Thread: Calling DAVID the Author

Hmmmmm ... I have written three (really bad) manuscripts that need to be drastically rewritten.

One is non-fiction "Have Teaching Certificate, Will Travel, the ABC's to Teaching Overseas." I have largely discontinued work on this because the audience market is so narrow.

The other two are part of a children's fantasy triology. The first one is "The Dream Gatherers." The second is the "Dream Harvesters," and the third (unwritten as yet) is the "Dream Chasers."

Of the three manuscripts I have written, the "Dream Gatherers" is closest to being ready for publication. It was originally a mammoth work of some 40 chapters. I've whittled it down to 20 chapters during my first revision. I whittled it down further during my second revision. I am now in the process or revising it a third time - and am consolidating individual chapters since they were too "wordy."

I'd give you an example of how my writing has evolved - but it's my conference time at school and I'm at work. My manuscripts are all on my zip drive and hard drive and diskettes back home.

In terms of story line .... hmmmmm ... sorry. Until I finish my final revision and find a publisher, my lips are sealed.

In addition to my manuscripts I have published two anecdotes in The International Educator.

I have also written several short stories for children's magazines. One of them is probably ready for publication - but I'd have to find a publisher.

I also have various projects underway.

One is a story about my family's immigration to the United States. It's called, "To Ride the Wind and Break the Waves" which is a Chinese proverb that speaks of someone who achieved great success.

The story begins in 1125 ... since my family genalogy dates back to the founding of Fou Shek, (Floating Stone), which is my family's clan village.

I am also working on a piece of Chinese military fiction about the legendary Yue Fei, a General in the Imperial Chinese Army during the time of the Northern Sung. General Yue fought the Jurchen invaders ... and was one of the few Chinese generals to be successful ... but he was ultimately betrayed by members of the Imperial Court and was sentenced to death for something he didn't do. Northern China was subsequently over run by the barbarians and the Imperial Court fled south.

To a certain extent I feel a bit like Beverly Cleary's character, "Ramona." In one of the stories about Ramona, the little girl said that she saw many beginnings but few endings - in reference to having to go to bed before the t.v. programs ended.

I have many (story) beginnings but few endings. I also don't have a publisher and feel someone intimidated by the entire process of trying to find one.

In any event, I write and revise and write and revise and write and revise ... and one day ... when I'm perfectly happy with my work, I'll try to publish something more than a couple of amusing anecdotes.

David

P.S. You can't kick my soapbox. I crushed it with my mature weight in another post. (Stupid soapbox ...)

Dear David of the Mature Weight and Reclusive Nature, (Is there a Chinese symbol for that?)

Authorship is extremely powerful. Do your students know you are an author? Do you model this process for them in order to encourage them to be authors themselves?

Your stories sound very interesting, truly. There is an audience. The hard part, of course, is finding the audience while jumping through publishing hoops.

Do my students know I am an author? Yes and no. I've mentioned it but haven't shared any of my work with them. On the otherhand, I do model stories. I write stories with the students. I web. I do a rough draft. I photocopy my rough draft and put it on a transparency to edit. I revise and rewrite. I'm with the students doing my own writing project every step of the way.

I am pleased that all of my 4th grade students know how to web. They can all write multiple paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details. They understand the concept of beginning, middle, and end. Some of the students have really good voices with wonderful transitions and highly visual descriptive words.

My current class has made wonderful progress. I wish I could take them with me when I relocate to wherever it is that I'll be next year.

Oh - the fun we could have with these writers if I could only work with them for another year.

David

I, too, have many ideas for stories, and have lots of stories "scribbled" in a notebook. I am in the process of revising a picture book about a little boy going to kindergarten for the first time. I have also submitted some phonetic readers to readinga-z.com and they were very enthusiastic about them. These were just little practice stories I make up for my kindergarteners using words beginning with the letter we are working on this week. If they buy them, they will illlustrate them, and publish them on their website. Oh, and they will also pay me! You might want to check them out. They are looking for people to write them. I know many people that use their website to download practice reading books. I use the "easy readers" from their website in my classroom all the time. Once they buy and publish some of my stories, I will be able to write,"Submitted from published author" on my transcripts when I submit them to publishers. This will often get your stories read much faster!

