Issue #23 • August 2019

Dear Reader,

Hope you’re having a lovely summer!

It’s been a rainy July in Vancouver, which I’ve really appreciated. The past few summers here have been really hot, with lots of forest fires and smoky air. I love the rain and knowing that the earth is flourishing and soaking it up.

Right now, however, I’m not in Vancouver! I’m in Korea, in the middle of a creative writing camp.

For many years, I have taught through a program called Creative Writing for Children (CWC). Classes run for grades as young as Grade 1, all the way to High School. A full course consists of 15 classes, one class per week. There's reading discussion, inspirational writing activities like making enchanted keys, and writing and editing periods. At the very end of the course, the students each get their very own books published.

It’s exactly the kind of thing I would have loved when I was a kid!
In the summer CWC runs camps—which is what I’m doing now. This camp’s theme is Magical Creatures. I've been to Korea a number of times, and I really enjoy it--even the muggy heat--but this is the first time with my family. Ori and Luke are along for the adventure! I don't have photos to share yet, but will have them next newsletter.

I don't take many classes myself now, although I've always adored school. But my writing group (we call ourselves the "Inkslingers") are a bit of a class. At least, we try and not only workshop each others' stories, but also discuss some aspect of the writing process. Last meeting, we discussed "process".

Process--the writing process--is SO fascinating to me, especially how very different it can be for different authors. Some never plot. Some plot and plot and plot. (Me :) Some work on one story at a time. Some work on multiple stories. (Me again!) Some type. Some handwrite first. (Yep, you guessed it!)

I have a LOT of writing I want to do this month. Working to expand one book to a young middle grade. Working on edits for another Anne picture book. Working on a new early chapter book series about a little witch.

And there's the other things too: like Ori and our house.
Ori is such a little reader it makes my heart swell. I have a serious problem buying too many books for him. I can't help it. But our apartment is BURSTING with board books. He has a great attention span for reading and considering he is so active, it makes me really happy. I feel like he's a nice balance of active yet focused and calm sometimes too. (Basically, I'm your typical mama and totally in love with my little guy.)
I'm also SUPER lucky my dad is able to hang out with Ori almost every morning so I get some writing done.

We really need our house and my library to fit all these books!
More on the house next time~

xo
K