4. PART I: 5
A Poem Is…
My Credo.
A Fluffer. A Fluffer-Nutter.
A Summer Sparkler.
The Mouth of a Gift Horse
PART II: 16
Critiques/Comments for Others
Critiques/Comments from Others
Personal Philosophy
PART III: 27
Author’s Note
Biographical Information on Author
Blurbs
6. A Poem Is…
A poem is a pool of water,
waiting in calm
for the first toe dip, swan dive, or cannon ball
to proclaim its space.
It ebbs and flows to heighten emotion,
and to dunk unsuspecting passersby.
Lines and syllables work together
like the oversized women floating by on innertubes.
As rough and ragged as the water becomes,
it returns to silence once we drip-dry.
7. Reflection on “A Poem Is…”
This poem was designed from an assignment asking us to discuss
poetry as akin to an unlikely object. For me, I turned to a body of
water. As a Floridian, the most common source of our recreation
stems from the pool – either in the backyard, at the clubhouse, or
near a tourist trap. I believe that poetry is just as promising as an
untouched pool on a hot summer’s day. If you’re willing to forget
everything else and dive on in, you’ll come out refreshed and revived.
Of course, there are days when the pool water is just as hot as the
air around it, leaving you more tired and cranky than before you had
plunged in. Much is the same with poetry and how some days the
words seem to flow without any trouble, yet, in other instances, the
trial of writing leaves you more confused than ever.
8. My Credo.
I believe in the splendor of pixie dust,
And the joy that swirls around the cocoa mug on Christmas Eve.
I believe in the giggles and honest nature of children,
And the happiness found within a tire swing.
I believe that everyone should think positively about anything,
And be willing to sacrifice everything to hold onto that optimism.
I believe in baby pink tutus, gold encrusted tiaras,
And the power hidden inside a pair of toe shoes.
I believe in the healing power of Band-Aids
And boo-boos that are sealed with a kiss.
I believe that every Sunday should begin with a syrup-drenched
waffle,
And end hidden in the bubbles of a porcelain bathtub.
I believe in the immediate gratification of Skittles, Starbursts,
and Snickers bars.
I believe that silliness is a crucial ingredient to an excellent life.
I believe in love,
And all of the hurt and miscommunication that comes with it.
I believe that family comes first.
I believe that reading can take you anywhere.
I believe,
most importantly,
that we should make every day worth living.
9. Reflection on “My Credo.”
As the very first workshop assignment for class, “My Credo.” offered
an excellent opportunity to let my classmates know who I was. In
college, I was told by my Creative Writing professor that I seemed to
write in lists. I loved details and adjectives and words that conjured
up specific images for my reader. “My Credo.” was the very perfect
outlet for this type of writing, as it gave just the right amount of
space to add a flourish of details, while only admitting very specific
features of my personality.
10. A Fluffer. A Fluffer-Nutter.
To make the perfect peanut butter fluff sandwich,
You must first pick the perfect bread
No butt pieces, please.
No crusty multigrain. No healthy wheat.
Wonder Bread works best. Or maybe that
Texas Toast at 7,000 calories a slice.
Once your bread is in hand,
carefully drop it onto your favorite ceramic plate.
No Mickey Mouse heads, please.
No grandma florals. No pukey brown.
Plates with your names are the way to go. The ones
that have “Katie” dancing around the rim.
Uncap your peanut butter and dip in your knife
(sharp end first).
Make sure to get a good gob on the lever and
spread,
spread,
spread.
But only on one piece!
Throw that knife in the sink for Mom to get later.
Time for fluff.
Grab another sharp one.
Uncap your fluff and dip in your knife
(by now you know the drill).
Gob it up and SPREAD.
Plunk the slices together
and divide it diagonally
for the World’s BEST
FlufferNutter Extraordinaire.
