I Love Doing School Visits!

I Love Doing School Visits!
Group of eight teenagers posing in a classroom setting.
01/25/2012 | Terra |

The past week was a terrific one for two reasons: 1) I finished the first draft of my fifth book, which felt really good, and 2) I got to do not one, but TWO school visits!

Thanks so much to the 8th grade students at CrossPointe Christian Academy:

And undergrad & grad writing students at SCAD (at the beautiful Ivy Hall):

for being such terrific listeners, great question-askers, and willing participants in some writing exercises that may have been a bit strange at first.

Getting to visit classrooms of readers and writers (whether they are in sixth grade, or tenth grade, or college, or grad school) is such a kick for me. I’ve been reading, and studying writing, just about my whole life, and so it’s really exciting to me to get to hang out with other people who are doing the same thing, no matter what age they are. I love sharing what I know about writing, the publishing industry, the bookselling world, and what great things there are to read, and I love hearing what new writers are interested in knowing, and answering their questions. (Like, “Why are there petals missing from the flower on the cover of Pure,” “How would you define the YA genre?” and “Are you rich?”) Getting to lead a writing exercise or two is especially fun, because I get to share some of the keen tricks I learned from my own teachers, with a whole new crop of writers. Seeing what their imaginations and talents come up with is even better than completing a satisfying writing session of my own.

If you are interested in having me come visit your school or class, workshop or festival, please do contact me and let me know. It is definitely one of my favorite parts of being an author!

Songs in my Head Upon Waking in the Last Week:
“Reading Rainbow,” by Jimmy Fallon (as Jim Morrison); “I’m . . . Matt Damon,” by Sarah Silverman; “Save the Lies,” by Gabriella Cilmi; “Run to Me,” by Susanna Hoff & Matthew Sweet; “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” by Blink 182; “I’m Yours,” by Jason Mraz; “Empire State of Mind,” by Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys)