Yellow Pencils Goes to England!

Yellow Pencils is taking a vacation--or should I say holiday--to England! I'll be doing a 125-mile hike through the English countryside. 

While I walk, I'll be inspired by the country that produced William Shakespeare, Roald Dahl, E. Nesbit, Lewis Carroll, Philip Pullman, Charles Dickens, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and so many more writers. 

Of course, I'll keep my notebook tucked inside my backpack. Each day, I plan to write down and describe one unusual thing I see, hear, taste, touch, or smell. From stone fences and bleating sheep, to Treacle Tart and Bubble 'n Squeak, England will be a blast to my senses! 

At the end of my walk, I'll have 15 descriptions. I plan to match each description with a photo for my own personal writer's journal of my journey. 

Even if you're not traveling, try describing one unusual thing each day for the next two weeks. Can you discover things close to home that open your senses to new experiences? That's what travel does--and sometimes you don't even have to leave home. 

Yellow Pencils returns October 2nd. Cheerio!  

Back to School!

Good luck to all of you heading back to school this week. I hope you have a fun, fabulous, and fantastic year!  

With sports, homework, and friends, it can be hard to find time to write during the school year. If you want to keep up your personal creative writing, try writing for 15 minutes a day. I wrote about that here. 

What to write about when you start school? Try these ideas for a 15-Minute Story: 

• The Cafeteria Lady Who Was an Alien
• The Teacher Who Vanished
• The Principal Who Turned into a Woolly Mammoth
• The Librarian Who Got Swallowed Up by a Book

Remember, 15 minutes a day. That's less time than it takes to watch a TV show, walk the dog, or find your homework in your backpack.

Happy school year and happy writing!