11. Reflection on “A Fluffer. A Fluffer-Nutter.”
This particular poem was written in order to give the steps to a
common activity. As a child, I used to love Marshmallow Fluff, but
cannot seem to find a taste for it now. For this reason, I have
always thought of “Fluffer-Nutters” as a child-specific food. It
seemed like the perfect recipe to turn into a poem. If you follow the
steps, you will, in fact, create a delicious sandwich, but you might
also have some fun with the word play throughout the piece.
12. A Summer Sparkler.
The bright yellow and orange shone above my fist
As I danced the blazing sparkler through the air.
I could write whatever I wanted,
And, for one quick second, it stayed frozen in place.
Even if you closed your eyes,
You could see the giant “K” for my name.
My purple scooter sat propped against the backyard gate.
Barbie’s face was plastered on the wheels,
Which told the world that it was meant for a girl.
My Mom and Dad were so happy,
They clanked their glasses together in celebration
Of the start of a new summer.
My baby sister was already asleep in her swing,
But she stayed outside
To enjoy the cool weather and early-forming dew.
Both of my brothers swung high on the playset,
And kicked the air as it passed underneath their bottoms.
They giggled and teased one another
As they went up! up! up! into the sky.
I knew it wouldn’t be summer forever.
But, for that night,
My firework kept on sparkling.
13. Reflection on “A Summer Sparkler.”
“A Summer Sparkler.” was written as a child-centric poem, and one
with which children could, hopefully, relate. I tried to focus on the
features of a summer’s evening and how I remembered them from
my own past. Sparklers were always present when the sky turned
dark and the sun went away, so I thought they would provide an
excellent set-up for this piece. For most children, the summer is a
time when household rules are not as strongly enforced and they are
free to play and enjoy themselves. My narrator is here is certainly
having fun, but I am hopeful that there is a “wise” side to her, as
well – as if she knows something else is on the horizon.
14. The Mouth of a Gift Horse
The pony held my present in between its teeth.
I wasn’t meant to look at it –
Or him.
Maybe because
he had slobbered
all over the “Happy Birthday” wrapping.
The painted candles seemed to melt,
and the stench of equine drool,
made me want to gag.
I wasn’t even sure I wanted the gift that had been so mutilated
and destroyed.
It could be a new baby doll…
Or a SpongeBob!
Or even the newest Nintendo DS!
…but it had already been ruined.
Stupid horse.
15. Reflection on “The Mouth of a Gift Horse”
Perhaps one of the silliest poems I have written to date, “The Mouth
of a Gift Horse” was a very interesting exercise for me. We were
asked to take a commonly spoken phrase or idiom and turn it into a
poem – without ever specifically mentioning the phrase itself. I
always hated the saying, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” – and
I believe it can be one of the most confusing ideas for children to
understand. So then, why not picture an actual horse holding a gift
and then seeing what happens?
17. Critiques/Comments for Others
I. Workshop 2.5 to Lindsay Bayer
Lindsay,
What a fantastic twist on an old favorite! I KNOW my students
would enjoy a book like this because of the fun repetition and
the delight in a well-known tale. I love how Molly had to use
her imagination to enter the world of the bears AND to enhance
their own environment while she was there.
I really enjoyed your work, but I do have a question (or two). I
wonder how your story would look if we ONLY heard from
Molly's perspective. For example, you currently have dialogue
while she is hiding along upstairs as the Bears arrive home.
Would it be possible (or fun, even?) to consider dropping out the
sections of dialogue that Molly would be too far away to hear?
I think it would add some suspense as the bears open their
arms and bare their teeth at Molly. The reader wouldn't know
what to think! - Until the Bears explain their love of the cakes
and decorations.
Great work, Lindsay! I thoroughly enjoyed your tale! :)
- Katie Hoeg
II. Workshop 8.9 to Laura D’Aveta
Hey Laura,
Awesome work! I am loving your story with Ellie and I am
really interested in how her thoughts and details have fleshed
out. Ellie is fascinating to me and I become so intrigued with
her past. Who is she? Why is she important? What is her full
18. relationship with Devlin? All of these questions are fantastic -
particularly in how they keep me so engaged in the tale!
