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.

Withdrawals

It has been five days since my last blog post and I miss it already.  So, here is my new blog.  It does feel a little odd and unfamiliar to start a new blog after spending 365 days with my last one, but I'm sure it will feel like home soon.  On here you can track my progress to becoming an author.  Here we go...

I've been doing a lot of thinking today about my book I want to write.  I'm still struggling to focus on exactly which topic I want to write about.  I came up with a new idea today.  I was thinking that I could write a book about independent travel.  It would be a how-to mixed with personal stories.  Then again, it has been done before.

My other thoughts include a piece about Parisians through the people.  I would have conversations with and interview different Parisians and bring their stories together to create a book.

The final idea is my Neighborhood Mosaic.  Basically it looks at Paris through the character of its neighborhoods.  I am struggling right now to continue with this idea because I'm not sure how I want to write it.  I've started writing it as anecdotes, but I think I need to take myself out of the book.   It makes me nervous to be uncertain so early in this process, but I suppose the only thing that makes a difference between a writer and a dreamer is the writer pushes through.

I also wonder if my travels abroad will bring some inspiration that I cannot see yet.  My high school humanities teacher said that inspiration is crap.  He mostly meant that having an inspired idea and everything working out perfectly is crap.  It doesn't mean that to everyone, but now when I say the word, that is what comes to mind.  For now, I will worry about improving my writing and learning more about the whole process. 

I have been loading some of my travel videos to youtube if you are interested in checking them out.  They are not polished or of any kind of quality, but they are there for now.  Here is the link.