This year’s worksheets are aimed at exploring what it means to be a writer… What is our relationship to our writing? How can we draw on our life experiences in order to become better writers? How can writing improve our lives? Things I Love Modalities Writer’s Statement Artistic Movement Becoming a Writer Dislike to Like Private…

Want to know the secret to how to motivate your students to write? You may not like what I am going to say but it really works.

One thing I learned early in my freelance writing career is that, in order to gain experience and traction, I had to step out of my wheelhouse from time to time. As a writer, I love writing blog content! Especially for my sites where I can share information and stories to really connect with my […]

I love when I find a great book that I can use for multiple Writer's Workshop mini-lessons! Mañana Iguana by Ann Whitford Paul is one of these books. It's a version of The Little Red

Arguments are one those things that are both exciting and difficult to write. These are creative writing tips for making sure they have max impact.

On the anniversary of her death, we reveal twenty things you might not know about doyenne of crime fiction, Agatha Christie

Still trying to catch my breath after the crazy start to this school year, but I am excited to share a few tips on how we setup our Writer's Notebooks in class this year! One of the first things we do is decorate the cover, both front and back. It's best of kiddos use pictures from magazines or photos printed on regular computer paper, as they stick to the composition notebooks better (photo paper can be too thick). I have had students bring in pictures to decorate on a Friday, or I have assigned it as homework over the course of a few days. If you do decide to decorate in class, HERE is a copy of a letter I send to parents to help them help their child look for special pictures: After they have their covers decorated, we share them in class. Depending on how much time you have, you can have them share 1-2 special pictures in Author's Chair, or you could have them do a gallery walk (or both!). This year, I had my students set out their Writer's Notebooks at their table spots and we all got the chance to walk around and see them before they shared: This worked beautifully, since all kids were eager to share with friends and share what they had added. You can see that some decorated both the front and back, and some only decorated the front-- up to them :) Teacher Tip: To keep these intact all year long, I take some cheap, clear packing tape and run it across the covers, top to bottom, to cover the pictures. This will help the notebooks withstand the abuse they will receive on a daily basis ;) Once our notebooks were decorated on the outside, I had them start to generate ideas on the inside. I found a wonderful resource from Nick at Sweet Rhyme & Pure Reason on TpT called 50 Things I Love: Click the picture above to be taken to this free resource on TpT! They folded these in half and glue it onto the inside back cover of their Writer's Notebooks so they can unfold it and access it anytime throughout the year. This was such a fun way for them to write down their ideas, I found it to be a fun twist on the heart map I've done in years past :) I hope these ideas helped get your students' Writer's Notebooks set up these first few weeks back! Have a wonderful end to your week!

Did you think teaching students to write would be a snap? I mean, you are a college-educated, certified individual. How hard could it possibly be? Well, it’s a challenge, especially when just starting out. In my classroom,

Writing slogans are unique, catchy, and memorable phrases that attract the reader’s attention for a while. The motto of these slogans are to promote writing skills and expertise to employers, HR, or to common people. It develops interest in people to read books, novels, traditional stories, and history just by reading simple slogans. It depends […]

Writing Worksheet – Rites & Rituals (PDF) I’ve talked of my love of Joseph Campbell before, and I would be remiss if I didn’t at least quote him at this apposite juncture: No tribal rite has yet been recorded which attempts to keep winter from descending; on the contrary: the rites all prepare the community…

I love the idea of a writer's notebook but, as a high school teacher, I don't have a lot of time for cutting and pasting. My students also need more room to write. So, I created a writing notebook that can be stored in a binder, one that allows room for students to work and to store other handouts as necessary. Each section of the notebook comes with a corresponding slide show that you can use to introduce, reinforce or review the skills and concepts in the writer's notebook (depending on the age/needs of your students, you may need more detailed instruction for some of these). Be sure to check the preview for lots more detail! The best part about the format of this writer's notebook is it provides lots of flexibility for you - pass it out all at once or give students sections when you are working on certain skills. SAVE! This is available in my Writer's Workshop Bundle. WHAT'S INCLUDED? the first part teaches (or reminds) students about the writing process The second section focuses on the elements of effective writing, and students will experiment with diction, tone, syntax, imagery and showing, not telling. The third section takes a close look at description and narration and provides students with several exercises that they can use to hone these skills. You'll find pages for describing, reflecting, creating character, using dialogue, planning the plot, using foreshadowing and flashback, establishing point of view, creating setting, theme, symbolism, openings and closings. Section four switches to non-fiction writing, and students will work on ways to write introductory and concluding paragraphs, as well as methods for developing their ideas. I have included a variety of graphic organizers that they can use for the essay types you may ask them to write. There is also a teacher planner to help you with your planning, organization and assessment. You could also add my Short Mentor Texts for Secondary Writing and Writing Prompts for Stamina & Skills, which would be an excellent addition to your student's notebooks. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Creative Writing Assignments Writing Lessons: Word Choice Writing Introductions & Conclusions Awkward Wording: Help your students write strong sentences ___________________________________ Get tips, strategies, and freebies: Learning in Room 213 Room 213 on Instagram Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and products: • Look for the green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will then receive customized email updates about this store. ___________________________________ Copyright © ROOM 213 Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.

