the world is facing and how so few people seem to really care or are passionate about helping. They include, among other things: Global Warming, child soldiers in Africa, terrorism, and poverty. I volunteer for a variety of different organizations and grew up with social worker parents. I’ve become real passionate about helping the world in as many ways as I can. This poem was a way for me to express my message and hopefully inspire others to help the world as well. My personal inspiration for the poem was the Black Eyed Peas' song “Where is the Love?” I wrote my poem with a rhyme scheme and beat that reminds me of rap and comes off as a little angry. I was inspired by the idea and just sat down and wrote a bunch of different couplets, each about a different problem, then rearranged them in a multitude of different ways until it just felt right.

Have you been writing for a long time? What do you like about writing?

I wrote some as a kid, but not much. When I truly took on writing as a hobby was in the 7th grade when we had a huge unit on poetry that I loved. I entered a local poetry contest that year with a poem I wrote entitled “The Color of Peace.” I went to the Santa Barbara Writers Conference the summer after 8th grade where I was inspired to pursue writing a bit more. My love of theatre then lead me to playwriting, which seemed to come fairly naturally to me. When I see a story, I naturally see it on the stage. Writing, especially poetry, gives me a way to express myself, but only when I write personally. Then there are times when I write from a view completely different from my own, about things I may have never even experienced. This type of writing attracts me the same way acting does. It gives me an opportunity to take on a character completely different from myself and explore emotions I don’t feel on a daily basis. This fascinates me.

What does it mean to you to have your piece included in this book?

When I think about being published in this book, I’m reminded of my first attendance to the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference. I talked to an agent, simply for the experience, knowing very well I was not going to get far with the poems I had written at 13. The agent told me poetry was incredibly hard to get published, and others have also been discouraging. Well, here I am, with a poem published in a book! I was ecstatic when I was notified that my poem was chosen to win honorable mention and be published in Dancing With The Pen.

Do you have any advice for other writers, or for other young people going after their dreams?

Don’t give up and don’t put your true dreams aside for more “practical” ones. Especially with writing, it’s easy to put your more artsy or impractical dreams aside to concentrate on school or related interests. I didn’t always spend much time on writing, or even acting for that matter. Science was my more practical interest, so once I got into high school, that pursuit came first. I can tell you that I have never once regretted taking the time to attend a writers conference or write a play, but I do sometimes regret not putting time aside each week to work on my play or write a poem. Life is just going to get more and more busy as you get older. Take advantage of the time you have and follow any dreams you may have.

Can you share a few of your favorite books or authors?

I will give the “cliché” answer of J.K. Rowling and Tolkien. Growing up, those were definitely my favorites as well as Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a pretty big Ray Bradbury fan. I’ve had the opportunity to hear him speak at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference a few times, which were priceless experiences. Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone has also been a very inspirational book for me. The autobiographical story of a child soldier from Africa is what inspired my senior project to build a school in Sierra Leone, which has lead to my desire to join the Peace Corps after I get my Bachelor's degree.

What inspires you?

Lots of things actually. I have an array of interests, so I find interesting things to write about from many different places. I’ve written about my family, about problems in the world that interest me, about my emotions, and about experiences I have never had. In fact, the original poem I won Honorable Mention for was not suitable for a book for young students, but was inspired by a random set of words pulled from a magazine. The play I’m currently writing was inspired by a lesson on WWI I learned in school. The world is full of inspiration, it just takes someone to recognize it and write it down.

What are you working on now? What’s next for you?

I haven’t been working on as much poetry lately, but I have been doing more stage writing. It can be pretty hard finding scenes and monologues for youth to perform, so I’ve been writing some stuff for my acting class. I just wrote a scene that everyone seemed to love. I’m also trying to work on my one-act play. It’s still in the planning stages, but I’m getting pretty close to being ready to write it out.

Links:

• Order Dancing With The Pen on Amazon. (It rose to a #2 ranking on Amazon.com in the "literature anthologies" category in its first week of release!
• Please take a few seconds to "like" our Amazon page!
• And, if you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic! 
• You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook and Twitter. We're now featured on Goodreads, too!
• Discounted bulk orders are available at the Write On! website: www.writeonbooks.org. 

Interview with Lucia Chen

Today we continue our Dancing With The Pen blog tour with an interview with young writer Lucia Chen, whose story "Take My Hand" is featured in the book. Order your copy of Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's youth writing on Amazon here.

What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction?

