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Hello!  I just signed up to be a member of the site.  I have always wanted to get the magazine in a regular basis, so today's the day!  I went to school to be an elementary teacher and have been teaching for 13 years.  I earned a master's degree in professional writing in 2001.  I have not really used my degree in the way that I wanted to.  I grew up next door to my grandma with acres and acres of fruit farms between the two houses.  She was born in 1912 so I heard countless stories about the Great Depression and how her three sisters and family survived.  She became a teacher in a one room schoolhouse, and the rest of my family also became teachers.  So I have been surrounded by teachers, and my grandmother was a wonderful story teller as well as the family historian with a plethora of knowledge.

Because of this, I have always wanted to write a story/book....about her life, or at least a historical fiction book with the things she has told me.  I took many literature classes in my undergrad and learned a lot about writing styles, genres, and what makes a good writing piece. 

My life has changed so much since college.  I have two children, ages 7 and 6, a house in CO, and a full time teaching job as of today.  I am resigning at the end of the school year because of some problems with my principal.  Because there are NO teacher jobs out there, I am finding it hard to find a full time teaching job.  So this has led me back to my original passion:  WRITING.  I want to do something with my degree and my talent.

I have so many things going through my head.  Picture books have made a significant come back in the public schools.  I read picture books to connect with sensory images, predictions, schema, inferences, etc.  Teachers of all grade levels are constantly looking for picture books to grab the students' attention.  That's one road I could follow.  Or I could start writing about what my grandmother has told me either in nonfiction or in historical fiction.  Her stories have always reminded me of the book "Little Women." 

Now that you have read (or if you've read this far...) the jist of my story, you can see I have a lot to write about!

Suggestions are welcomed!!!

:-)

Welcome to The Writer's forums and website, Rajacat!

Just to be clear: Registering on the website grants you access to a lot of the articles and columns posted on the site, but most of the articles appearing in the magazine are available only to subscribers. (We indicate which articles are subscriber-only with a "W.")

I'm glad to hear that you plan to devote more time to writing. What writing project do you plan to tackle first? 

Sarah C. Lange, associate editor, The Writer

Hello rajacat,

Welcome to Writer Mag and the forum!  I love this place!  I have found a "plethora" (a great word) of knowledge right here on this web site.  My Honey says I spend too much time on my compute but one article leads me to another, and pretty soon time passes.

Sounds like you're geared up for writing - how great!  With your family to take care of, your desire for pictures books, and grams stories - you will be one busy person.  I love the idea of the childrens picture books - are you an artist and/or photographer as well?  Would you be doing the stories and pictures?  I see a lot of time devoted to this project. 

As for grams stories, how fortunate you are to have some wonderful memories of her past life.   I'm sure she would be thrilled knowing you've considered writing about her.

My suggestion - do it all!  Do what ever you can to get each ball rolling.  If you're going to work on several pieces at a once, give them each an alotted time frame.  At the beginning stages of my projects, I make some notes about what exactly I want to cover (which changes from day to day).  I usually work on one project one day and another on the next day (because I have the time and I'm not under any pressure).  This helps me keep centered on the task at hand.  It all depends on your work style.  If you're not teaching anymore, for you, this could be a huge adjustment because I know teachers do not have, and are not use to having, time to work on just one project.  Maybe give yourself a breather between the end of the school year and diving head first into your new adventures. 

Whatever you decide - I wish you well.

Mother's Happy Child

Did your Grandmother have any sisters?  Then it really would be a parallel to "Little Women!"  Both my Grandmother and Grandfather lived next to me.  He had an enormous garden every year.  I can remember picking peppers and corn, and peas.  Then going down to the carport, where my Grandmother sat in a rocking chair, and helping her shell beans, and shuck corn.  They were good memories.  She would cook three meals a day for my Grandfather as he was hard at work outside.  They had a few fruit trees, mostly pear and apple.  Hearing Your story, brought back all those good memories.

Now to the real work.  So how do you want to memorialize your grandmother.  Do you have enough history of her and her family, and the time they lived in.  Do you know a lot about her life before you came into the picture.  (good time to do research on your family history). If you do, then write a biography of her and what it was like being a child and growing to adulthood in that time period.  (that's a lot of work, but it may be very satisfying to you in the end).  If you don't have all that information, then think about writing a short story about the time the two of you spent together.  I also love picture books (I always think of "Where the Wild Things Are").  Maybe that could be a different project when you want to take a rest from your Grandmother's memorial.

Hope I was not to long winded.  And I hope I helped a little.

                                                                                                          Archie Dog!

OK.  Having re-read your post, I would definitely consider a historical biography.  The sisters, the Great Depression, and a charismatic Grandmother who knew her history.  Then yes.  Write that biography, and even that short story about the times the two of you spent together.  Sorry I did not pick up on the details the first time around.  It's 5:00 AM and I'm an insomniac!  So in closing,  WRITE THAT BOOK!

                                                                                                                                            Archie Dog