I have the good fortune of being able to teach some of the greatest students that ever were. If you met them, you'd agree. My 5000 Words Class (a misnomer because they write double that) recently participated in a workshop, complete with scribbled-on hardcopy submissions and author silence. The focus of the workshop experience is …
Tag: homeschool
What We’re All Thankful For
I asked my students to write about something or someone they're thankful for. One thing. But then they asked if they could list more. Of course I told them they could. Olivia Johnson (Age 15): Food and Drinks. I am very thankful to have the ability to eat whenever I want and to drink clean …
We Want YOU…
...to vote for your favorite flash fiction. I teach writing to homeschooled students. Readers, would you be willing to help out? All you need to do is click the thumbs-up to cast your vote for a flash, and if you can't choose just one, feel free to choose more. And if you REALLY feel moved …
Spontaneous 9: Smart, Honest, Critical
What every writer needs: a smart, honest, critical reader. Or in a perfect world, a posse of smart-honest-criticals. Let's face it. If you have an Einsteinian friend, but he only heaps praise upon your work and doesn't share what could be better, how does that help? If you have an Eeyore-type who honestly sees prickles …
That’ll Teach You a Lesson: Skits
Hands down, my students' favorite class is when they write and perform skits. We read The King and His Hawk to get a feel for the form. The lesson of this great fable: Don't do anything in anger. The King and His Hawk is especially appropriate for the battle-weary parent, as she has multiple hawks …
5000 Words Fall Flash Contest Winners!
Who doesn't love a contest? AND...awesome writerly judges?! We have both. I would like to introduce Kathleen Joyce and Cynthia Hilston, local authors who, between the two of them, have published a whole shelf of books. Cynthia Hilston is a thirty-something-year-old stay-at-home mom of three young kids, happily married. Writing has always been like another …
Flash Fiction Contest
Uncertainty is the only certainty there is. - John Allen Paulos One must be able to adjust to uncertainty, and since the weekly Microcosms contest is down, I've scrounged up my very favorite story-prompt of all time, the above image. I invite students and fellow bloggers to participate in a little flash contest of our …
First Day of School, First Triathlon, NO CEILINGS, & First Day of the Rest of Mom’s Life
Today is the first time I have ever watched one of my children get on a yellow school bus. When people were awed that I homeschooled four kids, I used to tell them homeschooling wasn't much different than doing homework together. I take that back. It's one thing to be a cog in the great …
5000 Words Spring 2019 Contest Winners!
What makes 5000 Words stories stand out? I believe it's the boot camp dynamic of the class. For 12 weeks, we immerse ourselves in a great work of literature (this time, Lord of the Flies) while churning out copious amounts of stellar writing. Students who can handle the demands of the class come out with …
Flash Contest Detour: No Microcosms, No Problem!
Each session of my 5000 Words class, we devote one week to flash fiction. The assignment is to enter a piece in Microcosms, which experiences a rather dramatic spike in entrants. 🙂 This morning when I opened my email, I found Microcosms is having technical difficulties this week, the week my students are to enter …
Continue reading Flash Contest Detour: No Microcosms, No Problem!
KL Griffiths 