It was a blast from the past. Last week I was walking through my fourth grader’s school, seeing his first locker, and sitting on a tiny stool that hadn’t fit my backside for 30 years. His teacher described her vision for the year, and I wondered how on earth a person got 22 preteens to do anything at all! My only experience formally teaching was as a guest speaker in my sister’s Creative Writing class. I am used to older teens and young adults, so at least then I wasn’t paralyzed by the clueless fear that managing 10 year-olds might have induced!
As a published author, my job that day was to encourage the high-schoolers in defining and communicating a productive message. A theme arising from their unique experiences, to share with the world via the written word. After a rapid-fire blitz through the process of publishing, I had talked quite long enough (and all the students I’ve ever worked with said, “Amen!”). It was time for immediate hands-on application…the class had to accomplish every step of the publishing process in less than 10 minutes.
Unfair? Of course.
Ungraded? You’ll have to ask my sister.
How did they do? Well, you decide…
Step 1: The Message
Maddie provided the core concept the class decided the world needed to know: Be with the people you’re with. Obviously relevant where smart phones and handheld devices are ubiquitous. In a world where texts/tweets/snaps are sent just inches to others, uninterrupted face-time is absolutely required for relational quality (Click to tweet)!
Step 2: Research
How do we convey the message in a way others haven’t? Not wanting to miss out on this publishing endeavor, my sister summarized for the class a book already written on the topic, helping to specify the message in an alternative and fresh way. The students’ resulting theme? When you’re with people, disconnect yourself from everything else. We can work with that!
Step 3: Writing
Now to put the finely-tuned idea into actual written words. Marshall became our author. With confident and surprisingly legible penmanship, he wrote the words “Be with the People”. Preach it brother. So precise, so deep, and so…written down.
Step 4: Editing
But not perfect. Zoe, with an acute sense of how the audience might best absorb the message, changed and added a few words to give Marshall’s brief manuscript a little more panache. The final edited and proofread manuscript now stated:
Step 5: Layout, Illustrations, and Cover Design
Now to put the manuscript onto the book page! As you can see below, Joey beautifully formatted the manuscript into Page 1, grabbing the reader’s attention with the bold red font and use of ALL CAPS. Kayla effortlessly captured the essence of the short tome with a heart-warming image of uninterrupted face-time, including several comforting hues of dry-erase marker. The final title of the book hearkened back to a simplified, accessible version of the original concept.
And the new book “Be with the People Man” was born.
“Be with the People Man” Download today for free! 🙂
Step 6: Launch
Wasting no time, the class decided the publication date would be that day. Israel used his leadership skills of irresistible persuasion and delegation to assign Ryan, Nate, and Jake to initial book promotion via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Boom. “Be with the People Man” was available worldwide!
Step 7: Marketing and Publicity
This is where I get to play a role! To extend the scope of the class’ published message beyond the social media circle of these accomplished students, I am using this blog and all of my social media and internet outlets to promote this book! Like, comment, and share liberally! Moreover, the book is free and as easy to access as downloading a picture. Literally! 🙂
So here’s my official shout out to the world: Enjoy “Be with the People Man” by Marshall T. today! It’s the shortest book you’ll ever read, and yet it might just remind you of something even us older folks may need to relearn. Honestly, this last year has been one beautiful journey of discerning those who make me happy in both the pleasant and challenging ways I need – then being as present with them as possible. Marshall speaks the truth! When you’re with people, especially those who make you happy, disconnect from everything else (Click to tweet). The wisdom of youth, published start to finish in less than 10 minutes! Well done Creative Writing students; keep sharing your message with the world!
Did you know that students created all the illustrations for the Healing Hereafter book series as well? Check out their fantastic works of art and the pictorial answers they convey to many of life’s difficult questions. The series is available free and instantly here!