Do you think it would be possible to slow down your writing a
bit in order to better handle your reader? I ask, because, I am
so intrigued with Ellie and I want to know so much about her,
but I feel the pace of your story is moving too quickly for me to
do that. Obviously, at this point, most of what we write is
"summary", so I understand the need to get all of your
thoughts down on paper. I think, however, if you slow the
pace down a bit, you will really bring in the reader. And I can't
wait to read what that's like.
Thank you for another excellent piece of writing!
- Katie
19. Reflections on the Critiques/Comments for
Others
Throughout each of my critiques in Writing Workshop, I believe
my greatest strength was the amount of detail and interest I placed
in every entry. That being said, I am sure there were some times in
which I commented on a fellow classmate’s work with less than
perfect focus. Yet, with the two examples above, I believe it is quite
clear that I was not only interested in their work, but also helpful in
offering constructive criticism. As always, helping another writer
also helped me in my own pieces.
First, with Lindsay’s story about “Molly and the Three Bears,” I
truly enjoyed the tale itself. I thought it was fun and lighthearted,
but that it could be tried in a different way. She continued to edit
this piece throughout the semester, and it was very exciting to see
how her changes adjusted the shape of the story. Asking Lindsay to
remove some of the text helped to remind me that we don’t always
need to tell our readers everything. I have dabbled in several works
this semester, one of which is the beginnings of a novel for the
Young Adult population. I really struggled to get it off the ground,
because I kept telling my readers everything they needed to know –
without working in dialogue or description of the setting and
characters. I now see the importance of first establishing the
narrator and what the narrator knows, and then sharing with the
reader only as it becomes necessary. Talking to Lindsay about
“Molly and the Three Bears” helped me to see this, because I didn’t
want her to give away the fact that the bears actually liked what
Molly had done to their cottage. I was hopeful that she would
refrain from telling her readers this until the very end, in order to
20. maintain suspense and excitement. I need to keep this in mind
when working on my own writing, as well.
As for Laura’s work on the “Ellie story,” the critiques I had were
similar to those I shared with Lindsay. While Lindsay’s story could
change completely by hiding information from the reader, Laura’s
piece seemed to move too quickly by what she was sharing. She has
amazing ideas and creative responses to the action in her work, but
I was having trouble holding on to the major plot points. This
helped remind me, particularly in my poetry, to slow down and allow
the reader to enjoy each second. I know not to rush through time
when writing, but how much is enough? And how much is too
much? It is a constant battle that I have with myself when trying to
create a poem. When is the detail overbearing and when am I
missing some important facets of the setting? As with Laura’s work,
I tend to rush to the “meaning” of my poem, without stopping to let
my reader breathe in the poem’s atmosphere. This critique allowed
me to see the mistake in my own writing, as well.
All in all, many of my critiques and comments to others actually
helped me to turn around and edit my own work. If we can spot the
problem areas in someone else’s writing, I think we become more
likely to see it within our own. It would seem that personal
reflection sometimes starts when reflecting on something else.
21. Critiques/Comments From Others
I. Workshop 4.7 from Lindsay Bayer
Hi Katie! I think it's very practical for you to work on setting
utilizing the context of the story you've been working on.
You start with the depictions of the family room and I think
you've laid the groundwork nicely. The only question I have
concerns the first three sentences:
Our family room is where we spend most of our time. It
begins just past the double doors that open into my house
and extends all the way to the kitchen. It’s a large space
and it allows for us to run and jump as needed.
I know that you're explaining the family room, but the
second sentence confuses me a bit. Does the room begin
upon entering the home? Perhaps that sentence could read,
"It's the room that everyone enters when they open our front
door." You also describe the room as large to accommodate
jumping and running. Is the jumping and running relevant
to the rest of the story? I'm just wondering because you
mention Monopoly games happening in this room to conclude
that paragraph, not jumping and running. I'm just
wondering how that particular type of action ties in.
