For Writers

Maps

By on July 13, 2020   /   Articles, For Kids, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Homeschool Resource, Writing  

When I was a wee lad (5’ 11”, 210 lb.), back in my junior year of high school, we took one of those classic tests designed to magically deduce one’s most likely path to career and life success. My 55-year-old self can’t recall a single question from the test now. In fact, most of the memory from this event consists of filling in the ovals (completely) on the answer sheet (in #2 pencil) and the resultant career of choice subsequently handed down by the gods of career aptitude.

First, I do recall that, as a kid who liked to draw, I took great pride in filling out my answer sheet ovals. They were always impeccable, even if the answers were dead wrong. Second, in the haze of time passed, I recall meeting with my guidance counselor to go over my now clarified path to a well-lived life. The result?

Cartographer.

Yes, that is what the computer algorithm decided my career should be. A quick check of the dictionary told me I should be a maker of maps. The gods of career aptitude must have a sense of humor, right?

When I broke the cartographer news to the family at the dinner table that night, my brothers and sister rolled to the kitchen floor in uncontrollable laughter. My ever-supportive mother gave an enthusiastic “How nice.”, while my civil engineer dad responded,  “A mapmaker? Hmmm…that’s different. So how are you going to make a living then?”

Even though I love maps, I did not become a cartographer. My collection of National Geographic maps handed down from my dad is one of my favorite treasures. Books with maps, both fiction, and nonfiction, line my bookshelves. Eventually, I became a molecular microbiologist, a writer, and a sports coach, not a cartographer. For years, I’ve always wondered about that career aptitude test and how it could have been so wrong.

A few years ago, though, I realized the computer wasn’t wrong at all. The testing algorithm rocked it. Maps are an integral part of everything I am and do. From mapping molecular processes in infectious diseases to mapping stories and illustrations to mapping out sports practices and gameplans. Turns out, I’m a cartographer through and through.

Maps, at their very core function, are tools to give us direction. A map can be a tool to help a hiker get from the parking lot to the mountain vista and safely back to the parking lot. Maps can help a writer build the foundation of the story they want to tell. They can also be tools to help worldbuilding (think J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth) or be used as a plot device (think HP’s Marauder’s Map).

In short, don’t short the value of maps in any aspect of your life. They are especially valuable tools to have in your writing toolbox to help turn those story ideas wandering aimlessly in the desert into an actual fully-fleshed oasis of stories. 

Below are some of my favorite maps I use in my life as a scientist, a writer, and a coach.

Science Maps

Writing Maps

Sports Coaching Maps

  • Football scouting and game planning – A coach scouts the opponent by mapping out what the opponent has done previously. It takes a lot of work and most colleges and professional organizations dedicate many manhours toward this endeavor.
  • Baseball spray chart maps – I love to keep baseball hitter spray charts. First, like scoring a game, it keeps one mentally sharp during the course of a baseball game. Second, it allows a coach the data to better position his defenders in the field. 

Your MUF July 2020 Aptitude Test questions are below. Please use a #2 pencil and fill out any oval shapes or other doodles completely. The gods of middle grade thank you.

  1. What are your favorite middle grade books which contain maps? 
  2. What are some middle grade books you wish would have had maps?
  3. How do you use maps as tools in your own life? 
  4. How do you use maps as a writer or a reader?

Have a great summer! No matter how crazy 2020 is going for you, here’s hoping you have a reliable map to help navigate your way to the other side.

Stay safe. Be kind. Make good things.

 

Back to Top

Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors Tour

By on July 6, 2020   /   For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers  

We’re thrilled to offer tons of helpful posts for everyone each month…and I’d love to take you on a tour of our site to make sure you aren’t missing out on any of our features.

*Are you looking for great new books to read? Toward the beginning of each month, we have a new release list to help you discover some must-read books. Here’s the post from July and this is the one for June. We also feature author interviews throughout the month, and many of them have a book giveaway (often signed by the author)!

*If you’re looking for interesting activities…these are great for teachers and parents to share with children and were added to help out during Covid-19.

*We have fantastic resources for teachers and librarians.

*Here are great resources for parents.

*We have lots of fun and helpful resources for kids, too.

*We love sharing unique book lists! Here’s a link to our diverse book lists that post toward the middle of each month.

*STEM Tuesday is packed with helpful posts…and lots of fun giveaways, too!

