VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Sometimes classified as a genre of its own, creative nonfiction writing is actually an umbrella term that includes a variety of writing types. The unifying characteristic of the styles of writing that make up creative nonfiction is that while the writer deals with actual events rather than invented events, the writer uses techniques of fiction and poetry writers. Some of the types of written works that fall under the category of creative nonfiction are personal essays, memoirs, meditations, cultural commentary, nature journaling, and travel writing. Often nonfiction writing becomes dry as it deals with facts, or boring as it explains processes. By injecting a little creative life into these nonfiction written works, the writer can hold the interest of the reader and offer them a little entertainment along with information. To capture the essence of creative nonfiction, it is important to write with a sense of "I." Even if the article is told in third person

Join V.S. Grenier and Marsha Casper Cook on December 5 at 1PM EST 12 NOON CST - 11 AM MT -10 AM PST for a special edition of World Of Ink Network as they welcome Emma Dryden. Also on the show and part of the discussion will Jan Britland. This is one show every children's writer should listen to. Emma has an incredible resume. Before she graduated college she landed an internship as a “jack of all trades” assistant at Viking Children’s Books and once she earned her B.A in English Language and Literature from Smith, she became an Editorial Assistant at Random House Children’s Books. She was then hired as Associate Editor for the legendary Margaret K. McElderry, whose imprint was part of Macmillan Children’s Books, and was later named Senior Editor of the imprint and was then made Vice President, Editorial Director, and in 2005 I became Vice President, Publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Margaret K. McElderry Books, imprints of Simon & Schuster Childr

For Immediate Release Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network Show: Stories for Children with hosts VS Grenier, Kris Quinn Christopherson and Irene Roth will be chatting with debut Tal Yanai about his book, Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store on August 15, 2011. Tal Yanai was not happy with his reality as a child and teen. What he was creating in his life was not in alignment with what he wanted in his heart or what he knew and deeply felt was possible. In tenth grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, which explained his learning difficulties but it did little to ease his frustration with himself and his everyday struggles. Today, Tal teaches Hebrew and Judaic Studies in Temple Beth Hillel in the San Fernando Valley as he continues his quest to explore the meaning of soul and achieve his full potential as a spiritual teacher. In a world driven by instant gratification comes a gem of a book full of wisdom, couched in simple language and written from the hear

In his debut book, Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store , Yanai encourages teens to become more aware of how their actions affects themselves and others. By exposing them to the simple truths of spirituality, and the beauty and love of a higher power, Yanai hopes readers will find new direction and purpose in a world filled with instant everything. After reading Life Is Not a Candy Store , Yanai has done what he has set out to do. I was impressed with how much of him shows through on the page. His book truly is a labor of love. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this gem of a book full of wisdom. Although the content is geared toward teenagers, it will equally appeal to adults. The combination of spoken truths and humor makes it easily accessible, and encourages readers to go back and reread. Anyone living by this philosophy can do no harm and will radiate the light of gentleness, kindness and peace. Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store.

It's said that a problem or premise can be viewed from two distinctive points of view -- the observer viewpoint and the merged viewpoint. Today's creativity method focuses on the second viewpoint. The merged viewpoint occurs when you become the object of the observation. You become the subject of your observation, and you observe from the point of view of your subject. This is referred to as projective identification. Projective identification can be purely fantasy: What's it like to be a potato about to become French fries? How does it feel like to be a gum stuck in a shoe? Imagine what it's like to be an ink cartridge. Or it can be empathetic: Seeing the situation through a laborer's eyes Getting inside the skin of an AIDS victim Being in the shoes of a chronically depressed person For your creative activity today, write 2 short texts (100-200 words) using projective identification for the following: Fantasy: What's it like to be a picture frame

I don’t know about other writers with kids at home, but I’m ready for school to start. Trying to get anything done lately has been well…let’s just say, my personal writing and blogging is taking a very big backseat to everything else.  It’s funny because the reason I started this blog was to 1) get myself writing again after having my baby girl over a year ago and 2) share with all of you who write with kids at home that you’re not alone in trying to balance it all. So here, I am writing about how I am having trouble with the balancing act this summer. The irony of it all. Well it’s not as if I thought I was perfect. Heck, I laugh half the time and cry the other half when I get emails from fellow writers commenting, “Virginia, you amaze me. I just don’t know how you do it all.” In truth…neither do I. I do have to say I am lucky to have the support of many fellow writers, known as the SFC Team, helping me out. I also have partnered with some great writers as well. They give me support