You may or may not have heard about mind maps for brainstorming ideas. However, I find coming up with those ideas to be considerably difficult sometimes, especially when it comes to teaching essays in class.
Tag: Writing
MC’s garage sale (Author Toolbox)
This exercise creates questions. Will all the answers show up in the novel? Probably not... but the answers will help us better understand our character.
3 Tips for Starting a New Notebook (Author Toolbox)
I don't know about you, but every time I go into a store that sells notebooks, I find myself picking up each one and flipping through it. Even if I don't intend to buy one, I imagine what could be written on those pages.
Evolution of my Writer’s Notebook: 7 notebooks and counting…
Not only have my notebooks changed over the years, but my writing has also changed. Please join me as I walk you through the evolution of my writer's notebook, including four key things about each notebook.
4 Ways to Self-Motivate (Author Toolbox)
For my return to Author Toolbox, I want to share with you the four ways I've used to find my motivation to write again. I hope that some of them will work for you if you ever feel like this writing thing needs a break.
“Rise Again” — Quarantine, Family, and Reflection
Four months... I haven't posted anything on this blog for four months. Did you miss me? I don't know about you, but life has been pretty crazy since January. Long story short, I've had a lot of reasons (excuses) not to write. However, I plan to remedy that now. But first, you should listen to [...]
#100DaysofNotebooking — Days 8-14!
Week two of #100DaysofNotebooking has come and gone. With it, I have had a blast trying new things, reflecting on topics I enjoy, and planning for future writing. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Michelle Haseltine and her post where she introduces this amazing notebooking challenge! You can start your day one [...]
#100DaysofNotebooking — Table of Contents
As I was preparing for my second post about #100DaysofNotebooking, I realized that my titles don't really help you know the content of the posts. Notebooking daily means the topic likely changes daily, so I've decided to keep a Table of Contents here for you in case you want to see certain kinds of posts. [...]
Gamification in the Classroom: Level 4 — Problem-Solving after the First Six Weeks
I won’t sugar-coat it… At first, my students were completely confused. That is 100% my fault because I gave them too much too soon.
Gamification in the Classroom: Level 2 — Incorporating the Standards
It's been a few weeks since I've updated you on my gamification progress. I'm happy to say, it's going well! In a way, I have "leveled up" by incorporating the standards for my class into my game. Since I'm in Texas, we use the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). Why do this? Why not? [...]
Let’s Write a Poem — National Poetry Month
Don't even think the word can't right now. The easiest way to start writing a poem is to let the words lead you. Watch...
“Flowers Are Red” — My Teaching Story (National Write Down Your Story Day)
Today (March 14th) is National Write Down Your Story Day. One of my stories is why I decided to be a teacher, which is not what I wanted to be when I was a kid. In truth, I wanted to be an archeologist for the longest time, but that dream ended in 8th grade after [...]
No excuses — What’s new this year?
Happy New Year (and one month)! I haven't written much in quite some time, mostly due to being super busy. But I'm still here, and I'm going to get back on track! You read that right. I plan to get back to my writing so much so that you will be able to read my [...]
“Capturing a Dragon” — a short story
Dardo’s wings were tired, his mouth ached, and his back itched underneath his midnight blue scales. After two years on the run, he knew he couldn’t stop until he found a place that could hide his massive form.
“Mother?” he asked the starry sky. “Where can dragons hide if there aren’t any caves?” He smiled as he imagined her deep purple eyes thinking of an answer. His smile faded when he thought of his own answer. “Maybe we’re not meant to live.”
Red Pen Tidbits 10 (the end): Using articles — a, an, & the
Welcome back to the final in the series of Red Pen Tidbits (click for a full table of contents)! I will likely revisit this title, but it will no longer be part of a series. Last time we looked at a few of those tricky Verb Tenses. This week as we embark on the end, we'll explore the proper [...]
Red Pen Tidbits 9: Verb Tenses — 2 Tips for Errors (Author Toolbox)
Welcome back to Red Pen Tidbits (click for a full table of contents)! Last time we looked at a few of those tricky commonly confused words. This week, by special request from Erika Beebe, we'll dive into verb tenses and how they affect our writing. What exactly are we talking about here? We're all aware of the basic verb [...]
Red Pen Tidbits 8: Commonly Confused Words
Welcome back to Red Pen Tidbits (click for a full table of contents)! How has your practice with coordinating conjunctions gone? I hope it was wonderful! This week, we're looking into four pairs of commonly confused words. Sometimes it helps to have some way to remember them, so I'll offer up mnemonic devices when I can! What [...]
Red Pen Tidbits 7: Three Ways to Use Coordinating Conjunctions (Author Toolbox)
Welcome back to Red Pen Tidbits! We took a dive into three steps for using pronouns and antecedents correctly. I hope you've been practicing! This week, we're focusing on commas with coordinating conjunctions. Don't worry, I'll try to make this as painless as possible! This post is also part of the Author Toolbox Blog Hop. Feel free [...]
Red Pen Tidbits 6: Pronouns and Antecedents, 3 steps for getting them right
Welcome back to Red Pen Tidbits! Last time around we looked into the proper ways to use me, myself, and I. That little tidbit leads us into this week's discussion about pronouns and their antecedents. We'll look at _ steps for understanding them and getting them right (see the pronouns there?). Are you ready? Step [...]
Unknown Sins: a historical fiction short story (Week 25)
Darkness. I was surrounded in darkness again. The small, narrow room disappeared with the sun, leaving me as cold and lonely as these prison walls. Why did they arrest me last night? Why did they lock me in this tiny cell, devoid of windows and filled with spiders?
