Welcome to Teach Write! This column draws on my 20 years’ experience teaching writing to kids, university students, and adult learners. It includes ideas and exercises that teachers can use in the classroom, and creative writers can use to level up their process. Last time we talked about the 40:20:40 rule of writing, and how the first 40% of the effort that goes into any piece happens in the preparation phase. The very first piece of preparation is to identify your audience: in other words, who are you writing for? Professional writers think about audience all the time (it’s...
STEMinism Sunday: STEM Books for Junior Scientists
Welcome to STEMinism Sunday! As a former woman in science, I have a deep and enduring interest in the experiences and representation of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). This series will be an opportunity for me – and you – to get to know some of these intellectual badasses. I’m on the road right now, posting between adventures in Cape Breton (*waves from Nova Scotia*), so it’s a quick one today – a list of lists of kids books about fabulous women in science. Head to your local bookstore or library and load up on...
Cantastic Authorpalooza: Ishta Mercurio
Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by great Canadian children’s writers! Today’s guest: Ishta Mercurio. Take it away, Ishta! A Noisy Kind of Quiet I wrote the first draft of SMALL WORLD in 2011. When I tell people that, they always pause. I can see the gears working in their minds: am I THAT BAD at this writing thing? Is publishing THAT SLOW? Does it always take THAT LONG? And how can they ask me these questions in a way that’s not insulting? (After all, this is Canada. Being “not insulting” is our brand.) Well… The answer to those...