My name is Lucia (pronounced Lu-See-Ah…the Spanish way, not the Italian way!) and I’m a 17-year-old girl from Beijing. Now I live in the suburbs of Detroit, where I run cross country, watch soccer matches religiously, and read way too many historical romances. (They’re my guilty pleasure!)

Describe your story that were published in Dancing With The Pen. How did you get your idea for the piece? Take us through your writing process.

More often than not, I write what I read. When I wrote my short story Take My Hand, I had been going through a medieval phase, devouring novels about knights and battles and grisly conflicts between the English and the Scots. One day I asked myself, “What if an Englishman and a Scotman became friends…and then were pitted against each other?” The idea just lodged in my brain and refused to leave until it became a full-fledged story.

Have you been writing for a long time? What do you like about writing?

My writing career “officially” began with a memorable 6th grade assignment – a pourquoi story about how the pig got its curly tail. Since then, my pencil (and now, keyboard) has been an extension of my hand. What I love most about writing is that wonderful moment after you sit and stare at a awkward sentence for ages, and then – from out of the blue – you find a word that fits perfectly.

What does it mean to you to have your piece included in this book?

I am ecstatic! Deliriously happy! Eternally grateful! It just means so much to me that people across the nation – perhaps even across the world – are reading and enjoying what I wrote.

Do you have any advice for other writers, or for other young people going after their dreams?

To steal the words of Henry David Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” A writer’s life may be rife with rejection and disappointment, but it is also bursting with satisfaction and success. And if you truly enjoy the act of putting pen to paper, then that is a victory in itself.

Can you share a few of your favorite books or authors?

An absolute favorite of mine (as in, I reread it every few months or so) is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson Levine…which says something, because I’m not even a fantasy fan. Just a snapshot of my other favorites: The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper, The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Darcy!!! Enough said) by the incomparable Jane Austen.

What inspires you?

The World Cup. No, seriously! As K’naan sang in the 2010 World Cup anthem, it’s a time when “every nation is around us,” when souls from every corner of the world “sing forever young…sing songs underneath the sun.” When you think about it, every one of those souls has his or her own story to tell. A world of stories coming together under one sun…there is nothing more inspiring to me than that.

What are you working on now? What’s next for you?

Other than really bad poetry and cheesy stories? My first novel, actually! To put it concisely, it’s a time-travel romance set in Napoleonic Europe…complete with villainous French agents and hot British spies. ☺ The manuscript is complete and in the editing stages, and I hope to one day publish it.

Anything else you’d like to add?

How about two truths and a lie?
1. I am an excellent seamstress.
2. When I was little, I was allergic to sand.
3. I have a passionate hatred of cheese.

(Just for the record, I can’t sew to save my life).

Links:

• Order Dancing With The Pen on Amazon. (It rose to a #2 ranking on Amazon.com in the "literature anthologies" category in its first week of release!
• Please take a few seconds to "like" our Amazon page!
• And, if you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic! 
• You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook and Twitter. We're now featured on Goodreads, too!
• Discounted bulk orders are available at the Write On! website: www.writeonbooks.org. 

Interview with debut YA author Emily Hendricks Jensen

Emily, thank you so much for being a guest on the blog today! What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction?

I have a pretty uninteresting bio. I was born in Missouri and was an only child until I was 12 and now I have 8 siblings (halves and steps.) I majored in Journalism and I loved it, though I don’t use the degree in the conventional sense of working for a newspaper. I do, however, use all the courses I took on researching and investigating to find information for my writing. I moved to Wyoming in mid-July and will be getting married in mid-August. I’m already writing under my future married name. I love that.

Tell us about Fault. What was your inspiration/motivation behind this book?

The plot came from a writing prompt I saw on a website when I was in high school. It was started it as a short story, but before I knew it I had written one young adult novel that I eventually split up into five different novellas. The story is about Cecelia, a 15 year old drug addict who will do anything for acceptance, love and drugs. Her parents send her to a facility to help her with her drug problems, but they won’t acknowledge the abuse she had in her past that started all of her drug problems in the first place. It is written in verse.

What have you learned through writing this book?

How cathartic writing can really be and the what all the things you write can tell you about yourself as a person. I didn’t realize how much of myself I poured into the story until my fiance told me he saw certain people in the characters. I’m not a drug addict and I’ve never been to a rehabilitation facility, but I’m the only child of a bitter divorce and I understand what it feels like to be shuttled from house to house. I know what trying too hard to be perfect feels like.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always been some sort of writer. Short stories when I was younger, then poems (that were awful) in high school. I never had the confidence to write a book, but one day I sat down and started one. Finished that one, tried to get an agent. Didn’t happen. Tried again with my second book. Nothing. At first I felt like a terrible writer, then I realized that those two books were absolutely not my best pieces of work. After that I wrote Fault. I sent it around to agents and small presses, and everyone who read it “loved the concept” but said it would be a hard book to market. That is why I went through the self-publishing process.