Looking for a homeschool writing program for reluctant writers? Here's one homeschool writing curriculum that can really help.

I love poetry. I don’t consistently produce new poems any more. It goes in phases. But my passion for poetry never leaves me, and will always be an important aspect of my life and work, as a …

Would you like to decorate your classroom with fun, hand-drawn anchor charts/posters? Do you simply not have the time to get them done? Well, you have come to the perfect place! I love making these engaging and appealing anchor charts. I also can draw/create any other topic you would like, just contact me directly and ask! My students absolutely love these posters and references them every day. Many of them are visual learners, so the colorful images really help them connect and remember what they have learned. This particular anchor chart is for readers/writers practicing how to summarize. This helps them learn a strategy of how to include the characters, the problem, and the solution. It breaks summarizing down into 5 steps of how to do this, and helps them mentally imagine the beginning, the middle, and the end of a story! **These will be copies unless asked otherwise for a custom poster. They are not laminated, and are printed on normal, anchor chart paper. I ship these out ASAP after being ordered, but please keep in mind once shipped, it is outside of my control. Therefore, if shipping does not meet your expectations, I highly encourage you to please reach out to me first, and we have always been able to work something out to make up for anything that may have occurred after I have sent your package, thanks so much!! Hope you love it :)

writers workshop organization with free mentor text lists for writing instruction. Picture books to help teach writing traits in your own kindergarten and 1st grade classroom.

So, there's a lot that I really DON'T do well as an educator. I LOVE to write and even wanted to be a writer instead of a teacher, but I STRUGGLE with teaching students how to do it. I really don't love informational text, I've been known to visually assess rather than collect papers, and when it comes right down to it, teaching my ESL students is plain HARD. I'm just now learning how to say "glue this in your notebook" in a different language! HOWEVER, if there's one area where I am always fairly confident that I'll keep my job, it's classroom management. Recently, a dear friend of mine was riding the students-won't-shut-their-mouths-or-respect-me struggle bus. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. During my first 3 years as a teacher, I honestly wasn't even sure what kind of classroom management style that I had. (And yes, there are MULTIPLE management styles) Let's face it, it's really hard to do ALL of the paperwork, plan ALL of the lessons, grade ALL of the papers, discipline ALL of the crazy, call ALL of the mommas, chaperone ALL of the dances, games, etc., on top of being a wife/husband, sister/brother, friend, daughter/son, etc. I'm tired just typing all of that. I'm definitely not the guru of all things "good children". In fact, last week I confiscated a 1990 black and white Gameboy and had a child use the mother of all curse words toward me all before 8am. HOWEVER, I have come to a point where I am confident in my classroom management style and there is REAL, authentic learning happening in my classroom every class period of every day. Sure, I still have the "blessings" who are never going to respect anyone (including themselves) and there have been days that I wish I could pipe in Lavender through the ventilation system but I usually deal with a fraction of disrespect and apathy that others I know deal with. I will preface this with not everyone agrees with my methods and some people I work with think I'm crazy. However, this is what I do to save my own sanity and push my students to be the super cool people that I know they can be. Therefore, I give to you, my Top 5 Tips for Calming the Crazy. 1. Become a Bus Throwing Champ. Let's be honest for a second - the atmosphere in our world today is very much a "blame game". Many of our students have grown up in a time where all they know how to do is point a finger...which finger will vary. Now, as an educator there are SO MANY THINGS that we cannot control. Let me count the ways that our public education system has me locked down: EOCs, Benchmarks, Data collecting, IEPs, 504s, PEPs, Calling alllllll the mommas, etc. (crying is still optional, but highly encouraged). I say all of this to remind you that many things that our students are instructed to do, we would NEVER come up with ourselves. SO TELL THEM THAT! Be honest with them and say, "Our state/county office/ etc. is making me do this, ya'll. I would personally never do this, but we have to do it. I don't like it either, but let's push through and get through it together." This evens the playing field and lets students know that you understand them and their frustration. It takes you out of the dictator's position, and into a more genuine, compassionate authority figure who wants to work WITH them rather than DICTATE to them. You also have to consider this - do you think your admin. minds throwing you under the bus in their meetings when test scores are less than stellar? Chances are, some of them (not all of them - shout out to the real admin. homies who have their teachers' backs and love us through it) have no problem pointing a finger at you when push comes to shove. So, when the students start getting jittery, upset, etc. tell them - "Your principal says our test scores are not where they should be so we have to do these 900 math problems." MOST students do not understand the constant pressure that educators are under on a daily basis. I don't lie to my kids - I tell them when I get fussed at and when it hurts. I tell them that I get in trouble when they get in trouble. It's not a magic "fix", but it does help my students to see me as a "real" person and someone who knows some of the same issues that they face. 2. Love the heck out of them, and let them know it hurts. It's the age old lesson that all teachers must learn - every child, even the one who you pour your heart, soul, and wallet into WILL eventually let you down. It's part of life and it's our utter downfall as humans - hurting those who love us most. When you come to terms with this, you'll ultimately be a better teacher because this is the part that hurts. It's the part where we must learn what it means to love unconditionally. I've cried more tears than I care to admit over students who hurt me to the core of my being whether it be through words, actions, incarcerations, lack of effort, absence, etc. I've suffered through most of it. I realized that a lot of the feelings of anger that I felt toward students was actually a feeling of hurt or disappointment. It's so funny how hurt can manifest in the form of rage. Now, as hard as it may be, and as much as it pains me, I tell my students who disrespect me, "I cannot believe you would treat me like that. Your behavior truly hurts my feelings." Typically (not always), this makes them see the situation differently. They no longer have to be defensive, but rather thoughtful. I'm usually met with silence when I take this approach which is much better than yelling or cursing. I've also tried, "I've done nothing to disrespect you like that, so I do not know why you would disrespect me." When students KNOW that you love them and enjoy having them in class (fake it til' you make it, sister), they will not want to disappoint you. Hurting you will bother them far worse than feeling as if they've angered you. Most of them are accustomed to an angry household, they'll tune it out and immediately be triggered if you play that same role. If you simply cannot muster the strength to feign hurt when you are breathing the fire of rage, invest in a naughty notebook. This is probably my favorite classroom management technique. Have a notebook that looks official sitting on your desk. When a student disrespects you and you cannot find anything not anger-filled to say to them, silently walk over, take out the notebook, and start writing. Write down their name, what they did, what they said, and the date and time. Heck, even write in there what you would like to say to them. It helps if you pause every now and then, look up at the student silently, and continue writing. When you're finished, simply place the notebook back on your desk and continue teaching without giving them any attention. Trust me, this confuses (and often scares) the heck out of them. I've had students say, "Can I ask what you're writing?". My favorite response is, "Worry about yourself." 