Deb Lund ad lib

Want to attend a small, intimate conference for children’s writers? Join me in Spokane!

Once in awhile I write a post which should really be on both of my blogs (one for writers, one for teachers), and this is one of them. My dinos are so grateful for this deeper understanding of their evolution. My friend, fun-cartoon-guy Dana Sullivan, sent me the dinolink to this StorySaurus…

Jamie Harrington’s now legendary (at least to those of us who were directed to Jamie’s doodle here) teacher, Ms. George, a teacher who “got” writing, knew how to make the writing process not only palatable, but pleasurable for her kiddos. How many times, in how many classes, did you have to watch the chalk swoop the arc up and drop at the end? I still see the bared wrists of all those teachers, as if that diagram were the only possible way to view story arc.

When I discovered that I could take my adult students through the same hands-on craziness that turned “reluctant” student writers into passionate poets and story-makers, the dinosaurs on our backs jumped off to romp with us. We’ve been dinoplaying ever since.

Last November I created an occassional NaNoNuj (some of you played with them here) to help NaNoWriMo’s make it through the month. We played with my deck of them at an Orcas Island Writers Festival workshop this spring. The phrases on these cards are mostly about making sure there’s enough tension to keep readers reading. But it’s the drawing, selecting, and handling of these cards that allowed workshop participants to let go and play, or “galumph” as my friend George Shannon calls it.

I can blissfully ignore plot and play with words for days on end. If I don’t pair plot with intention, it doesn’t happen. So I do. As a teacher, I always found ways to simplify complex information for my students. I skipped the jargon, streamlined the process, found analogies to make the learning real. I’m not a rules-follower if the rules don’t work for me. I don’t swallow someone else’s “solution” but listen carefully, process it, and find my own. That’s what Ms. George did in creating the StorySaurus for her students. That’s what you can do for yourself.

Some of you remember the Whidbey conference, often called “the best in the nation,” when it was at its peak. Well, it’s rebuilding, and this year’s mini-conference was a success. Jamie Ford, Kirby Larson, and many other big names facilitated the unique “chat house” format so loved by past attendees. This is the conference that jump-started my career.

I promise to get back to using this blog for writing talk, but here’s one last plea for helping the Whidbey Island Writers Conference get back in full swing for 2011…

A note from director Wayne Ude:

Thanks to success of the June 12 Mini-Conference, the drive to match the Elizabeth George Foundation’s $15,000 challenge grant is now within $2000 of succeeding. If you’ve been thinking about donating but haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time. Our deadline is July 15. IF you know someone whose intentions are good who hasn’t made that phone call to the office (360-331-0307) or sent that check, now is the time to remind that friend.

We all owe a vote of thanks for the hard work of the Mini-Conference Committee led by Dorothy Read. Thanks to them, we’re close to making the goal; now we need a last surge to get there.

Please do what you can. And keep writing!

Hey, you teacher/writer types… Did you know I have a blog just for K-12 teachers and others who work with kids (including parents, of course)? Are you (or do you know) a teacher who might like credits for attending a writing conference? Send them HERE!

Come play with me on lovely Orcas Island this June! Last year was a blast. The Orcas writing community (locals and Orcas fans like us) is a supportive, down-to-earth, open-minded bunch, and they couldn’t be more welcoming. Besides, you were hoping for an excuse to visit Orcas, weren’t you?

For the past couple decades I’ve shared what I’ve learned about writing because I’m passionate about supporting dream-chasers of all ages and levels of expertise. One week I had three lunch offers from people who wanted to know “how to get published.” It’s not a quick and easy topic, and it’s the wrong request. What you need to know about writing for children more closely resembles a masters’ degree than a lunch chat, and if you guessed the “right” request would be about writing instead of publication, then join me on this journey. I can’t get you there, but I can shorten your learning curve.

See you soon! For those coming to Whidbey from off-island, consider taking the transit to the Mukilteo ferry and using our free Island County bus system into Langley. Contact me if you have questions. Here are your class and workshop options:

Join teachers, students, parents, and other writers in this workshop designed for writers of (almost) all ages…

One-Day Workshop April 17: “Fiction Fire for Teens (gr.7-12) and Adults”

Whether you write (or want to write) adult, middle grade, or young adult fiction (or most genres for that matter), these playful activities will provide the kindling you need to ignite new stories. Create characters with unique voices, sizzling settings, and plots that keep readers blazing through your pages. 10-4, Island Coffeehouse and Books, Langley.

After a couple decades of teaching writing to kids, I learned that my strategies work for adults as well. Seems logical, but I guess I needed all these years of practice for it to sink in. When it really hit me was after one of my school presentations in Japan last spring. A teacher rushed up to me thanking me profusely because the “inner critic” activities I did with the kids removed a block she had about her painting. In many ways, we’re all kids when it comes to our creativity. Thanks to librarian Jayanne Bixby and the Friends of the Langley Library, there’s no charge for this event…

Free Presentation April 19: “Gag Your Inner Critic!” Sponsored by Friends of the Langley Library. You say you want to write, but you don’t have time. Or you don’t have the right pen, paper, space, spouse, or parents. Or you think your writing is boring, stupid, and plain. Besides all that, writing is so much easier for everyone else than it is for you. Where did those voices come from? Don’t fight them! Let Deb help you put them to work!

3–4:30, Island Coffeehouse and Books, Langley

And if you like what you see at the free presentation above, put it all into practice at this series of classes…

Classes Mondays, 3-4:30, April 26 to May 17, Reading & Celebration, 7:00, May 22.

“Writing with Teens and Adults” Ready to Write? Teacher and published author Deb Lund facilitates this mixed-generation hands-on writing group. Come wrangle with words and the elements of story as we support each other and celebrate our successes. We’ll roll up our sleeves and write, read, and rewrite! Island Coffeehouse and Books, Langley.

It’s time… Let me help you take this step!

You’ll hear more about this from me later, but Jesse Watson’s moving picture book story of resilience and hope in Haiti during the earthquake tragedies, coming out in October, features images of my kids. Our son Jean modeled for the main character, and our daughter Sandra will be featured in the book as well. The little girl is our friend Josie, also from Petit Goave, which is near the epicenter of the quake. Check out the HOPE FOR HAITI book trailer where they pose for pictures and play soccer with Jesse. You’ll see daddy Karl in there, too. Such talent…

Thanks for all you’re doing, Jesse.

Rick Steves had this one wrong. The palace interior has been reconfigured so many times it’s lost it’s charm, but the grounds are pure magic.

I’ve had dreams about tunnels, caves that never end, being lost as I crawl through smaller and smaller crevices in the dark, so it took courage to wind my way through the tunnels of Quinta de Regaleira.

With cave walls closing in, I followed closely behind two women with a cell phone as a flashlight. After a couple curves, we found ourselves in the side of a well, with stairs winding both up and down around the inner walls. We climbed to the top, sure there would be an escape, but we stepped out onto a tall bank. Dreading the return through the wet tunnels, I pushed against heavy concrete rectangles that looked like they could be doors. The third one moved easily as I pushed against it–a hidden doorway! I got to be hero for a moment as we embraced the sunshine. What a setting. Now we just need a character. Leda will do…

Leda sits at the entrance to her cave, goose biting at her thigh, bird in her hands, and the question that’s been visiting me often this week appears again. What’s her story?

It’s a good question. Give it a try.