Today’s blog post is by Shannon Anderson, who will be
presenting two sessions at the 2018 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference on
October 27. (Learn more at www.steelpenconference.org.)
By
Shannon Anderson
If you are a writer, you know it can be a lonely
profession or hobby. Sometimes, working alone is exactly the way we like it!
However, there are times that we do need to lean on each other for
encouragement, constructive feedback, and advice from someone more experienced.
Zig Ziglar, a famous author and motivational speaker
says, “You can have everything you want
in life if you will just help other people get what they want.” I believe
this to be true. Helping others is also just the right thing to do as a caring
human being.
My philosophy and desire in life is to keep learning
so that I can, in turn, keep teaching and sharing what I learn. Maya Angelou,
also a famous writer and poet says, “When
you get, give. When you learn, teach.” As a teacher and author myself, I strive to
always have something new to share. It not only helps others, but also keeps me
energized and eager to continue in my pursuit to improve.
Besides continuous professional development to improve
my classroom teaching, I love to attend conferences and workshops to learn
first-hand from other authors and industry professionals in the book world. I
have learned and published a lot over the years, but know that I have a LOT
more to learn.
As I challenge myself to try out various writing
paths, to write in different genres, and to move up in the business, I also
enjoy sharing what I have done so far and learned along the way. I started out
in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators as a member back in
2009 and now serve as the regional advisor for the state of Indiana. I plan all
of our events and conferences. I also do school visits to motivate kids to love
writing and instruct teachers on how to incorporate creative writing in the
classroom. Through these opportunities, I now also present across the country
at writing conferences and workshops to help other writers.
My summer has kicked off to a great start with several
author visits to schools still in session and presentations and critiques at a
three-day SCBWI writing conference in Evansville. In the coming weeks, I’ll be
presenting at the Indiana Book Festival in Muncie, the Chicago Writer’s Day
Workshop, the Prairie Arts Council Art Camp, and the All Write Summer Institute
in Warsaw.
But, just as it is important to share, it is important
to learn. So, in addition to teaching, I’ll have the opportunity to learn at
the Write to Publish Conference in Illinois, a Highlights Foundation Workshop in Pennsylvania, and the SCBWI International Conference in Los Angeles. I highly recommend all of these opportunities
to learn!
This brings me to the purpose of my blog post today.
If you want the chance to learn a lot about writing in a one-day, inexpensive
workshop, you should consider the Steel Pen Conference on October 27th. Registration is now open
and I’m excited to share two of my presentations with you. I’ll be teaching a
Picture Book Boot Camp, as well as a session entitled, Ready, Set, Grow…Your
Opportunities. If you are interested in writing picture books for kids or want
to know how to get started with any genre, I’d love to help you out! I’m
excited to be invited to share at this conference and look forward to learning
from the other presenters. Until then, keep learning, keep writing, and keep
sharing with others!
__________
Shannon Anderson is an award-winning children’s book
author and third-grade teacher. She is the regional advisor for the Indiana
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, is on the executive board
for the Indiana State Reading Association, and is a frequent presenter at
teaching and writing conferences. She loves teaching, presenting, writing, and
running very early in the morning. Shannon and her police chief hubby have two
daughters and live in Indiana. You can visit her website at www.shannonisteaching.com to find out more.
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