Writer's Club

On Thursday I began a writer's club for 5th graders at my school.  The students were very receptive to the idea.  It was satisfying to see students talking to me the day before about being excited to join.  I figured I'd have a few girls from my class, but I had some students from each class and over a fourth of the group was boys.  It was such an amazing sight to see us all working away on our ideas.  I looked around for a moment and I saw three boys writing furiously and sketching their comics, a couple girls were writing a collaborative story, and a boy was mouthing words as he tried to wrap his mind around what he wanted to write.  We ended our meeting with a little share time.  Each person explained what they were working on.  

When it was my time to share, I explained how I am starting a series about humans visiting another planet and finding life similar to ours.  The life is much more intelligent than we are, yet they do not use technology.  It is a simpler, more peaceful form of life.  The first book will be about us going to visit them and stay for an extended time.  The second book will be about their visit with us.  The final book will be about the war.  As history shows us, mixing cultures often leads to conflict.  Can you guess who the aggressor is in this situation?  

The students faces just lit up as I was explaining my ideas.  I felt if I could have written the book during that 20 minutes, they would have been begging for copies.  That excitement provides for some powerful fuel for me to write it.  I've had this idea for many years, but I haven't been motivated or confident enough to write it.  It sounds very science fiction, but it does not feel that way to me.  In the end, it is a story about humanity: my favorite topic.

After the meeting I went to pick up my students and some of them spread the news about my story.  All the kids asked if they could have a signed copy when I'm done.  If I can pursue this venture, they will be the first people to have a copy in their hands.  What an empowering feeling to think that my words could encourage students to read.