What is your writing process like? Do you write on a computer? In a spiral notebook? Do you draw illustrations?

I write everything on either my computer or my iPhone. I do a lot of traveling (both in the US and internationally) and I think I do my best work on planes and trains. My books don’t have illustrations, probably because I can barely draw a stick figure.

How do you get ideas for what you write?

Mostly the news. I’m a huge news junkie, especially entertainment news.

What is your biggest advice for young people reaching for their dreams?

Never ever give up. I know that’s what everyone says, but it’s so true. If you give up, all you will have is regrets and regrets get you nowhere.

What are some of your favorite books?

My two favorite books ever are The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney and Wish You Well by David Baldacci. I also love anything by Ellen Hopkins, Melissa Senate, and Maureen Johnson.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I am so excited about my novella series! A new novella will come out every two months. Next summer I intend to publish a full length young adult novel. I have other things in the works as well, so stay tuned!

Contact Emily:

• Website: http://www.emilyhendricksjensen.com/

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmilyHendricksJensen

Guest Post by Marietta Taylor

Dallas, thanks for hosting me today! I recently took a writers class online. One topic of discussion was things that derail your writing time. I'd like to share from the class one cool way to keep your writing on track.

Have you ever heard of gremlins? Gremlins are, by definition, mischievous imaginary creatures. As they apply to our writing, they can seem very real. And their effects can be damaging to our writing time. Gremlins are those activities or “voices” that derail our writing efforts. We begin with the best of intentions. But invariably, the gremlin shows up and starts making mischief. The first thing I learned was that to get rid of it, I had to first identify it.

My gremlin is the “you're not as good as” variety. It shows up and begins to say things like:

• Why even waste your time? You'll never be as good a writer as (insert favorite author here).
• If you're not going to be a bestseller like (insert NYT bestseller author here) then why even waste this time. You could be doing something else.
• There are already a million (insert type of book or article here) out there. Can you guarantee yours is going to be any better than the others?

When I listen to these statements, I start doubting myself and my writing session ends. Gremlin 1. Mari 0. That is not the margin of victory I'm looking for!

The next step to victory over the gremlin is to figure out ways to disarm it. For me that means having rebuttal statements ready. I fight back with statements like:

• I don't have to as good as anyone. I just need to be my best self while I write today.
• I write to inform, encourage and inspire. NYT Bestseller or not, as long as someone “gets it”, my writing has succeeded.
• There are no guarantees in the writing business. All I need to do is put my unique stamp on my work and then let the readers decide if it resonates with them.

Having these statements ready has helped me keep my writing sessions on track. What are your gremlins? How can you disarm them? Give it a try and watch your writing soar!

* * *

Marietta (Mari) Taylor resides in Raleigh, NC with her husband of seventeen years and her two teenage daughters. The move from Chicago, IL to Raleigh proved a breeding ground for dusting off her dream of writing. Mari is the author of Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go, released March 2010 and Girlfriends On…Surviving Unemployment. Mari was also published in Penned From The Heart VOL XV, a devotional anthology. Her column, Frugal Elegance, appears in Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend, an online magazine published by Extreme Diva Media.

Connect with Mari here:

Website: www.mariettataylor.net
Personal Blog: www.marismorningromm.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/raleighgirl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marietta.taylor2

You can also buy Mari's book, Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go:

Paperback:
http://shop.theextremediva.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-to-Go-6139.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Marietta-Taylor/dp/1934626139/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1304686934&sr=1-1

Kindle Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Go-ebook/dp/B004T3FPUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301968884&sr=1-1

Interview with Barbara Forte Abate

I'm delighted to have Barbara Forte Abate, author of the new novel The Secret of Lies, as my guest today! 

What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction?

I’m pretty certain that I’ve always wanted to be a writer. It seems the yearning was just always there swirling around in my head. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, a middle child who spent an ordinate amount of time daydreaming. I aspired to great things in my mind, but was never so confident as to actually share my ambitions out loud, convinced that no one would believe an ordinary girl like me capable of accomplishing something as exceptional as writing books.

