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Calling All Young Writers: Dream Keepers Fall 2014 Schedule


Dear Super Writers,

We had a great summer of Super Reader writing workshops. We wrote super hero six-word stories, super hero sagas, and imagined many ways that super readers could defeat Dr. Brain Drain! We also thought up our own super powers. Most of us agreed that reading and writing ranked high on our list of fantastic, brain-drain defeating super powers.

I'm delighted to announce a whole bunch of fun fall writing workshops at a variety of Milwaukee Public Libraries. Open up your imaginations and join me. Together we'll write, draw, glue, and write some more. 

Rochelle,
the Super Writer!


Art and Poetry For students who love to create with both pictures and words, this workshop will provide you with wonderful inspiration from the world of picture books and art. Write your poems in reaction to famous works of art. Create art to accompany your favorite words. And learn how to make art with words.

September 15, 22, 29 
King Library
4:00-5:00 PM
310 W. Locust Street








Dream Keeper Writing Circle Calling all young writers (ages 9-13)! The Dream Keeper Writing Circle will give you the opportunity to work on your writing project and share it with other young writers. Students will spend the first part of the session writing, with writing prompts and encouragement from author and writing coach Rochelle Melander. During the second half of the session, students will share these stories with each other, learning how to listen for key story elements and give helpful feedback.

October 6, November 3, December 1
Capitol Library
4:00-5:00 PM
3969 N. 74th Street


October: Boo! Scary Stories Can you tell a scary in six words? Have you ever written a ghost story? This class will give students the opportunity to invent monsters and villains and put them into scary poems and stories. Come for one day and write a short scary story or attend all four and create a book of terrifying tales.

October 7, 14, 21, 2014
Villard Square Library
4:00-5:00 PM
5190 N 35th Street

October 13, 2014
Atkinson Library
4:00-5:00 PM
1960 W. Atkinson Avenue


November: National Novel Writing Month at Milwaukee Public Library Come write a short novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Over the course of four days, students will create characters, dream up a setting, craft a plot, and write a novella (that’s a really short novel). Students are welcome to come for single days and participate in a part of the process or do the whole thing and write a big ol' novella!

November 4, 11, 18, 2014
Forest Home Library
4:00-5:00 PM
1432 W. Forest Home Avenue

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Six-word Scary Stories

We've done six-word memoirs. Tonight the Dream Keepers wrote six-word scary stories. Read and enjoy! (Then write and submit your own in the comment field!) A vampire destroys the city with power. —Tramonta Garner (pictured above) One virus. One town. No survivors. —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 One girl. Many monsters. What's next? —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 Big zombie eats eyeballs. City blind. —Elisha Branch, 14 One house. One family. Both gone. —Elisha Branch, 14 Knock, knock. Who's there? Killer mysterious. —Derranesha, 12 Baby cries. No answer. What happens? —Derranesha, 12 Ring, ring. "Hello." Please help me. —April, 12 The spooky monster ran towards me ... —Sonya, 17 The worm crawls into the brain. —Sierra The slippery, slimy monster grabs two. —Quintoya Eskridge

Long Titles, Short Poems

Tonight the Dream Keepers tried to write short poems with long titles, an assignment from Dawn DiPrince's wonderful book Yoga For the Brain . Here's the example I wrote: What Happened when John decided to Do His Laundry the Old-Fashioned Way: with a Bar of Soap, a Rock, and a River. Threadbare Underwear. The assignment is harder than it sounds, and the Dream Keepers had a tough time with it. But they still came up with some good samples. Read their work, and then try writing your own! By Elly: What Elly Was Left with After She Ate A big Juicy Hamburger in Two Bites. Yummy Tummy. By Leroi: What the Owner Said When He Took His Pet to Meet the New Vet, who Already Had Met a Dog, a Frog, and a Bunch of Cats. Oh No. By Daquan: What Happened When I Took A Bone from a Dog Who Had Had It a Long Time. Fight. Bite. By Tierra: The clock stopped at 11 O'Clock. Tick Tock?

Introducing Dream Keepers

In 2004, I began attending a church in the heart of my city. During my first visit, I had a vision: I would teach writing to the young people in this place. I dismissed the thought. I’m too busy. It’s too hard. They wouldn’t be interested. But the visions persisted. Each time I sat in the pew, the dream would come. Finally, I accepted this vision as a calling. I shared the dream with others, but I didn’t believe it would come true. Then a friend asked, “What can you do right now to make this happen?” In the fall of 2006, I embarked on a writing journey with four young women from the church. We have named ourselves “Dream Keepers,” after a poem by Langston Hughes. Hughes believed that writers were the dream keepers of the community. We are! In addition, recent studies suggest that people who write down their deepest thoughts, feelings, and dreams are healthier, happier, and have better success achieving their goals. Every Saturday I meet with four or five young women. We talk and write....