You have something amazing to say; just start writing – Episode 32

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Like with all things in life, to be successful at something, you have to start doing it.

This episode features three talented educators, who also happen to be published authors. Dionne Joseph, Kellee Moye and Whitney Norton share their love of reading and how they use their passion to inspire students.

All three guests recommend people “just start writing.” It’s easy to have ideas in your head, but if you want to get the idea out there, you have to write down all of your ideas. You can hash out the order and importance later, but if you don’t get it written you can’t share it with others.

Also, remember not to fall in love with your first draft. Writing is a process. Editors are going to provide feedback (that’s their job) and the writer will need to make revisions (that’s the writer’s job). This can be difficult for young writers, but it is a good skill to master.

We hope you’ll listen to this episode and feel as inspired as we did.

(If you’re an OCPS teacher and published author, let us know. Type your name and book title in the comments section. We’d love to add you to our list of potential guests.)

MEET THE GUESTS (This episode was recorded Dec. 16, 2020)

Dionne Joseph (formerly Blackmon Dumas) wrote Lola Pitts’ Green Eggs and Grits. She in her 14th year teaching VPK at Hungerford Elementary and is a proud graduate of Maynard Evans HS and the University of Central Florida. She earned her Master’s in Teaching degree from Belhaven University.

Kellee Moye is a Media Specialist at Hunter’s Creek Middle. She has a passion for helping young readers discover the magic of reading. In addition to writing for her blog, Unleashing Readers, Kellee co-wrote “What’s wrong with assigning books – and kids – reading levels,” for the Washington Post and contributed to a professional development book, Teaching Reading with YA Literature: Complex Texts, Complex Lives. Kellee also contributed to another professional development book that is set to publish in 2021.

Whitney Norton is a journalism and debate teacher at Winter Park High School. Whitney’s first novel, The Amedun (Tales of a Light Keeper), is volume 1 of a planned trilogy. The urban fantasy features angels and the battle of good versus evil.

Host Sara Au is also a published author. She’s co-written two books: Stress-Free Potty Training: A Commonsense Guide to Finding the Right Approach for Your Child and Stress-Free Discipline: Simple Strategies for Handling Common Behavior Problems. Plus, she’s a contributing writer to Psychology Today with her Finding Positivity blog.