Although it would be years after graduating high school before I would actually sit down with my blank yellow pad, held to the chair by my determination to launch head-first into the still simmering dream to write, once I got started – that first sentence, paragraph, page – the love of creating stories was fully returned and off at a gallop.

The Secret of Lies is my first published novel, but it isn’t the first one I’ve written. That first book lives a quiet existence on a dark shelf in the closet. It’s not very good, but I hold onto it for what it represents – because those finished pages were so effective in pushing me past the barrier erected between the desire of wanting to write and actually doing it.

Tell us about The Secret of Lies. What was your inspiration/motivation behind this book?

It amazes me really, how clearly I recall the precise moment when the idea for this book came skidding into my mind – not because it was so extraordinary or profound, but because once it arrived, it stayed to become a twenty-year obsession. I’d just finished writing my first novel, and although it felt like a sing-from-the-mountain-tops-milestone-accomplishment, I recognized that it wasn’t the book I wanted to write. I was absolutely primed and ready for something bigger and so when this seed of an idea arrived – the thought of someone stepping out the door and simply walking away from their life for reasons yet unknown – it felt exciting and potentially very important.

Because I married young and had three of my four children at the time, life was forever busy and full to the point of overflowing. The only opportunity I had for attempting to write was when my two little girls were at school and the baby was taking her afternoon nap. This was to be my routine for years, writing on my yellow pads over the span of a bazillion afternoons – eternally thankful that baby Chelsea was a marathon napper!

When I started this story I didn’t so much have a plan as I had abundant passion. No fleshed out characters, plot, or destination -- it truly unfolded as I poured words onto the pages. And once I began to understand and fully care about my characters they returned the favor by telling me their story.


What have you learned through writing this book?

The most obvious answer would be that I learned what it takes to write a book – not any book, but one I’m proud of. Because I pretty much jumped directly into marriage and family only a few years after graduating high school, I wasn’t armed with an abundance of writing skills when I first sat down with the intention to write a book. I was intimidated enough by the reality of how little I knew about the writing process that I was careful not to look at that particular fact too close or for too long. I bought stacks of used books: grammar, writing technique, a dictionary that weighed as much as a cinder block, punctuation and sentence structure, The Elements of Style – pretty much everything I didn’t pay enough attention to while I was in school. Dig-in and forge ahead was my plan and I stuck with it – for twenty years. It truly was a learning process like no other, and by the time I realized exactly what I was up against and the reserves required for the journey, I was in far too deep to shut the door and walk away.

Not only did I learn that getting the words right would take years (there came a point when I simply had to stop counting rewrites and edits, as the numbers had climbed high enough to be nearly frightening), but then came the most emotionally brutal portion of the challenge – the years and years of rejections and insistent knocking on closed doors that no one intended to answer anytime soon.

It was around this time when I fully came to understand just how important writing was to me – the fact that I refused to give up when by every indication it was time to hang up my pen. Every returned manuscript landed like a punch in the stomach, but once I recovered it only made me dig in deeper. Only then, when I was pushing so determinedly to find a place for my novel in the world did I realize my own strength, and the determined faith I was wielding like a weapon and a shield at the same time.


I love that -- the idea that faith can be both a weapon and shield. Your words are inspirational to anyone following their dreams! Tell us, how did you get started writing?

I’ve always been crazy in love with books, and so writing my own felt like something just waiting to happen. I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. I started composing stories in grade school and it wasn’t long until one of my classmates and I got the idea to compose an “underground” newspaper that consequently ended up getting us into a good deal of trouble when our teacher found copies stashed in our desks.

Even then, it was my little pink diary that contained my best fiction. I had an enormous fear that my sisters would find my hiding place at the back of our shared closet, so whenever I wrote anything I invented names, characters and a random scene or two in an effort to camouflage the passages of truth. Even now a bajillion years later, I employ that same technique when journaling, not because of snooping sisters, but more because I tend to journal only when I’m angry, disappointed, or disillusioned. Venting in written form has always been medicinal for me, but it’s generally very exposed and ugly to look back on once the moment has passed. By putting it all down in my peculiar code of fictitious names and lingo, it later reads back as mostly ridiculous and amusing, rather than the ramblings of a tyrant.


What is your writing process like?

I’ve always written my first drafts in longhand on big yellow legal pads. There’s something that feels so authentically creative about filling those stark blank pages with thoughts, words, and scribbles. We didn’t own a computer when I completed my first draft of The Secret of Lies, which looking back now I can’t even imagine, but once I’d finished I knew I couldn’t send it out to agents and publishers as it was – scribbled out on yellow pads – so I asked a friend to borrow her typewriter.