*Did you know that we have an agent/editor spotlight toward the end of each month? They’re packed with helpful info. You can enjoy them here.

*Here’s tons of helpful info for writers!

*If you’re wondering who writes all of these blog posts…here’s our current Mixed-Up Files team.

We love chatting about middle-grade books! We hope you’ll join in our discussions on our blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

If you love middle-grade books as much as we do and would like to join our Mixed-Up Files blog, check out this post with all the information you’ll need. We hope to hear from you!

Back to Top

Capturing Past Summer Memories: A writing activity for writers of all ages

By on June 26, 2020   /   For Writers  

This summer is like no other. So many fun activities we normally do aren’t even an option this year. Since the places we can go are limited, let’s take the time to reflect on past summer experiences (and add a twist!). These writing prompts are designed for adult and young writers alike.

Part I
I have so many wonderful summer memories: neighborhood block parties with water balloon fights, going to the amusement park and riding roller coasters, and [sob!] hanging out at the pool for hours. These memories that are so important to me aren’t written down anywhere, although I never want to forget them. It’s time to get them down on paper!

The summer prompts below serve several different purposes:

  1. To capture the memories for our own sakes.
  2. To enjoy reflecting on activities you may not be able to do this year.
  3. To serve as a writing exercise to get the creative juices flowing.

Here are some prompts to consider. Choose to write on as many topics as you want, but focus on one at a time. Really dig deep to remember the specifics of your past experience. Be sure to add sensory details (sounds, tastes, etc.)!

Vacation:

What was your favorite trip? Who went? What kind of transportation did you use to get there? What did you enjoy doing? What was some
thing you didn’t enjoy doing? What souvenirs did you get?

Swimming:
Where did you go to swim? Who did you go with? What did you do there? What was your favorite thing to buy at the concession stand? What’s the funniest thing that happened to you? What’s the bravest thing you did? Did you play any games in the water?

Summer Camp:
Where did you go? What were your favorite activities? Did you stay overnight? Who was in your cabin? Did you make any new friends? What was your favorite camp food? What was your least favorite?  What’s the funniest thing that happened to you? Did anything scary happen? What’s the bravest thing you did? Were you homesick?

Neighborhood:
What did you do in your neighborhood? With whom? Did you go to a nearby playground? What did you do there? Did you ever play games after it was dark out? How did you get around (walk, skateboard, bike)?

Amusement Park:
Where did you like to go? Who did you go with? What were some of your favorite rides? How did you feel when you were finally tall enough for the “big” rides? Were there rides you were afraid to go on? What else did you do at the park?

Beach:
What beach did you visit? How long did it take you to get there? Who did you go with? What did you do there? Did you bring a picnic lunch? Did you go in the water? What was the most impressive thing you built out of sand? What was the neatest or most unusual thing you saw there?

Rainy Day:
What did you usually do on rainy days? Did you go somewhere or stay in? Where did you go? Did you ever build anything? Did you play any games? Did a friend come over?

Add Your Own:
What other activity do you normally do in the summer that you won’t be able to do this year? What did you like about it? Who did you enjoy doing it with? Was there something you did that you thought you wouldn’t like, but did?

Part II
Now if you want to “create” a new summer experience, go one step further and…mash it up!

Turn one of your summer experiences into…

  • a fantasy adventure! Add a mythical creature or a superpower. Create a villain like no other to ruin your summer. Or come up with something (or someone) supernatural to save it.
  • science fiction! Have the amusement park exist on Mars or a distant planet. Invent new technology that makes summer camp even more fun.
  • a comic strip! Show an experience through panels. Invent dialogue.
  • a picture book! Split your text into pages and add illustrations (note: you don’t need to be a professional artist to do art! Drawing stick figures or even cutting images out of old magazines will do!).
  • a poem! Try capturing one of your memories in verse.

Part III
Store your memories somewhere safe to reflect on them again in the future. Maybe you want to create a time capsule with the whole family’s memories in it. If you plan to bury it outside, roll up the papers tightly, tape them to stay rolled, and slide them into a clean, dry, empty (wide-mouthed) plastic bottle to rediscover years later. (Note: you may have to cut the paper first so that it will fit in the bottle.)

Hopefully next summer we will return to our usual activities. But in the meantime, enjoy remembering the good old days of past summers past!

Please share your own favorite summer memory in the comments below.

Back to Top