Yesterday I was a guest speaker in an 8th grade Language Arts crowd. Lemme tell ya — THAT’s a tough crowd. They were boisterous but not rude. I at least had the good sense to simply make a couple of points and then let the kids ask questions. Thank goodness most 14-year olds are curious. :thumbsup:
“Do you base your characters on real people?”
“Have you ever met Steven King?”
“Who wrote Romeo and Juliet? Have you ever met him?”
“How do you get paid?”
“My friend is writing a book, would you be interested in reading it?”
“How do you choose your character names?”
“How long between when you sell a book and it gets published?”
“When did you know you wanted to be a writer?”
“Do you ever get tired of the book and the characters you’re writing?”
“Do you single-space or double-space?”
“What’s the longest book you ever wrote?”
“Do you write children’s books?”
There were lots more because they kept me talking for 45 minutes. I was pleased they seemed so interested. I told them at the beginning they could ask me ANYTHING as long as it wasn’t obscene. (I’m not stupid and I do have an inkling as to what 14 year olds are like :twisted:)
The best comment was at the end. A girl who really hadn’t said too much and I wasn’t sure if I really had her attention said, “Could you come to 6th period class? The time went by really quick.”
I think that meant I wasn’t boring.:cooldance:
Congrats on getting asked to the next period! :)
Cole
Comment by Nicole Reising — March 27, 2007 @ 6:04 am
I’m sure that’s what it meant. Great job, Jen. 14-year-olds are a *tough* crowd. I have one. 8O
Comment by Rhonda — March 27, 2007 @ 6:13 am
Impressing 14-year-olds isn’t easy. Good for you!
Comment by Kimberly — March 27, 2007 @ 6:34 am
You are braver than I, my friend. Congrats on making it out unscathed.
Comment by Andrea — March 27, 2007 @ 7:05 am
Thanks, Cole! I though it was pretty cool.
Ye Gawds, Rhonda, I keep forgetting you have a 14-year-old. It doesn’t seem possible.
I don’t know about impressed, Kimberly, but at least no one actually went to sleep. :happy2: That’s always a fear of mine. Seriously.
Andrea, I was nervous. More nervous than the times I’ve spoken at National. At least at National, those people voluntarily showed up to see me. This was a captive audience. :devil:
Comment by Jennifer — March 27, 2007 @ 7:20 am
Well, have you? Met the guy who wrote Romeo and Juliet that is. :happy2:
Congrats on impressing a group of 14-year-olds!
Comment by Marilyn — March 27, 2007 @ 7:52 am
Good Job, great questions? :cooldance:
Comment by Barbara — March 27, 2007 @ 8:09 am
Marilyn, I felt sort of bad for the kid because I’m such a smart-ass I said, “He’s been dead a long time and I’m old, but not that old.” I know he was just thinking of someone he knew who had written a romance.
They did ask some good questions, Barbara.
Comment by Jennifer — March 27, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Those kids really did ask some interesting questions. Congradulations on a job well done and not coming out of there pulling your hair out. :thankyou:
Comment by Ginger — March 27, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
Ginger, I was impressed with the questions they asked and the fact that they spoke up. I was way too shy at that age to have asked a visitor to my classroom a question. Now, if I was their teacher, I’d probably be bald. :fryingpan:
Comment by Jennifer — March 27, 2007 @ 5:59 pm