Coincidently, having the loaner typewriter parked on the kitchen table for the next several months was the not-so-difficult-to-decipher clue that tipped my husband and children to the fact that I’d been clandestinely penning a novel. I was so insecure over my abilities, and had been holding to the fear that everyone would consider my writing a self-absorbed and egotistical pursuit, that I only wrote in the afternoons while my children were napping. As it turned out, it was a very misplaced assumption on my part, because my family has been nothing other than supportive, encouraging, and glowingly proud of my writerly accomplishments.


How do you get ideas for what you write?

The most inspiring ideas seem to come from those things I find unfolding right around me – not necessarily up-close and personal, but within reach if I’m paying attention. If I merely pass the time loitering in the space my own life occupies, my writing can become stale, and really, the world at large is positively rich with ingredients to season any writers stew. Startling or unusual news stories have provided useable hints and clues for current and future stories. Overheard conversations passed between strangers can lend themselves to characters or scenes in development – most recently a young woman in the grocery store berating her “selfish and inconsiderate” boyfriend over her cell phone at the same time she calmly examined a box of Fruity Pebbles Cereal. I’ve also discovered more than a few striking characteristics for characters in development while flipping through a magazine and finding myself captivated by an intriguing photograph.

Even then, the ideas I find most durable over the course of writing a story are those that seem to come up from nowhere in particular. I can’t say I understand how it works really, and even after years of chasing my imagination I’m still unsure how it is that our thoughts can so consistently wander off into places we don’t always recognize or even know we possess, diving deep and returning time and again with the components essential for creating memorable stories.


What is your biggest advice for young people reaching for their dreams?

First and foremost you have to trust the internal plug-in that gave you the dream to begin with, and then you have to be willing to invest in yourself. I will never be convinced otherwise that the desires of our heart are not random. They are in fact eternal and altogether necessary. It’s far too easy when the path turns rocky to convince ourselves that we don’t have what it takes to go the distance and grasp the prize – or worse, allow others to tell us what we’re capable of, where we fit, and what we should be doing. Trust in your abilities and love what you create. It all begins and ends with the faith you pack-up and carry along on the journey. Dare to be unique, aspire to be remarkable.


What are some of your favorite books?

My first favorite book was The Secret Garden, but my favorite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only do I love everything about the story and characters, but I remember reading it for the first time when I was in middle school and thinking how desperately I wished I could write like Harper Lee. Another favorite is The Great Gatsby, and most books by Augusten Burroughs. A Girl Named Zippy is a funny, touching, beautifully written memoir. And I recently read and loved both Water for Elephants and Mockingjay.



Is there anything else you would like to add?

The goals we create for ourselves and the dreams we aspire too are the difference between a life lived and one truly fulfilled. Being sidetracked by chance or circumstance, not having the necessary education, name tag, or street address, are movable roadblocks and absolutely not cause to abandon those things we’ve set out to accomplish.

And it does help considerably, if like me, you find that you really don’t like taking ‘no’ for an answer. So that when a door refuses to open to your polite knocking, you know to just go around back and slip-in through that crack in the window. If you’re put in the time, done the work, followed the rules and still haven’t gotten an invitation, then maybe it’s time to put on your best outfit and crash the party.


Connect with Barbara

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Secret-of-Lies-Novel/195421757151252 
• Website: http://www.barbaraforteabate.com 
• Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaCPx-tKeW0&feature=channel

Sticking With Your New Year's Goals

 

So it's two weeks into a glorious new year. How is 2011 going for you so far? How are those new year's goals and resolutions holding up?

To really make a new habit stick, I've heard that you need to do it consistently for three weeks, and then it much more likely to be a permanent part of your routine.

But, as we all know, new habits set with the best of intentions can be difficult to stick to. Especially in the hectic weeks of a new year after coming back from a holiday break. Especially in the frigid January snow. Especially when there are so many other, important things clamoring for your attention.

I'm a big believer in daily goals, and I'm also a big believer in baby steps. Break down something that seems huge into small steps you can take every day. Just do a little bit every day. Consistently. Baby steps add up to huge accomplishments.

Here's a motivation tool I found, courtesy of the wonderful positive-news site Gimundo, that has been helping me with my goal of writing a certain number of words every day: Joe's Goals. It's supposedly inspired by a motivation concept of Jerry Seinfeld, with the simple idea: Don't break the chain. You enter a goal you want to do consistently -- every day, three times a week, etc -- and it is marked down on this calendar for you. Every day, if you do the goal, you get to check it off. Your checks soon become a chain of happy green check marks, and the last thing you want to do is "break the chain" and have to start all over again! It sounds simple, but it has really helped me stay on top of my writing goal so far.

