It’s one thing to have an author visit your school to promote the sale of their books. I get it. I’ve also seen authors talk about their books but then also give writing advice. That’s been great and I really appreciate it.

But for an author to talk to our students for the sole purpose of helping them write better? What a novel idea. (You see what I did there?)

Tom Leveen knows how to relate to students, addressing them as intelligent writers who want to improve their craft. He hosted a writer’s workshop with our students last Friday after school and walked them through his own writing process, but did not stop there. He dialogued with our students, challenging them to truly analyze what makes for a well-told story, and then taught them how to take that knowledge and put it to paper. His quick wit and approachable demeanor complemented his dissection of the hero’s journey, actionable plots, and how to hook a reader with the First Five – the first five words, the first five sentences, …

He’s a local author and I’m glad that Ms. Trombley lined up the visit. It was definitely a benefit to our students and our faculty. Librarians/English teacher-type people: you need to invite him to your school. It’s well-worth your time. I was impressed with the maturity that Tom drew out of our students and for the increased excitement for writing that happened on a Friday afternoon when most students would want to vacate the school as quickly as possible. They chose to be there and it was a good choice.

We had the great opportunity to host Lisa McMann in our library yesterday. She’s touring with her new book, The Unwanteds. (It’s a great book. Make sure to check out my review (and then go buy the book)).

It’s interesting to compare author visits with some of the others that have come to our school. Lisa was definitely not jumping on tables. That may have been a unique characteristic of Frank Beddor. She did have some of the rebellious attitude of Heather Brewer, which was great. The students applauded many of her statements and had tons of questions for her.

One thing that stood out was that Lisa read the first chapter of her book to start her presentation. I know that authors do readings all the time in stores and coffee shops, but I’ll be honest: I thought reading aloud to 180 students might not go over well. I’ve presented to that many students, but I’m tall and loud. Lisa McMann does not shout, or at least she did not during her presentation. She read with a quiet intensity that I was afraid people would talk over.

Then I remembered that her book rocks. There were students in the audience who were reading along with her, which is pretty cool considering the book only went on sale at the start of this week.

She shared about her own kids and her husband helped run the PowerPoint. It allowed students to see that an author has a real life and is not a completely mythological creature, although hearing that she wrote Wake in seven days leads me to believe that she has some Olympian characteristics.

If you get a chance to have her speak at your school, take it. It definitely boosted interest in reading her book. Check her tour schedule here. It was a worthwhile experience for students and staff. Thanks to Changing Hands for the opportunity and Ms. Redden for making it happen.

Yes, I’m tall.
Yes, it looks like Ms. Redden is photobombing us.

“I look like a jockey standing next to you.” – Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica’s great to have speak with your students. A big thanks go to the folks at Phoenix Book Company for making it happen.

He didn’t spend too much time hyping his new book, which I appreciate. He told the story of how he started writing YA books and his inspiration from his own children. You can tell that he loves sports and has a love for the game, no matter which one it is. Something that he emphasized was that in sports, you get knocked down a lot. Many people get knocked down. It’s the people that get back up that show the heroics.

He also explained that one reason people love sports so much is that you can’t go to Blockbuster and rent tonight’s game. It’s unscripted, it’s unpredictable, and that resonates with people because it echoes life.

It was cool to hear him say that Hero was the most fun to write because he was such a fan of comic books growing up. You can tell that he enjoys writing and likes interacting with students. He does tell it like it is, though, and called out a kid because the student’s favorite team had spent a billion dollars on players with not much to show for it. He also found it ironic that you can get a trophy in youth sports just for showing up.

I enjoyed hosting Mike Lupica and I know the kids found it worthwhile, as well. He said that every one of the students had a novel in them and I hope that some will be encouraged to take up writing, whether academically or in a professional setting.