Young Adult Author Visits

To foster instant creativity with the young adult age group you must give them activities that assure success without the pressure of judgment or harsh criticism. Just like the little ones they love games and short writing exercises.

RANDOM WORD CHALLENGE

Give each student ten random words, with one bonus word. Use each word to write an original poem or short story (flash fiction—one page or less in length) and then share each with each another.

1)      Give each student this list of words and sample poem.

1.      Window

2.      Atlas

3.      Wire

4.      Opaque

5.      Casserole

6.      Figurine

7.      Thistle

8.      Storage

9.      Chink

10.  hackney
Plus: snorkel

Example of a poem:

Gazing out the grubby window

At the opaque day,

I strain to see a reflection

the figurine staring back at me.

This is a hackneyed life wrapped

and trapped in wire?

1. Be sure to leave time to analyze the words on the list themselves. What do students notice about the words on the list? What parts of speech–noun, verb, adjective–are they? What makes a “good”/creative/juicy/inspiring word for such an exercise?
2. Have kids choose 5 words to use in an original poem. You can ask them to slant the poem toward your book in some way.
3. Give them 5-10 minutes.
4. Ask for volunteers to read their poem.
5. What have they learned about writing and poetry from this lesson?
6. Another approach is to put them in small groups to work on the poem together.

PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE

1. Warm students up by asking what they thought about your reading excerpt: What did they like about it? What was it about? Follow up with “why” questions, and ask that students support their answers with specific words and phrases from the story. Write their thoughts on the chalkboard.
2. Give each student a handout with a story excerpt that covers the topic or topics you are covering.
3. Segue into questions that are more directly about the aspect of playing with language on which you want to focus (action words, dialogue, metaphors, etc). How does the author use specific words?

Action words: Underline specific word choices that bring the action to life. Describe how the imagery is crafted by action words?

Dialogue: Identify the characters in the story excerpt: their roles, status, age and relationship to each other. Discuss how the writer plays with the characters’ dialogue (distinct tone and word choices) to reveal information about each character.

4.      Write a poem or short story in which you play with language in the manner of one of the author’s discussion.

Metaphors: Underline the metaphors in the passage. Why does it work or not work for you?

5.      With their answers on the board, ask some synthesizing questions: What have they learned about playing with language from this lesson? How might they experiment with specific word choices and meanings in their own writing, in your class and in others they might be taking that semester?

BOARD GAMES

Directions:  Give students a heads up about the board game they will be playing after your reading. Use index cards to create game cards with questions about your book on one side and the answers on the other side.  Print game boards on card stock paper. Break the group up into groups of 4 or 5 students. You can use buttons as player pieces.

Roll die to see who goes first. Others follow in a clockwise direction. They roll the die, take a card, answer the question correctly and move the number of dots on ONE die.  First player to reach the end of the game wins.  Continue playing to find out who comes in second, third, and fourth place.

CREATE A MAP OF A NEW WORLD

Draw the map of an island on a crinkled up paper bag.  This will show that the map is old. 

Now add some features like mountains, caves, volcanoes, rivers, swamps, or lakes.  (This is a great way to give your kids a geography lesson!)  How about adding an old, deserted pirate town?   Remember that islands don't have to be tropical.  There are also rocky islands, jungle islands, and since this is an imaginary story, how about rainbow islands, candy islands, islands made of toys, or any combination of elements you want.

Decide who lives on the island. Maybe it’s a clan of long-lost Vikings, rock people, wacky animals, or talking birds.

Finally, start the story by bringing to the island a main character or two. What would happen when two kids get shipwrecked there, or a time-traveler shows up?  They need to have a goal as well.  It could be as simple as trying to get home, or finding an object that's needed to save the world.

Because you have a picture of your island it is easy to create a plot as your characters move from one part of the island to the other.  Create a problem to overcome at each feature.