Case in point: last night, I got home late, and I hadn't written enough yet for my word count goal, so I plunked down in front of my computer and wrote some before I went to bed. All so I could truthfully have that little green check mark. If not for that website, I very likely would have thought, I'll just write more tomorrow. But, as my role model Coach Wooden used to say, "You can't do anything about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now. We kid ourselves: 'I'll buckle down tomorrow and work twice as hard.' No. If you can work twice as hard tomorrow, it means you're holding something back today. I want 100% today. And tomorrow."

Of course, it requires that you be honest with yourself, but I think that is a requirement no matter how you are going after your goals.

Good luck! I'm rooting for you!

Guest post by Edward Stern

The Write Stuff: 8 Reasons You Should Have a Writing Journal

To be a writer, one needs to write. Bringing a laptop everywhere is not always feasible, especially for jotting down quick thoughts on the go. Many writers prefer to write consistently at designated writing times, but with a busy schedule, this can be hard to squeeze in.

The solution? Keep a writing journal. You'll be amazed at how helpful it will be for getting your creative juices flowing and capturing inspiration when it strikes. Here are eight reasons why you should have a writing journal.

1. Take it anywhere: A writing journal is a great companion for travel, whether it be by car, bus, train, plane, whatever moves. Make the most of your time commuting to work or traveling for business by taking those often wasted hours and making them productive writing time spent in your journal.

2. Capture inspiration when it strikes: You never know where you'll be when that one little phrase, plot twist, sentence fragment, anything strikes you. Be prepared, and don't lose the moment. Bring your writing journal and a pen or pencil with you everywhere to make your genius turn of phrase does not escape you.

3. Play around with your words: With a writing journal, you can bring past work with you. Oftentimes, it's important to take a step back from your work to be able to evaluate it objectively and to hone your prose. Play with your phrasing until you get it perfect while on your lunch break or whenever it hits you.

4. Record observations: As a good writing exercise, go for a walk downtown or through a park and record observations. Jot down notes on the people you see and the events taking place. Later, sit down and imagine back stories for what you saw. You never know when these could turn into a key character or the plot for your next piece.

5. Make yourself write: To be a better writer, you need to write, obviously. Having a designated journal time keeps you writing even if it's not while working on a specific poem, novel, or other project. Keep your skills sharp by keeping a journal.

6. Keep it informal: If you are writing for a living or investing your heart and soul in a passion project, write in a journal informally about the process of writing, your personal happenings, or just silly fun side efforts. Keep your writing journal a fun place, one where you can relieve stress and where writing is always fun. It will keep you fresh and determined for your other work.

7. Play games: Give yourself prompts, write from other perspectives, write letters you'll never send -- play quick, casual writing games to keep your skills sharp and to try out new things. A little intellectual stimulation will help make you a better, more versatile writer, and may also inspire new directions for your more formal work.

8. Good writers write frequently: To be good at anything, you have to practice, and practice consistently. Keeping a writing journal forces you to do so, especially around a busy schedule.



Edward Stern is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on online career training for the Guide to Career Education.

Southern Expressions Writers Conference

Last weekend, I was honored and delighted to be a presenter at the Southern Expressions Writers Conference in Gulfport, Mississippi, hosted by the Gulf Coast Writers Association. Major thanks to my writing buddy, the tireless, fearless author and organizer Philip Levin, for inviting me! I spoke about writing for teenagers in today's growing YA market. (Come back next week -- I'm posting my hand-out from the conference, 10 Ten Rules to Keep in Mind When Writing for Teens!)

If you ever get a chance to go to a writers conference, I highly encourage you to take advantage and go. Simply being in a room full of other writers gets your inspiration wheels churning and the energy buzzing. I met so many lovely, encouraging, creative people at the Southern Expressions Conference. All around you are people who also struggle with writer's block and rejection, who understand what it's like to have a character come alive in your mind, who know the exhilaration of writing until three in the morning because you just can't get the words down fast enough. You will meet writers from all over the map, with a variety of experiences and stories to share. And, with today's technology, keeping in touch after the conference is easier than ever.

