Teachers Write Weekly Check In 07/14/2019

Hello writer friends! I hope you had a great first week of Teachers Write! I realized that I never shared my writing plans for the week...so I need to start there. This summer has been amazing but it's been full of lots of little trips which have made it hard to get into a routine. My older son and I were at Nerdcamp last week and then I went in to do some planning with my 8th grade teammates so that took my attention. I also did some Story Exploratory planning which took time as well. My goal for the week was to get back to blogging and I'm happy to say that I did brainstorm some blog posts and I even wrote one that I have scheduled for next week. 

This week I'd like to write a few more blog posts but also get to a novel I've been thinking about for a while now. I've done a lot of character work and I've worked on a broad outline so it's time to write...so I just have to do it! BIC - butt in chair, right?

The blog posts I outlined have to do with going back to teaching and Story Exploratory and I'm feel rejuvenated when it comes to blogging. When it comes to my novel writing, I picked up a writing book at the library that I read this week, Dear Ally: How Do You Write a Book by Ally Carter.

I like how this is written for a YA audience and can definitely see recommending it to a teen who loves to write. I can also see sharing parts with my students. She shares some advice from other authors and ideas for different parts of the writing process which I really liked.

Speaking of advice for writing, I'd love to hear what you thought of this week's mentor texts! I had the pleasure of meeting Patricia Valdez at Nerdcamp. She was on the Feminism for All Panel that I led. I've used Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor as a mentor text for one of my non-fiction picture books but I liked how Kate talked about both of the books and gave ideas for brainstorming and/or revising. Feel free to share in the comments or join me in the Zoom chat to share in person! (More info below!)

A reminder of my rules for Teachers Write Sunday Check-Ins:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

**I reserve every right to put the smackdown
on anyone who messes with our positive energy.**

Ideas for today in the comments section:

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)
What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)
What are you looking forward to and planning for the week ahead?

And don't forget to join us for a virtual check in!

Sunday, July 14th

5:00 pm PST / 6:00 pm MST / 7:00 pm CST / 8:00 pm EST

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/701764594

You'll need the link above to join the meeting. Please know that you'll have to download the Zoom app on your phone or computer and then click on the link and it should take you right into the meeting. You don't have to sign up or sign in but it will ask for your name. My advice is to sign in about 10 minutes ahead of time so you can troubleshoot. Let me know if you have any questions, my email is jen (at) teachmentortexts (dot) com.

Here are the dates and times for future Mentor Text Meet Ups: 

Sunday, July 21st

Sunday, July 28th

5:00 pm PST / 6:00 pm MST / 7:00 pm CST / 8:00 pm EST

Happy writing!