I believe that writing belongs to everybody. My goals are to show students the wealth of their own stories, to share the joy of creating, and to demonstrate that writing is a process. Stories aren't something outside of us. We live stories. We hear and feel poems. We just have to practice writing them down. You don't have to know where to start. You don't have to have the right words. You don't have to know how to spell the words you do have. You just have to begin and keep going.

I offer two kinds of school programs: Meet the Author and Writers' Workshop.

In the Meet the Author session, I show slides of home and family — where I grew up and where I live now, pointing out how my books come out of this experience. I talk about journal-keeping and bring several notebooks to show the kids. (Their favorites are the waterproof one and the one you can eat!) To emphasize the importance of revision, I have students unroll a scroll of all the drafts of Mother to Tigers, and talk about the writing road I traveled to find the right words. I end with a demonstration of the printing process and time for questions.

MTAs are large-group sessions. Ideally, I see as many students as will fit in the library, usually between 70 and 100. If the numbers are so large that we need to be in a gym, I can accommodate that, but you lose some of the connection kids feel when they're up close and gathered in a book-filled space.

In Writers' Workshop, I give students writing prompts and guidance as they work, and invite them to read what they've written. I don't critique individual pieces, but I do give suggestions for how to keep exploring what they've got on the page. My goal is not a finished product but an exciting experience of the process. I can focus on poetry, fiction, journal, or playwriting, depending on the age of the writers. WWs are done in small groups. Both programs require other teachers to be in attendance.

I do three one-hour sessions per day or two one-hours and two half-hours to accommodate the youngest children. For more information, go to visitingauthors.com.

I don't encourage or judge writing competitions because I feel they create more negative than positive writing experience. By its nature writing is generous and individual, not competitive. Books have to compete in the marketplace, but writers are NOT competing. We're part of the great circle of readers and writers, all of whom have something to contribute.

Teacher Workshop on Teaching Writing: This will get teachers writing, too, because I believe you have to have confidence in yourself as a writer to teach others the process. I'll provide a basic approach along with specific exercises and a list of resources.

Family Literacy Presentation for Parents: I emphasize the importance of reading, writing, and sharing family stories with your kids. This includes some of the Meet the Author material, so parents can see examples of where writing comes from.

(Some schools choose the Teacher Workshop or Parent Presentation as one of their three programs, so that I do two sessions with students and one, after school or in the evening, with adults.)

Writing Workshop for Adults: I can keep this exploratory or focus on a specific genre. As in my work with kids, I stress the abundance of material each writer has to draw on and offer a number of avenues to find that material.

Library Talk: This is generally a Meet the Author geared to the age group involved. It features slides of my most recent picture book and the story of how it came about.

GED Workshops: Because of my work with adult new readers in writing Choices, I often work with older students who are beginning writers.

Conferences: I tailor my presentation to the theme and request of the organizers. I often write a new piece for the occasion. Break-out sessions are usually MTA, but I may look at a specific issue such as collaboration, censorship, or Appalachian literature.

If you are interested in any of these possibilities, go to visitingauthors.com for more information and to book appearances.

FAQ

Where did you get such a strange name? Did your parents want a boy?
Actually, they already had a boy. They wanted a girl with a strange name! (No, I'm kidding.) Mother named me after her brother George and her sister Ella. If she'd taken their middle names, I would be Benjamin May.

Why did you become a writer?
I always loved songs, poems, and stories. Since I was a shy kid, it was natural for me to use writing to express feelings and thoughts I couldn't just say. Gradually I discovered that not only did writing help me express myself, it could be exciting, joyful, and comforting in itself. I realized I loved making things out of words. That's why I became a writer.

Where do you get your ideas?
I don't write from ideas so much as from feelings. When something touches me deeply, I write to capture or explore or understand it. This begins in my journal where it's just for me. Then if it seems like something I want to share, I move out of my journal and start working on a legal pad. I don't usually know what it's going to be or who it's for when I begin. I write to find out!

Does anybody help you with your writing?
Lots of people! All the writers whose books I read, for example. My writers group. Other writer friends, such as Louise Borden. My husband, Steve. My editor, Dick Jackson. My agent, Kendra Marcus. Readers who write and tell me what they liked and give me the courage to keep going.

What do you like to do besides write?
Read. Sing and play the guitar. Take long walks. Watch movies. Travel. Look at other kinds of art. Hang out with friends, family, and cats. Right now I watch Widgett, our kitten, a lot. She can jump straight up! She can do yoga. She can turn a feather into a stick of spit in three seconds! She is either totally alive or sound asleep. I would like to be like that.

Are you rich?
No. Most writers can't make a living just from writing. I have about fifty other jobs a year, many of them author visits. But my LIFE is rich, because I get to do what I love and share it with other people. And the joy that gives me is something money can't buy.