3. Do not accept apathy - from them or yourself. Being in control is DIFFICULT. It is truly HARD WORK. It does not come from sitting at your desk and giving students a list of tasks to check off before they leave each day. In many cases, it takes being honest with yourself to get down to the REAL problem. About 4-5 years ago, I was going through a big, awful, crappy time in my personal life. I was so exhausted by the time I got to work that I literally just wanted to sit down, drink a coffee, and scroll through Pinterest. I was a CRAPPY teacher during this time and my students were BAD. I'm talking kicking trash cans, slamming doors, calling me names that I didn't even know what they meant BAD. It wasn't that I wasn't lesson planning...I was. I was giving my students things to do, but I was rarely actively engaged. I would get angry when they took their phones out. I would yell when they wouldn't shut up. I would take privileges away and they did.not.care. This was, BY FAR, the worst year of my teaching career. I didn't understand it and I would constantly complain about these "horrible kids". Even though this year was cry-to-my-momma awful, I learned more than ever. Yes, children SHOULD be respectful and do their work no matter what. However, the bleak, dark, reality is that they simply are not going to. We must be teachers who leave the home issues at home if we really want to see success in the classroom. It wasn't my students' fault that I was struggling, yet I accidentally took it out on them. You cannot expect your kids to be active learners if you aren't an active teacher. Is it a pain to make new lessons that the kids don't appreciate? Yes. Is it frustrating to have to walk around every minute of every class period and feel the sweat dripping down your back because you're working so hard? Sure is. YET....When I got up, got to work, and showed my students my own engagement, my classroom completely transformed. I was determined to not repeat the past (no matter what my bae, F. Scott Fitzgerald says) when I returned the next fall. I made sure I had at least 3 different activities planned each day (For example: Vocabulary Game on Quizlet.Live, Reading together, group analysis at stations), I wore my FitBit and set a number of steps to reach each class period, and I invested in a TON of sticky notes to write encouraging notes or "I'm so proud of you" notes to random students that I saw doing their best or going the extra mile. Things definitely didn't magically change in one week, one month, even one semester. They DID, however get better at a consistent pace and STAYED better. When I slacked, the kids slacked. When I got hype, so did they. Educating the future is definitely give and take, but if we won't accept apathy from our students, we cannot accept in from ourselves either. 4. Be Real. This seems simple enough, but it actually took me a while to understand it. You MUST develop your own style based on who you are and use it. If you aren't naturally spunky and lovey-dovey your students will smell that BS from two hallways away. Be who you REALLY are. If you cannot STAND cell phone use - tell them. If you don't mind cell phones but the thought of sleeping in class makes your skin crawl - LET THEM KNOW. When you tell them your pet peeves up front, they won't accidentally set you off and sever a relationship for the rest of the semester. Secondly, if you're not a super, overbearing authority figure, don't try to be. Love them through it. If you aren't a big fan of the hugs and camaraderie, push competition in your classroom and praise the ones who "win" while pushing the others to fight for their right on the winner's podium. This definitely doesn't come easy - and YEARS into my career, I'm still figuring out my own style. Some days I want to squeeze my kids and adopt them, other days I want to squeeze them until they feel the pain they've been metaphorically inflicting on me. HA! I say all of this to truly mean that you must be genuine in whatever you choose to do. It simply will not work if it isn't truly you. Keep working until you find out a behavior system that is your own and quit trying to find something cute on Pinterest, or something out of a professional development workbook to control your class. 5. Know Who is in Control and Stay Consistent Nothing will work if you aren't consistent. No matter who they are, how nice they've been, or who their mom is, you still have to hold them to the same level of accountability as that kid who kicks your car and carves your desks. Students NOTICE when you play favorites and there's nothing that causes animosity more than this. They respect rules and consistency. In fact, they crave it. Also keep in mind that just because you may not agree with some rules set by your admin, OR some rules are HARD to implement - you still HAVE TO ENFORCE THEM. It is NOT an option. When you don't enforce rules, it very plainly makes students disrespect you and other teachers who are enforcing them mad at you. (Refer to tip #1 if you need help enforcing a difficult rule set forth by admin.) Please keep in mind that you are the adult here and it is YOUR classroom. The power is in YOUR hands - even when you think it's not. You may have to make an example out of someone, but once you do this ONE TIME (Preferably as close to the beginning of the semester as possible), I guarantee you that issue will decline. Again, I'm definitely no master teacher and I've been cursed more times than I like to admit. However, just know that there IS light at the end of the tunnel. As bad and as crazy as your students may seem, there is something that will alleviate the crazy. It may not dry it up and eliminate it, but it will help it. Some groups are tougher than others, and you will always have that handful that live to push your buttons. Keep in mind that for every wildchild, there's kid in that room that needs you and truly wants to learn. It's not fair for that child to be held back because another classmate is being crazy. Overall, know your kids, know yourself, and know that you are not alone. Fight the good fight, ya'll.

