Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 21
May 11, 2018
A Tool for Teaching Text Structures and Revision by Melissa Stewart
Nice re-blog today—how long does an author spend revising?
Naturally, it varies for each writer and book; but, today’s author gives you examples—a timeline & videos :-)
Back in 2013, when No Monkeys, No Chocolate was published, I created this Revision Timeline. Educators love it because in just 15 minutes students can watch the videos and see for themselves how much a professional writer revises.
Students can also view three rejected manuscripts and do a text-to-text compari...
May 10, 2018
Friday Story Bazaar ~ Tale Ninety
“Break it to change it…” ~ an Evolutionary Tale
by
Alexander M Zoltai
~~~~~~~~~
The state of humanity was under siege—hardly anyone seemed to know—most thought it was just the same old bad stuff humans had done for ages.
Even the Rulers seemed clueless…
Certain signs were blindingly clear; but, most folks were so damned busy they couldn’t or wouldn’t notice.
Society, in the aggregate, wasn’t ready for death—certain individuals seemed to be—not only ready; but, actively working to exploit the...
Writing as Laborious Play
Much to ponder in today’s re-blog………
By Mary Volmer
The obsessions of writers and athletes begin the same way, as play. In his memoir, Hoop Roots, John Edgar Wideman explains that his basketball obsession began, “as messing around…throw a ball through a hoop, a fun silly kind of trick at first, until you decide you want to do it better.” He might as well have been speaking about storytelling and writing.
Writing starts as novelty, as messing around, until you decide...
May 9, 2018
Yet More Conversation About “Serious Writing” . . .
This particular discussion began a week ago with, Blog Conversation ~ “Serious Writing”, and progressed this past Monday with, Our Conversation About “Serious Writing” Continues…. [image error]
For those who are new here, our blog conversations are only on Monday’s and Wednesday’s, with valuable re-blogs on all other days of the week except Friday, when I publish new short Tales…
However, 7 weeks from now, the Tales will end and our Conversations will be on three days of the week :-)
Plus, what makes a pa...
May 7, 2018
Looking Back, Looking Forward by Sheila Greenwald
The author of today’s re-blog “…has written and illustrated about thirty books, many for children—and illustrated about forty others.”
I started illustrating books for children in 1956 and began to write them in 1975. As a freelancer involved with many publishing houses, I had an outsider’s view of quickly changing styles, rules, and acceptable content. The pendulum swing of change seemed faster and wider as time went on.
Children’s book department offices in the 50s were smal...
Our Conversation About “Serious Writing” Continues…
[image error] This particular conversation about “serious writing” began last Wednesday —> Blog Conversation ~ “Serious Writing”…
And, by way of prologuing the repetition of part of what that post said, here’s the comment that kept this conversation going:
“I was trying to choose a poem to read at a charity gig we are putting on next week ‘Music and Words’ and found I didn’t want to read anything serious. I wanted to make people laugh. However, I do write political stuff sometimes, trying to influence how...
May 6, 2018
An Ode to the Books of My Childhood . . . And to the Ones I Missed by Maggie Bokelman
Sneak-peek from today’s re-blog:
“I remember scenes from the books of my childhood in almost the same way I remember the chapters of my life—viscerally, sensually, emotionally.”
In the box of things my mother saved from my childhood is an “about me” book written and illustrated by my third-grade self. On one page, a stick figure with a creepy grin and no nose is stretched out on a couch holding a book; nearby is an enthusiastically polka-dotted window. The text reads, “I like...
May 4, 2018
Does It Matter If I Never Publish My Memoir?
………
By Karen Pickell
More than a year ago, I completed a draft of a memoir I’d been wanting to write for a very long time. It’s hard to say when the need to tell this story began. I started keeping journals as a pre-teen, and I’ve continued to fill notebooks throughout my adulthood. I signed up for my first creative writing class when I was 32 and pregnant with my oldest child. While my kids were toddlers, I began exploring my memory, crafting short pieces that I was...
May 3, 2018
Friday Story Bazaar ~ Tale Eighty-Nine
What’s the Use?
by
Alexander M Zoltai
Dedicated to Nathanael, Audra, and Jane
~~~~~~~~~
Mark was in his basement apartment wondering—deep bewilderment—high-risk pondering…
He’d had bouts of depression all his life—fallen down repeatedly; but, he did have an image of how to keep moving forward: “…walk on those bloody knees.”
Society had always been a challenge for Mark.
The “culture” was, as far as he was concerned, rotten.
He often felt like no two people could substantially agree—but, his mi...
May 2, 2018
Letting Go by Kim Hole
This teacher discovered a Wonderful Truth about how to get kids to read :-)
Reinventing Intervention. This statement described my goal this past school year. After 7 years as a K-6 reading specialist I knew things had to change. I had just sent 6th graders off that started with me in kindergarten, those student who for various reasons needed on-going reading support. In 7 years those students’ views of reading, the value it held in their lives and the way they saw themselves a...