All set to pack your bags for a writers conference? AWP (the Association of Writers & Writing Programs) has a wonderful database of writers conferences here: http://writersconf.org/ It's a great excuse to travel to a place you've always wanted to visit! Hawaii, anyone? :)

Interview with Ben Mueller: writer, teacher, runner, and triathlete

I came across Ben Mueller's story in Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul and it was one of my favorites in the entire collection. Ben says he loves to write inspirational nonfiction stories about his past experiences with sports. He teaches math at the high school and college level and has been involved in running and triathlons since he was nine years old. Today, he has completed more than 400 races from the 2-mile to the marathon. He has a goal of running a half-marathon in every state and so far has checked off fifteen states.

Ben is selling copies of Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul to raise money for the Healthy Kids Foundation: http://kishymca.org/donate.html. 

Tell us about your story in Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul. What was your motivation to write this story? How did you go about turning an event from your real life into a short essay?

As a kid, I played just about every sport imaginable -- and years later, I realized how inspirational some of the lessons were and what sports can teach you about life. My mother gave me a Chicken Soup book when I was going through a rough time about ten years ago. One particular story really inspired me and I wanted to give the same gift back to others. I did not think about making a story out of the event until about four years after it happened. I knew there were lots of Chicken Soup books and I visioned one for runners coming out eventually. I really wanted to be part of that book when it came out. As far as writing the essay goes, it was pretty straightforward: basically, I thought about how that event inspired me, outlined the major points, and then wrote each paragraph.

Tell us about your website and blog. Do you have advice for people who want to start their own blogs/websites?

My blog and web site is about bringing my experiences to life. I blog for three reasons: 

1) To keep past memories alive so in later years I can look back.

2) For my family and friends to read about my experiences.

3) So others can see how inspirational running can be. 

I used to just blog about how I felt and did during my races. Now, I am taking it much deeper and am sharing the connections -- socially and spiritually -- that I get from racing. My advice to others is just go out and do it. Capture the moments. You won't regret looking back and remembering all the cool things that happened in the past. In addition, I think including pictures with your writing makes your blog a lot more interesting.

Is there anything you have learned about writing through running? (Or vise versa?)

Yes. I have learned that running is about the journey, not the destination. It is about perseverance, meeting new people, and learning more about yourself. Exercise really engages our brains in ways that non-exercisers don't understand. Some of my best thoughts come while on a long bike ride or run.

What is your writing routine? Do you write every day? Do you have a certain time or place you write?

I always write at coffee shops. I do not have a set time and place to write, but I try to write 3-4 times per week. I also try to update my blog frequently. During the school year, I get busy with teaching so I do not write as much as I do during the summer. I am a little strange in that I do not just focus on one story at a time; I will usually be working on 2-3 short stories at a time. When I write a short story, I always outline first and then write the paragraphs, but I don't always write the paragraphs in chronological order.

What is your biggest advice for kids and teens setting out to pursue their dreams?

My advice would be for teens to just continue to do what they love. I believe that as we grow up, many people stop their passions because other things get in the way. Make time to do what you love to do and don't worry so much about what others think. I always talk about the 4 P's to success -- patience, practice, persistence, and perseverance. I believe this to be so true. You need to vision success before it can be achieved and believe in yourself.

How do you overcome a disappointing race (or, for writing, how do you deal with a rejection letter from an editor?)

I always remember that the only way you lose is if you lack the courage to come out and try. Overcoming a disappointing race is easy because there is always another opportunity the next weekend. Remember that life goes up and down and when you're down... there is always an upswing coming!

Guest on Radio Dõv: The Accidental Guru

I'm delighted to share that I'm going to be a guest on Dõv Baron's radio show The Accidental Guru on Friday, August 6th at 11:00am Pacific time. Dõv takes callers, so feel free to call in with questions! I would absolutely love to hear from you.

Listen in live and learn more here: http://radiodov.com/shows/2010/08/01/dallas-woodburn-on-radio-dov-%E2%80%93-august-6th/

Dõv Baron is a best-selling author and motivational speaker. His radio show The Accidental Guru is dedicated to giving people the answers they need to get from where they are to where they want to be. Dõv's energy and passion are contagious. His no-nonsense delivery style mixed with humor, compassion and wisdom makes him very easy to listen to and learn from. I am thrilled and honored to spend an hour talking with him, and I hope you'll join us!

So, in summary: Friday, August 6th, 11:00am PST. http://radiodov.com/shows/2010/08/01/dallas-woodburn-on-radio-dov-%E2%80%93-august-6th/

Interview with "The Sunny Girl," Lauren Cook, Founder of The Sunny Side Up!