Paragraph writing activities and tips for teachers in upper elementary

As a Mom of two young children, I am constantly on the lookout for good, creative, wholesome children's books to read with my kids. We do a lot of reading, especially during the winter months. I set aside a certain amount of time each day for reading together since my kids were babies and so this has become part of the routine in our home. At this point, my little daughter (5 years old) is really enjoying chapter books, whereas my 3-year-old son pines for books with more pictures :-). So, I try to create a "happy" balance. I have to say that I think sometimes I am enjoying the books as much as the kids; Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Little House on the Prairie series have been delighting me these long winter days :-). And this book (How to Heal a Broken Wing, pictured above) is such a good one, one that we have really enjoyed reading, over and over. I originally found it in the library and then purchased it on Amazon because I really enjoyed the story-line and the sensitivity portrayed towards the least of these of Christ's creation--pigeons. Ok; I admit--I have a soft spot for pigeons. . . My Dad used to raise homing pigeons when my sisters and I were little, and they really are sweet, smart, devoted creatures--the little squabs are delightful! :-) Many people think of them as "dirty" or "diseased" but when they are cared for properly and loved as they should be, they make wonderful pets. The farmers around here like to shoot them, but I enjoy offering them shelter in my barn! :-) When we were little, my Mom took me and my sisters on a city bus ride from our small town into the "large" ;-) (to me ;-)) city of Providence, RI. We walked around the city and fed the pigeons from a park bench--she wanted us to have that experience of riding the bus into the city and it is such a vivid memory from my childhood, especially feeding those dear, sweet birds scavenging for survival. So this book, How to Heal a Broken Wing really holds a place in my heart. I enjoyed the illustrations which are vivid and bright and somewhat unusual (almost a comic-book style, but large enough for little eyes to see and focus on). I loved the simple, sensitive story-line about a little boy who rescues a hurt pigeon on a city street, rehabilitates it, and then releases it. Everyone else walks by the hurt pigeon, ignoring it or not noticing it, and it somewhat reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan; I really liked that connection. This is a wonderful book to read with little children. It s simple, sweet, and heartwarming and teaches little ones sensitivity towards God's creation. There's so much hardness in the world; this book was refreshing in the way that it depicted animals and encouraged the nurture and care of a small creature who was hurt. If you are able to purchase it or take it out of your local library, I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do! :-) You might find me on these link-ups: Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Messy Marriage, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, SHINE Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday

These Shel Silverstein quotes serve as great instructions for how to live life to the fullest, and overcome the challenges that come with it.