I like how you relate the description of the rug with the
family itself...that the house was a home because this item
was added to the family room. I think this is a good way to
not only describe the setting, but give the reader a better
understanding of the family and their community. Your
main character mentions that she had "no say in the color
combo" but I think this is unnecessary since the rug was
gifted to the family upon her birth. Why would she have a
say in what color it was, know what I mean?
22. I think you've done a lot to set the scene for your story. I
have a much better idea and picture in my mind of this
family as a whole...and I'm excited to learn more about
them!
II. Workshop 7.6 from Sarah Fischer
Katie,
What a great scene! I am curious about when this is
happening in your book in relation to your other
submissions, because that makes a difference on my
interpretation of what you've accomplished here. If it is after
the other excerpts you’ve submitted, it seems like Arden
might have realized how lonely her life will be if she
continues to get older and her parents stay the same age.
Also, most teenagers think life is all about fun, so it’s not
surprising that she would think life could not get any better
than it is then.
Again, I think you do a great job with the dialogue, and
using it to build tension and suspense. I like how there is
closure to your scene, but also many questions I’m itching to
have answered. You are really pulling us into the next
chapter here, which is something our readings encouraged.
With the depth of your topic, I’m really wondering if Arden’s
peers are having the same struggles that she is. Does she
have a friend? Does she go to school? What are others
thinking that are dealing with the same decision?
I’m also confused about Arden’s mother’s demeanor in this
passage a little bit. Why did she whimper? Why does she
seem so distraught over Arden wanting to stay at this age?
And what does this line mean “Maisie whispered back while
re-buttoning a section of her blouse?” Are we to be inferring
something about her mother’s anatomical make up? Or is
this just to remind us she is looking down? I’m not sure.
23. Maybe a little more specificity would make this more
effective.
I’m excited about this story. Keep plugging away!
24. Reflections on the Critiques/Comments from
Others
In both of the above comments, I believe it is incredibly
apparent that my workshop group was both invested and willing to
help one another. Lindsay and Sarah did a beautiful job of offering
advice on my writing in a positive manner. I never felt put down, or
that they thought poorly of my work. Rather, it was obvious that
both girls were willing to help me to better my pieces as needed.
To begin with, Lindsay’s comment really helped me to better
understand the reader’s perspective. She mentions that in my piece
on setting (when describing Arden’s home), it becomes confusing
when I describe the family room as reaching all the way to the
kitchen. For me, this is how my current house is set-up. You come
in the front doors to the foyer, walk up two steps to the dining room,
and there is the family room and kitchen. They are connected, but
on two separate levels. It didn’t occur to me that I would need to
further explain this to my reader, or that I should attempt a different
type of design for Arden’s home. Although it was a simple
correction, or even a simple comment, it really helped to convey to
me the importance within detail. Lindsay has never been to my
house, so how would she know what I was envisioning? I must
always remember that the reader does not have any of the
background that I do. It is imperative that I take them step-by-step
through whatever I am trying to create.
Sarah’s critique was also in regards to an excerpt of my longer
piece. The biggest benefit to Sarah’s comment has to do with her
variety of questions. After reading (and perhaps, re-reading) the
entry I submitted, Sarah was still unclear about many different
25. facets of my writing. This definitely helped to show me how
important it is to SLOW DOWN when writing for an audience. I
could answer every question that Sarah posed, but if I have the
answer, why doesn’t she? Of course, I haven’t shared all the details
with Sarah, and that is a very important chunk that is missing from
my writing. I want my readers to feel confident in the plot line and
within the story, itself. Part of this struggle stems from the fact that
she was reading only a snippet that was written specifically for
class. Yet, had I slowed down to describe more of what was
happening in Arden’s mind and within her actual life, Sarah would
not have been left with so many questions.
