How do you begin a story? Not in the sense of create, but where do you start? I was always told to start in Media Res. Latin for in the middle of things. There are countless ways to start a story. I'm going to talk about a few ways to start, but this is by all means not exhaustive. When I'm wanting to strengthen a skill, I look to mentor texts. So let us take a look at some excellent stories and see how they begin.
I've been listening to some podcasts more lately as I work. I thought I had done a podcast roundup before on this website, but all I found was a narrator roundup. I've talked about some of these creators before so they might sound familiar to you. Without further adieu... here are some of my favorite podcast in their different categories.
"I imagined the broken rocks as the broken bodies of my enemies, the bones shattered, their trembling arms reaching upward in a useless gesture of total and complete defeat. I was a very odd little girl."
I hope you are all well! This week has been madness! As you know I'm a 6th grade English teacher. My school was on spring break. It got extended this week, but teachers were required to work from home. Wednesday we started to get information. Thursday we began frantically redesigning our lesson to go online … Continue reading Characters Through the Ages (Well, through 70 Years)
These are the best YA, Fantasy, and Science Fiction books I read during 2019.
The Texas Library Association puts out a Lone Star Reading list every year. They just released their 2020 list last week. I try to read as many of them as I can each year and I'm never disappointed! The books are selected by librarians across the state. The books are well written and highly engaging for teens and adults.
This anthology is full of delightfully surprising and creative stories. The writing of each story is impeccable. Each one grabbed me quick as the Millennium Falcon on the Kessel Run. These stories don’t typically focus on interesting technology, that is the set dressing. These stories are about young people growing up and experiencing adventures.
Book Review: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. In 1952 a massive meteorite hits Earth destroying most of the east coast of the US including Washington DC. The climate changes from this will eventually make Earth uninhabitable so colonizing other planets gets moved higher on the priority list.
Here is a book trailer about Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee.
Not everyone has the privilege of being a teacher of such diverse populations, but there is no better way to learn how others think and view the world than by reading what they write. So this month I recommend that you read at least one book that is written by someone from another country or someone from a different culture than your own.
Quill and Books 
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