“The Key to Success”

Diagnosing certain learning or behavior disorders can be necessary at times, and coming from the mental health field and school of study, I’ve see it happen more often than not these days. I too as a child had major problems with reading comprehension, focus, and memory. Back then we didn’t get treated for Attention Deficit Disorder or you would rarely find a child diagnosed with Dyslexia, etc. My parents and teachers noticed that I was struggling and both spent extra time studying with me. My mom went above and beyond to research different ways that children learn. We do not all learn nor test the exact same “cookie cutter” or standard way.

It’s that time of year again, time for the Second Annual Iggy the Iguana Character Development Writing Camp for Kids. Last year we had a blast, as children around the Houston area, joined me for 5 days to increase their creative writing skills and make up new and original characters for their own stories. This year the camp will now be offered to 2nd-8th graders in two different week sessions, divided by age group.

The Iggy the Iguana Character Development Workshops are designed to teach students how to think outside the box and create unique characters with interesting stories. As the author of the children’s chapter book series, Iggy the Iguana, I will discuss ways I used my own experiences with childhood pets to create the fictional characters in Iggy the Iguana while teaching the use of archetypes, conflict resolution, and original storyline development tactics.

Adults keep the flow of diversity by stepping outside their comfort zones. Experience goes a long way in life, and in the grander scheme of things, we find who we are, when faced with our opposites and new experiences. The world is not the same everywhere you go. Cultural differences are all around: one career to the next, east to west, north to south, and from within the realm of indoors to outdoors. We learn from others and from their differences, taking on what is useful into our own lives and leaving what doesn’t fit. Having lived in three major Texas cities, in the past five years, I am still wrestling with the thought of which one is more me. Traveling to new states and new countries remind me that there are many other ways to live while adapting to a new culture as well. Children try on different roles and styles, just as adults find peace within themselves.

In a time where bullying, poking fun, hidden meanings behind words, and negative talk has been on the rise not only on television, but in children's literature, it is time to implement some standards in the books that our youth select from off the book shelves. LitLand Review is an online review site (www.litland.com) that accepts books for their online shelves after a heavy break down and review of the morals and values presented inside each storyline. LitLand's books must meet the criteria of:

Kindness * Respect * Patriotism * Civility * Integrity * Responsibility * Loyalty * Justice * Beauty *  Aesthetic Life Experiences

The above objectives present talking points for adults and children to discuss, encouraging open communication. I received a recommendation by an industry professional to send the Iggy Series to LitLand.

In honor of Valentines Day, I would like to share the Valentine chapter from the children’s chapter book, Iggy the Iguana. I wish everyone a happy Valentines Day full of love and care. If you would like to order any of the Iggy the Iguana books for someone special, visit www.iggytheiguana.com. Iggy is now available on CD too. Enjoy!

Will You Be …

   As the days passed, Iggy put together a plan B to win Liz over. It was obvious that she had no idea Iggy’s flower meant that he wanted her to be his girlfriend, but Valentine’s Day was just around the corner.
Mrs. Buff’s class started making Valentine’s drop boxes for their party on Friday. The boxes were usually filled with candy and cards with funny cartoons and sayings, but every once in a while one brave soul would slip a real valentine into one of the boxes.

As a children’s author, I have the privileged of spending hundreds of hours with many creative kiddos. Give a child a creative inch, and they will go a mile. One of the main exercises I share with these inspiring minds includes character development tips and tricks. It’s hard to start a story from scratch, so I encourage the kids to develop their characters first. These simple techniques can be further used to move from a student’s stuck attitude of, “I don’t know what to write about” to “I have so many things to right about, I don’t know what to chose.”

