The mission of An Open Book Foundation, formerly Literacy & Prose, is to excite children and teens about reading by connecting them with authors and illustrators and then giving each child a copy of the author’s book to take home. It is often the first book the child has ever owned.

Writing Workshop: Showing Vs. Telling

Date: Feb 26, 2-3:30
Instructor: Mary Amato
Enrollment: 25 max
Tuition: $35
Age: Adults and teens

Description: The Golden Rule of writing is to “show” instead of “tell.” Explore exercises to enhance your ability to identify telling vs. showing, learn strategies to avoid bad habits, and discover how you can bring more action and image into your work. This valuable workshop is applicable to all forms of writing–fiction, non-fiction, play writing, songwriting, and poetry.

http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/art_programs/register/index.html

Reading and Booksigning to follow from 3:30-4:00; free and open to the public, children welcome.

Wrote a new song. Loved it. Well, most of it. I was having a little trouble with the bridge, which didn’t seem to lead anywhere. So, I played the song for my music partner Bill Williams, expecting him to suggest a little touch that would do the trick for the trouble spot. He floored me by saying that when he looked at my lyrics, he was hearing a completely different rhythm and tempo overall. I so wanted him to be wrong. “But I love this rhythm and tempo…” I kept thinking.

If I have learned one thing about writing it is this: Beware when you are saying to yourself, “But I love this…” Last night, I forced myself to try Bill’s suggested rhythm and tempo and the song came to life. As I was singing, new lyrics came to me for that troubled old bridge over which I had labored. I can’t even remember now what I loved so much about the old song.

I read an inspiring piece of advice for all writers and artists from Jack Brown in the January 2012 edition of the Songwriter’s Association of Washington’s newsletter.

“The best songwriting advice I ever got in my life was from a Nashville pro—even though my sound is
not a Nashville sound. He said, ‘You have to remember that it’s not your job to tell people your story.
After a few minutes at best, they’re bored with your story. What they want to hear in
your songs is THEIR story.’” –Jack Brown

So true. Failed first novels are often too focused on the autobiographical (”literal memory is your enemy” is a mantra I learned from Robert Olen Butler). I say this from personal experience. Learning to save my diary as the receptacle for my personal effusions has been a professional lifesaver for me.

Get over your own story, and embrace Story.

I am a writer first and a musician second, so I have developed a natural habit of being lyrics-centric. I tried Max’s suggestion, and it helped me to create a musically stronger chorus and bridge, as well as more interesting musical transitions between all the sections, and a lovely new opening and closing.

Spend some time in your work focusing on what you usually don’t.

Spend time this year remembering the beauty that comes from a “well-turned phrase or an elegant style”; and, if you’ve forgotten a rule, there’s Grammar Girl to the rescue!

Parent Stacey Kane sent in an entry to my “Give Back to Maryland” Contest and won a free author visit to her elementary school. The Westover Elementary School’s third, fourth, and fifth graders were fun to talk with and eager to participate in my “revision can be fun” improvisation. The Code Videen family made this poster for my visit. Keep writing, Westover!

I enjoyed visiting Colin Powell Elementary School in VA. Mrs. Keleher’s class wowed me by sharing their collaborative writer’s notebook, inspired by my book Please Write in This Book. Keep writing!!!!

A huge thank you to the students, staff, and parents of Wayne Elementary School (PA).  The one-week residency was so fun. Each classroom was buzzing with energy as students created funny and exciting stories and developed interesting characters. 

Parent coordinator Jennifer Reid Holman thought of everything! Even flowers for my room.

The welcoming artwork was great. I loved the giant card the students made.

I taught writing workshops in all the classrooms from grades 2-5. I learned a lot from the students and teachers, too. Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Cook had cool ideas for encouraging writing in their classrooms.

Librarian Extraordinaire Sue Dahlstrom had the kids doing all sort of Riot Brother games, like Knot-a-Sock and Rumpus Bumpus.

Keep making up stories, WES students!!!!