When I was in sixth grade, my classmates and I learned all about melodramas, those stories where an obvious hero saves an obvious damsel in distress from an obvious cackling, mustache-twisting villain. I remember having to create melodramas, which is funny to ponder now as an adult, knowing twelve-year-olds don’t need help creating drama. Maybe…
I never went to school to be a writer. I went to school to be a teacher, and only a small fraction of that time was devoted to being a writing teacher. Since I lack formal instruction, I’ve done my own research on the topics of what makes a good writer and what makes a…
In my professional life, I’m an Interventionist/Certified Tutor at a local elementary school. Part of my work day includes half an hour providing enrichment instruction to a group of above-average-reading second graders. Their teachers provided me with a list of skills they would like for me to teach to the kids to prepare them for…
About a week ago, I was talking to a dear friend of mine about how we perceive the world. She asked me something I wasn’t expecting her to ask: have you taken the Myers Briggs? I had, a long time ago, and the conversation that followed was an incredibly insightful exploration into why we each…
Let me start by saying this: I love all the owl gifts I’ve received in the past year or so. Really. If you’re inclined to give me something that’s graced with the image of an awesome owl, do it, because owls always brighten my day. My known affinity for owls began with a blog post about…
In an effort to avoid using cliches in my writing, I’ve been researching common ones. As a result, I thought it would be fun to try to write a story using as many cliches as possible. How many can you find? PS – this story sucks and I hate it, but I hope it will…
As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to a shocking realization: I’m a Scrooge. No, I don’t oppress employees or make them beg for coal. I don’t kick poor people out on the street. And I’m not haunted by ghosts, at least not literal ones on a single night of the year. I just can’t get…
It’s November 25th, and I’m already over winter. Like, SO OVER IT. And it hasn’t even technically begun yet. I loved winter when I was a kid. I was lucky enough to grow up in a place that has seasons, so by the time winter came, my siblings and I had had our fill of…
It might seem strange for a blogger to contemplate whether or not she’s a writer, but bear with me here. I’m talking book and story writing for today’s purposes, and anyway, I’m reminded of a quote from the movie Contagion: “Blogging is graffiti with punctuation.” I believe that was the best part of the movie. Ha. Moving on……
Part 4?? I know, I wrote Part 3 like a year and a half ago, but my youngest did something last night that warrants a new chapter in the Child’s Code saga. Something shocking, yet it appears to be a rite of passage for most little ones. He gave himself a haircut. Check it out.…
Allison Maruska 