BIO POEM

Line1: Your first name
Line 2: Who is...(Descriptive words that describe you)
Line 3: Who is brother or sister of...
Line 4: Who loves...(three ideas or preople)
Line 5: Who feels...(three ideas )
Line 6: Who needs...(three ideas)
Line 7: Who gives...(three ideas)
Line 8: Who fears...(three ideas)
Line 9: Who would like to see...
Line 10: Who shares...
Line 11: Who is...
Line 12: Who is a resident of...
Line 13: Your last name

Example Bio-Poem

Allison Nicole

Creative, intelligent, fun, responsible, self-disciplined, and enthusiastic

Sister of Meghan Darby, Melinda, Chris and Harrison

Loves to create art, make up plays and commercials, ride Daddy's Harley, and run track

Who needs the telephone, her hair brush, macaroni and cheese, her friends and family

Who gives her MeMaw much joy, her father and mother much pride; brother and sister love

Who feels joy with her friends, creating art work, running, watching movies and eating

Who fears going from one room to another, not doing well on tests, zits and coming in last

Who would like to own a Harley, win the 880, see her room neat and tidy, win the lottery

Who shares her secrets, her worries, and her love with MeMaw

Who is an honor roll student, a typical 13-year old, a friend to Amber, Melissa and Christy

Who is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida

Chase

~~~~~
Author/educator Kathy Stemke

Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour:

Eighth Day of Trouble on earth Day Book Tour
http://slowandsteadywriters.blogspot.com/2012/04/earth-day.html

Seventh Day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour:

FREE EARTH DAY CARD FOR KIDS
FREE EARTH DAY CARD FOR ADULTS
http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/2012/03/get-your-free-earth-day-card-for-kids.html

Sixth Day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour-book Review
http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-trouble-on-earth-day.html
Fifth Day of Trouble on Earth Day Tour- Book Review
http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-trouble-on-earth-day.html
Fourth day of Trouble on Earth Day Tour- Fun Squirrel Facts 
http://hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com/2012/03/it-is-my-great-pleasure-to-welcome.html
Visit third day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour
http://gritsandgroceries.blogspot.com/2012/03/day-three-trouble-on-earth-day-book.html

Please Visit the Second Day of my book Tour for Trouble on Earth Day http://barbarabockman.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/review-of-kathy-stemkes-pb-trouble-on-earth-day/
Celebrate Earth Day with Pictures First day of book tour for Trouble on Earth Day
http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/2012/03/celebrate-earth-day-with-pictures.html

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Feeling Stuck? Try These Writing Prompts!

Sometimes all it takes is a little boost to get your creativity in gear. Next time you're in a writing rut, here are some prompts to try:

• Write down a memory of a time you had a conflict with someone else. This could be with a significant other, child, sibling, parent, friend, or any other conflict that comes to mind. Now, write the same scene again, but this time from the point of view of the other person.

• Pick one ordinary household object. It can be anything: an egg timer, a reading lamp, a vacuum, a blender. Next, imagine a world in which that object is unknown. Create a character that stumbles onto this object and try to describe it in a new way, as they would view it. See where the story takes you.

• Have you ever read a book or seen a movie and wondered what happened to the characters after it was over, or before it started? Now is your chance to find out, because YOU are going to write it yourself!

• Write a song about ... well, about anything you want! Set it to the tune of your favorite song, or make up your own tune.

• What if something out of the ordinary happened on an ordinary day? What if it snowed in Vegas? What if a 2-ton whale washed up on the beach? What if a family with eight children moved in next door?

Dallas Woodburn is the author of two award-winning collections of short stories and editor of the new anthology Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today's best youth writing. Her short fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Dzanc Books "Best of the Web" anthology and has appeared in many publications including Monkeybicycle, Arcadia Journal, and Diverse Voices Quarterly. She has also published 70+ articles and essays in outlets including Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, The Writer, The Los Angeles Times, and more than a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul series books. Dallas is the founder of Write On! For Literacy, a nonprofit organization that empowers kids and teens through reading and writing. She frequently teaches creative writing workshops, mentors young writers and artists, and organizes an annual Holiday Book Drive that has donated more than 12,000 new books to underprivileged and at-risk youth. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Fiction from Purdue University, where she also teaches undergraduate writing courses and serves as Assistant Fiction Editor of Sycamore Review. Her website is www.writeonbooks.org and she frequently posts writing prompts, articles, and interviews with writers at her blog: http://dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com. Follow her on Twitter @DallasWoodburn and @WriteOnBooks.