Lauren Cook -- or "The Sunny Girl," as she goes by these days -- is the founder of The Sunny Side Up, a project seeking to inspire and share happiness with others. She is currently a student at UCLA where she is majoring in Psychology and Communications, and she enjoys participating in her sorority, Chi Omega, along with Colleges Against Cancer, Campus Crusade, and Toastmasters. Lauren is a former Miss Teen California and she has proudly raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society. In her free time she enjoys zumba, eating gelato, and relaxing with her Siamese cat, Kiko. I am so thrilled to have Lauren join us today!

Tell us about The Sunny Side Up. What was your inspiration/motivation to start this project? How has it grown already?

The Sunny Side Up! is a project studying how, when, and why teens are happy and what we can do to increase, recognize, and appreciate our happiness even more. I am currently writing a book based on this project; but rather than just sharing my thoughts on happiness, I am incorporating the opinions and experiences of more than 250 other teens because happiness is such a personalized topic.

While I have learned that many teens are happy with their lives, I still hear on a daily basis: "I can't wait for the weekend", "I can't wait for finals to be over", or "I can't wait to graduate." How can one be happy when they are wishing their life away? It is my goal to help teens appreciate life's daily offerings of happiness -- from time spent with friends and family to a cup of frozen yogurt. Happiness takes practice; we have to make an effort to notice and appreciate what brings us joy.

The Sunny Side Up! has been very successful already -- and it's only been a month! I have already signed a contract with iUniverse for the book to be published and hundreds of teens have expressed an interest to participate in the project. I am very hopeful for the future, but more than anything, I love hearing how The Sunny Side Up! has made people happier in their everyday lives.

Tell us about "The Sunny Set."

I began writing "The Sunny Set" about two years ago and I have been adding to it ever since; I currently have 261 goals! It is similar to a "Bucket List" but instead of seeing these aspirations as something to do before I die, I see them as something to achieve during my lifetime. Some are colossal, like selling a million copies of my upcoming book, The Sunny Side Up! or seeing the Titanic. And many are much smaller, like hatching a chick (this has actually been quite hard -- I've had two hatch-less batches!) and donating blood. Yet, no matter what the goal is, I have found happiness in every aspect of the process by setting, striving, and accomplishing these dreams. 

What have you learned through The Sunny Side Up?

I have learned that everyone has a story. Teens, myself included, often take things personally when someone doesn't say hello or smile back. But in truth, everyone has something that they may be struggling with, whether it is family problems, a disease, or any other personal challenge. While it is not right to be rude, at the same time, everyone is doing the best that they can with their circumstances and we should try to love and accept them for who they are. Through this project, I have learned to never judge others. I have also learned that happiness is contagious so I always try to share a smile with someone that may be going a tough time.

What is your writing routine? Do you write every day? Do you have a certain time or place you write?

I have always loved to write but it is a struggle for me to get started. Writing requires all of your time, focus, and energy -- which is not something many of us are used to as hectic multi-taskers. But writing on my blog has given me the perfect excuse to make the time to write daily. Every morning I make a blog post with my cat laying (and snoring) beside me while the sun shines through my window. I'm always happier after I write and I love the sense of achievement I feel after letting my creativity out of my brain and onto paper (or laptop in this century). 

In your opinion, why is writing important, in particular in the lives of young people?

Writing is the best gift that we can give to ourselves; it is a time for self-reflection, creativity, and clarity. Writing has the power to heal and inspire, and it is our opportunity to leave a legacy in written form. I highly recommend that young people make an effort to write -- whether they feel thankful, happy, sad, or mad -- whatever emotion they may feel at the time. I believe that you discover who you are through writing.

What is your biggest advice for kids and teens just starting out?

Find many mentors! It can be scary starting out; I will be the first to admit that as a young writer, I have so much to learn. But never be too proud or intimidated to ask questions; there are so many talented authors, teachers, family, and friends who are willing to share their wisdom with you. An infinite amount of knowledge is available to you if you only have the courage to ask.

What steps can people take TODAY to become happier?

I have always been adamant about gratitude. I believe that if we are consciously aware of the blessings in our life -- both the big and the small -- we will be exponentially happier people. Every day before I go to bed, I write down my "5 Daily Gratitudes." I find myself noticing so much more beauty and joy in my life, whether it be the butterfly fluttering outside my window or a family dinner. I suggest you try it today and see how much happier you feel!

Connect with Lauren:

Subscribe to The Sunny Side Up! blog: http://thesunnygirl.wordpress.com/

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