Authors as Mentors: Authors as Mentors: Apprenticing Ourselves Apprenticing Ourselves to Writers We Admireto Writers We Admire

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Get ideas for Get ideas for stories based on stories based on small everyday small everyday events in your events in your

lives.lives.22

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Walking My Dog Molly (small event topic)Walking My Dog Molly (small event topic)(Things that happened different times I (Things that happened different times I

walked my dog)walked my dog)She chases a squirrel up a treeShe chases a squirrel up a tree

She stops and digs a holeShe stops and digs a holeShe barks at the neighbor’s catShe barks at the neighbor’s cat

She pulls me so I think she’s walking me She pulls me so I think she’s walking me instead of me walking herinstead of me walking her

A little boy stops riding his bike to pet herA little boy stops riding his bike to pet herShe licks the boy in the faceShe licks the boy in the face

She finds a stick that’s bigger than she is She finds a stick that’s bigger than she is and tries to drag it home and tries to drag it home

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One Way to create One Way to create a beginning, middle, a beginning, middle,

and end is to and end is to structure your structure your stories around stories around

different times in a different times in a day.day.

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Walking My Dog MollyWalking My Dog MollyMorningMorning AfternoonAfternoon EveningEveningShe barks at chases squirrel A little boy She barks at chases squirrel A little boy the neighbor’s digs hole stops ridingthe neighbor’s digs hole stops ridingcat walks me his bike tocat walks me his bike to drags big sticks pet herdrags big sticks pet her She licks hisShe licks his faceface

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Write story Write story beginnings with beginnings with a big bang like a big bang like

Jonathan Jonathan London does!London does!

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Read Parts of Read Parts of work by Jonathan work by Jonathan London in order to London in order to

improve the improve the choice of words choice of words when writing.when writing.

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Jonathan London Text ExcerptsJonathan London Text ExcerptsFrom From PuddlesPuddlesWe kneel and watch worms squirm and stretch and We kneel and watch worms squirm and stretch and

leave tiny trails in the muck like sloppy writing-leave tiny trails in the muck like sloppy writing-they’re learning the ABCs of weather, of rain and they’re learning the ABCs of weather, of rain and sun and mud.sun and mud.

From From Like Butter on PancakesLike Butter on PancakesBeyond the rim of morning the sun ticks the birds Beyond the rim of morning the sun ticks the birds

talk and the spoons sleep nestled in the kitchen talk and the spoons sleep nestled in the kitchen drawers. First light melts like butter on drawers. First light melts like butter on pancakes, spread warm and yellow across your pancakes, spread warm and yellow across your pillow.pillow.

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How to bring How to bring Your readers to Your readers to halt by using halt by using the dash the the dash the way Jonathan way Jonathan London does.London does.

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Ways to end Ways to end stories like stories like Jonathan Jonathan

London has London has Ended some of Ended some of

his books.his books.1010

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++Use Use Owl MoonOwl Moon to help inspire to help inspire new topics to new topics to write aboutwrite about

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Read Owl Moon like a Read Owl Moon like a Writer to discover Writer to discover different writing different writing strategies to use strategies to use

when writing about when writing about something you do something you do

often with someone often with someone you care about.you care about.

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Write about one Write about one idea across time idea across time

the way Jane the way Jane Yolen does in Yolen does in No No

BathBath Tonight.Tonight.1313

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Elaborate each Elaborate each time-scene by time-scene by

Telling More and Telling More and More the Way More the Way

Jane Yolen Does Jane Yolen Does in in No BathNo Bath TonightTonight..

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Use beautiful Use beautiful language the language the

way way Jane Yolen Jane Yolen

does in her does in her books.books.

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Writers use an Writers use an editing editing

checklist before checklist before they publish.they publish.

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