Here are some popular tips for children who love to write or just need a creative inch:

1. Get into the creative zone by watching Disney movies. Disney has inspired me for years!!! Find the different characters with in the story:
a. Hero: The Main Character, indentifies with audience, protagonist, and changes throughout the story (Simba)

It’s almost that time again … yep the Houston Marathon is right around the corner! It’s a family tradition for Iggy the Iguana’s family to spend the day in downtown Houston cheering on the runners … especially Iggy’s dad, Mr. Green … he’s been running marathon’s for years! Lizards are known for their speed. If you are ready for a holiday pick me up to get you and your family pumped this year for the Annual Chevron Houston Marathon on January 17, 2010, then I invite you to read a sneak peek from Iggy the Iguana. Chapter Nine is ALL about the “flat and fast” Houston Marathon.

Chapter Nine - The Marathon

On Saturday morning, Iggy ran downstairs to show his dad the sign he had made for the race. To Iggy’s surprise, Molly beat him to it. She was already eating breakfast in her pink cheerleading skirt with her sign sitting neatly on top of Iggy’s chair.

It’s time to acknowledge creativity in our children! With the TAKS test just around the corner, January is officially the month for Creative Writing. I will be holding Saturday workshops in the Houston area for children in the 3rd-12th grade. We will focus on the process of character development, how to create a memorable story, and how to become a young published author. My motto is: “There is NO such thing as ‘Writer’s Block.’” This is a great gift for kids this holiday season as we bring in the New Year!

During our workshop, I will also closely explain how to enter the Short Story Contest presented by Read3Zero, “I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids.” LongTale Publishing is taking submissions until February 1st 2010! Entry forms can be found at www.Read3Zero.com.

Creative Writing Workshop Schedule:

Saturday January 16th 10am-2pm
How to Create a Memorable Character
Grade Level: 3rd-6th
Location: Hobby Lobby
16011 FM 529 Rd
Houston, TX 77095

While talking to hundreds of students about Iggy the Iguana every week, I pose a few questions regarding making friends and being a friend to others. “Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” is a repeated theme within the Iggy the Iguana Chapter Book Series. Iggy, the main character, demonstrates this concept multiple times after he is befriended at a new school, and he himself uses his empathetic awareness by befriending the school bully in 4th grade.

One thing I ask elementary students during my presentations is the question, “Have you ever been the new kid at school or have you ever put yourself in the ‘new kid’s’ shoes?”

The very mention of the word creative can spring images and thoughts of youthfulness and charisma, charm, wittiness and an imaginative freedom that knows no bounds. And who better to serve the soul of humanity with a vision of worlds that stretch far beyond the comprehension of corporate meetings, cubicles and the recessive plagues of civilization than children? They are the symbolic representations of hope and opportunity and starting next year, their literary and creative efforts will be spotlighted and featured in an anthology dedicated to them and them alone—the READ3Zero short-story anthology: “I Write: Short-Stories By Kids, For Kids!”

Let’s face it, kids are creative! They have big dreams that fit with their big imaginations. As the creator of the Iggy the Iguana children’s chapter book series, it has become such a joy to hear them share their dreams with me as I work to live out my own.

More and more these days we hear of diagnosable issues in grade school children pertaining to learning disabilities and behavior problems. Over the years I have read and studied many reports trying to explain specific disorders through statistics, research, and analytical jargon. I am not here necessarily to speak from my own counseling background, but rather from personal concern and opinion as an advocate for literacy and encouraging children to believe in themselves. My information and the information from my co-author come from concerned teachers and parents whom we have either spoken to or have actually become over the years.

Children’s Author, Melissa M. Williams, will be holding a signing and presentation for all Educators to celebrate Educators Appreciation Day on Saturday October 10th at Barnes and Noble. The Brand New Barnes and Noble in River Oaks-Houston is hosting a Brunch to honor all Pre-K through 12 Educators. Melissa will be their very first author and will be speaking about her author visits for 2009-2010 the inspiration behind her children’s chapter book series, Iggy the Iguana, Creative Writing Tips from her workshop, and she will be announcing her new Foundation Read3Zero and the opportunities it holds for inspiring children to Read, be Creative, and Write their Own Stories to be Published by LongTale Publishing.