As promised, here I am, and here is the post on villains. I’ve noticed that people seem to be more sloppy with their villains than with anything else, (myself included,) and I want to shed some light on the subject. There are a bunch of writings out there about how to build a better villain, but none of them seem to fully encompass what a villain is supposed to be, or how they’re supposed to work. That is something that I find disturbing. Because while everything in writing is supposed to be pure creativity, there are formulas to everything. (Or most everything, anyway.) I’ve tried to put an antagonist formula together, and I think I have something. What we need for the perfect villain is what I’ve decided to call the 1>2>3 equation. And it reads like this: Personality Appearance Other‒Think, “What makes them uniquely bone-chilling?” You see, each of them feed into the last one, with 1 being the most crucial to develop and 3 being more minor. This formula is a bit underdeveloped, but I think that if you can fully flesh out your villain according to it, you won’t be sorry that you did. For example’s sake, I’m going to use several of my favorite villains from movies and books so that you can see how the formula could have affected them. Personality‒You simply CAN NOT have a good character without a fully developed personality, and that goes for villains, too. (Villains are people. Duh.) Personality is probably the hardest part with villains. I mean, how does one create a person who is more than a scary cookie-cutter character, but at the same time, make them believably evil? It’s partially in the motive. Your villain should have some reason to be doing what they are doing‒be it revenge, madness, or just because they can. It also can have a lot to do with backstory. (That seems to be Marvel and DC comic’s strategy.) I think, personally, that it’s both. We can have blood-chilling motive as well as tragic backstory in the same picture, correct? Of course! (I have made links to the example character’s wikipedia pages, in case you’d like to research for yourselves. Clickey-clickey. =D ) The Joker, from DC Comic’s “The Dark Knight:” Disfigured by chemicals and driven mad by something that happened in his past, (all of the Joker “backstories” are unresolved,) the Joker is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing villains in the handful I’ve encountered. Psychologically unstable, as well as having a very gruesome sense of humor, he’s terrifying. (You wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley, that’s for sure.) Backstory: While it’s very undecided what exactly happened to Joker, the main story of why he went mad has mostly to do with an attempted heist gone awry, falling into a vat of chemicals, and finding out upon returning home that his wife and unborn child are dead. (You can read the whole story here if you feel so inclined.) Motive: Even people who have gone insane can be greedy. And I think that losing his family made him rather intent on killing the innocent‒an off-handed revenge on fate, if you will. Loki, from Marvel Comic’s “Thor:” A crafty, humanoid alien with both a tragic backstory and a “good” motive for his behavior, Loki is obviously the perfect villain. Manipulative, insecure, a bit irrational… what’s not to appreciate? Backstory: Loki, born on the alien planet of Asgard, was adopted, and also a frost giant‒aka, monster. Throughout his childhood into adolescence, he always felt that his adoptive father‒(not to mention all of the Asgardian people)‒preferred Thor, his stronger adoptive brother, which fed into his development with bitterness and jealousy. Motive: His motive was mostly insecurities‒he wanted to prove that he could be just as good as Thor, and that he was just as powerful. He also wanted revenge on everyone who saw him as “lesser.” So he went for world domination of Earth. Nice move. James Moriarty, from BBC’s miniseries, “Sherlock:” A cunning mastermind; manipulative and ruthless, Moriarty is a psychopath. (Or a sociopath, actually. I did my research.) He is the sworn arch nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, and they have many run-ins on the show‒the kind that leave you chilled to the bone because he is SO smart, and he uses his intelligence in the most mind-bogglingly cruel ways. Backstory: It seems to be implied that Moriarty is rich, or at least somewhat well-to-do, as he has grand tastes and is very intellectual, but not really any backstory is provided for this character. (Which implies to me that he has very little backstory involving itself in his behaviors‒that he perhaps decided to become a criminal mastermind on a whim, and realized that he liked it.) Motive: He doesn’t seem to have much motive, except to prove that he is smarter than Sherlock Holmes, and capable of efficiently killing people and all-around breaking the law. Which is, in itself, disturbing. He is as disgustingly heartless as he is just because he’s parading his twisted, evil ego. So, with all of that said, I realize that I haven’t provided a female villain. It’s because the world of film and literature is very deprived of good female villains! That should give you ideas‒maybe your future novel could have a completely scary villainess? *hint, hint* (I’d totally read that.) Appearance‒This one is important, but villains don’t necessarily have to “look” scary. They can look any way that you decide they should. I have watched and read several stories where the villain was gorgeous, and that was one of the things that made them so frightening. In other stories, there’s one or two things that makes them scary, such as a hand grotesquely twisted in a childhood accident, or a long scar from an operation that did nothing but make their condition worse. That is all fine and good, but I personally have very little patience with “dark dark dark dark” villains‒I’m sure you know the type. The polar opposite of the “Mary Jane” character, and they can be just as much of a turn-off to read. So please, don’t make your villains just “DARK”. Make them fascinating in a way that it disturbs the reader‒and possibly the protagonist‒to be fascinated by them. That in itself will make them truly dark. The Joker: As I said earlier, as part of his backstory, he fell into a vat of chemicals and was grotesquely disfigured‒his skin was bleached, his hair turned green, and his mouth became fixed in a perpetual grin. His voice in that movie was generally calm, and kind of raspy, with a laugh caught between the syllables. It made it creepy. (Voices are important, guys. But please be careful not to overdo it.) Loki: Now, this fellow isn’t hard on the eyes at all, but that isn’t what we’re talking about here. *clears throat* Loki’s appearance contributes to his character in a different way from the Joker’s. Instead of just being scary, it’s the devilish look he gets in his eyes, and the way his mouth seems to be always turning up in a smirk. And his walk is always very cool and collected, even if he’s walking up to an armed enemy. So, to put it straight, his presence is intimidating. James Moriarty: Moriarty has always seemed very kind of creepy to me. Maybe it’s the way he laughs when he’s outsmarting someone, maybe it’s the way he smiles when it seems like he has no way of escaping, but somehow or another, the dude always sets me on edge. And his voice is like a contradiction. It’s kind of whiny and high most of the time, but his words are almost always murderous. So overall, Moriarty is just plain creepy in all areas of his existence. (Especially in the BBC miniseries.) Other‒ There is always something extra in a good villain. (Good villain… oxymorons, anyone? ;D) That something could be anything‒a fetish, a quirk, an odd habit, a strange fascination… you name it! Find something that disturbs you, personally, and weave that thing and the feelings attached into your story. Your villain should give you the shivers, not just your readers! So remember, guys, details. The depth is in the little things. I think that if you follow this set of guidelines‒the 1>2>3 equation, as I’m calling it‒your villains should be fantastically authentic. (Authenticity should have been my middle name. I love it so much.) Maybe they’ll be what will make your books a bestseller, or maybe they’ll be why your beta readers don’t sleep at night. *shrugs* And with that, I’m out. You are completely amazing, and good luck writing your villains! =D ~Alyssa P.S. Dear Beta Readers, It is not my goal that you don’t sleep at night. I used that as an example, and in no way do I wish any of you harm. ;) Love, Someone-who-adores-the people-who-put-up-with-rough-drafts

The end of the school year can be chaotic, so keeping students engaged and having fun is incredibly important. I have used the project detailed here every year I've taught and it never fails to keep students loving their school work and writing until the very end.