Both girls really helped me to learn that I must stop and take
time for my reader. I cannot expect them to already know
everything that I do. I must walk with them, hand-in-hand, and let
them take in everything around them. If I want the reader to fully
appreciate my creation, I need to give them time and space to enjoy
their surroundings.
26. Personal Philosophy
When I started this course, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant
to write for children. Would we be babying the content or making it
more childish? Would we become nostalgic of our own past in order
to better relate to children? Would we need to “dumb down” the
ideas of our text or our vocabulary choices? All in all, I am afraid to
say that my belief of writing for children was not at all what it is
now. I now understand that none of the above needs to happen
when considering a child audience, but that we must be cognizant of
who we are writing for.
As a writer of children’s works, it is imperative that we always
keep the child in mind. For example, consider the world of a child.
What are their constants? What are they interested in? Where do
they spend most of their time? From there, anything goes. As long
as the child remains the focus, any topic or any idea can be covered
in a way that is inviting to children. Of course, this can be a
challenge. Yet, children need to be given the same caliber of works
that adults are given. Perhaps they cannot yet understand such
intense language, but they can certainly comprehend a topic with as
much passion and interest as their adult counterparts. Instead of
reminiscing about a summer’s day spent chasing an ice cream man,
why not write the tale in such a way that evokes the interest and
intrigue of the child audience? The world is filled with varying types
of adults – and just as many types of children. Let’s invite them all
to read.
Shall we?
28. Author’s Note
This course has been a real pleasure.
I’ve never thought of myself as much of an author. A writer,
perhaps, as I have whipped up many a college essay. Yet, never an
author: never someone who was capable of creating for a variety of
readers.
Now, however, I see that everyone is a writer. Absolutely everyone is
a writer. So long as you use the necessary tools, you can create
anything in the world of text. You can doodle the words. You can
build a separate experience. You can even explore your current
surroundings in a new way. Writing is just another way to express
yourself – and your thoughts inside.
I hope you have enjoyed my creations, but I also hope you take them
as a starting point to design your own.
Best of luck – and, remember,
Have fun.
29. Biographical Information on Author
Katie (Katherine) Hoeg was born in Northville, Michigan and
remained there throughout her undergraduate career. Leaving the
University of Michigan in 2008, Katie was moved down to Port Saint
Lucie, Florida to help start a K-8 Charter Laboratory School.
Although life is certainly different down in the South, Katie still
enjoys the same hobbies. She teaches a lovely class of 18 third
grade girls, and spends her free time performing on stage and
enjoying life with her fiancé. Katie will be appearing in Annie and
Nunsense this winter, all while finishing up her Masters’ Degree and
the final preparations for her June 30th wedding at Disney World.
30. Blurbs
Katie brings to the table a myriad of thoughts on life that are written
with thoughtfulness, whimsy and compassion! She writes as she
speaks with creativity and a technique, which not only holds the
reader, but also inspires!
Michelle Troken
Chicago, IL
Passionate, real and influential; Miss Katie Hoeg writes with the love
in heart! It's no wonder she has a tremendous following! Anyone can
relate to her powerful words no matter what gender, race or
ethnicity!
Stephanie Lipp
Port Saint Lucie, FL
Katie is the best writer in the entire world. She has done amazing
edits to my writing, and her own writing really stands out as superb.
Steve Hurvitz
Washington D.C
Katie is a very imaginative writer, but especially when it comes to
young adult’s science fiction. Her writings are original and
refreshing.
Eric Johansen
Port Saint Lucie, FL
When I get any kind of communication from Katie, it is very creative.
It is very amusing, sometimes, and sometimes extremely
informative. But always very easy to understand. I think she
31. probably will become even more creative as time goes by, and as she
goes through life experiences. At the present time, she is extremely
delightful to read.
Marillyn Pawlowski
Chicago, IL