My oldest daughter will probably be published before I am. She scored a High Proficient on her writing portfolio this year. Her writing teacher has sent one of her stories to a Young Author's Writing Contest for evaluation. She has been writing stories since she was in kindergarten. I have her first story in a scrapbook, it is called "My Pet Pig". It is a cute little story about a little girl in kindergarten and her pet pig, Ham.

Originally Posted by Rita/KY

I, too, have many ideas for stories, and have lots of stories "scribbled" in a notebook. I have also submitted some phonetic readers to readinga-z.com and they were very enthusiastic about them. These were just little practice stories I make up for my kindergarteners using words beginning with the letter we are working on this week. If they buy them, they will illlustrate them, and publish them on their website. Oh, and they will also pay me!

So are you offering to sell your stories? What a totally cool idea! I'd look into it - but I tend to write at the intermediate level because that's basically my "niche" as a teacher. I like 3rd and 4th grades.

Still - it would be good experience.

The process of publishing sometimes seems hard to break into. Some publishers want authors with prior publishing experience ... but if you're new to the publishing world - there's a catch 22. How are you supposed to get "prior publishing experience if you can't find someone willing to take a chance on you?

E-books would certainly be one way of getting experience.

I think I'm ready to start marketing some of my short stories to a children's magazine. The nice thing is that I'm not desperate to publish ... so if I can find a magazine that likes my work and if I'm lucky enough to "hit it off" with an editor - who knows what sort of experience I could pick up?

The bottom line for me is that I write because I enjoy writing. I don't write to make a living. I don't write because I have to. I write because I choose to and because it brings me pleasure.

Teaching this to students can be really difficult - particularly since I teach in a system that wants us to prepare students for doing well on writing tests. Ychhhhh ... "formulas" and "stylized patterns" take all the fun out of writing ... but what can you do?

David

P.S. Kim - Regarding an appropriate Chinese name - I don't have a name but there's a web site I can really relate to. Have you visited a site called, "The Tao of Pooh?"

David,

Basically what they will do is buy my stories and then illustrate them and turn them into little books that other teachers can download and use in the classroom. They are looking for stories from K-6. Their website is [url]http://www.readinga-z.com.[/url]

The editor is reviewing my first manuscript this week. Wish me good luck!

I'm glad that there are many who cares about writing - one might sometimes feel that the art of writing fictional stories are fading away.
My hobby is - making the children write stories,fairytales - whatever.. . Actuall - over the years my collection of childrens stories is occupying most of my desk at home.
Why making kids write ?
To trigger off imagination - without letting them have any visual inspiration. To make this happen - I use a formula - where five children at a time collaborate on a story . The only intervension form me is just some encouragement now and then. The kids decide :Who, what,where,why,they design the plot, they give the characters personality and an average story in about 1,5 pages long.
We have only two rules : speak when it's your turn (or let the next in line continue.- and the sentence you choose must keep on the track - ergo - no dragons unless it sounds reasonable.
This has been tried out on children from 3 - to 13 - it works !!
Peace
Olav47

David of the Large and Distinguished Manly Man Chair and Vision of Lots of Stories in His Head:

(Surely there is a Chinese symbol for THAT?)

I have heard of the Tao of Pooh. I thought it was a book....? I will check it out.

Have you considered, David, a move to California? We are not immune to back-biting and bureaucratic bumbling but I KNOW any district would be happy to have you.

California?

CALIFORNIA?

Did you know that I'm a native Californian? I was born in San Francisco and my Dad lives in Martinez.

Unfortunately - California is too crowded too expensive for my tastes. I also harbor the secret fear that one of these days a massive earthquake will cause it to slide into the ocean.

I'd rather live in the Pacific Northwest.

Oh ... and the Tao of Pooh page can be found at:

[url]http://www.algorithms.com/users/belascot/pooh.html[/url]

David