Finding their author's voice

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

COEUR d’ALENE — For about five minutes, the only thing heard in a classroom full of fifth-graders was the sound of pencils racing across notebook paper.

Children's author Gary Hogg had challenged them to start a personal narrative using specific adjectives to add depth to their writing. Then, he told them, "think twice."

"We need to understand how important our author's voice is," he said Friday afternoon. "When you think twice, that's when you start to choose words that sound smart, choose words that have a rhythm, choose words that impress people."

He engaged them in a word exercise to explore descriptive language, calling on the Fernan STEM Academy students one by one — "shiny motorbike," "obnoxious Chihuahua," "silly hummingbird," "tasty trout." 

"That's where the secret is," he said. "It's in that 'thinking twice.'"

Hogg, of Huntsville, Utah, visited Fernan Thursday and Friday to inspire students to become better writers through workshops focused on "Finding Author's Voice."

And inspired they were.

"I like how he spent time here and taught me how to write and add new words," said fifth-grader Daniel Johns.

Scarlett Day wrote her personal narrative about when she got a new cat. She said she was happy Hogg came to their school, especially knowing how busy he must be.

"He could be signing books and printing books, but instead he decided to spend his time with us," she said.

Luci Dishman wrote about Christmas morning. She took something else away from Hogg’s presentation.

"Always respect your teachers throughout your entire life, even in college,” she said.

Daniel Vincent wrote about his first time going to the Caribbean.

“What’s going to stick with me is that he pretty much gave me a message that said I can add better words than I have," he said.

Shea Andrews said she had fun writing a personal narrative for her first time.

"The one thing that I learned was that I didn't know we could become a better author if we tried writing something about ourselves," she said. "I dedicated it to my dad because he comes home (Friday) because he works all week in Seattle."

Hogg was one of the featured authors who spoke during the school's author series last year. Title I reading specialist Shelby Randklev was happy he returned.

"He has a really interactive writer’s workshop, which is why I was intrigued to bring him back,” she said. “What I love about him is he challenges kids to ‘pull their brave card,’ which is when things are difficult and things get hard, you pull that 'brave card' and you do it anyway."

Hogg's visit was funded by a grant Randklev received from the EXCEL Foundation, a nonprofit community organization that grants funds to Coeur d'Alene teachers for innovative projects.

Randklev said she welcomes authors to Fernan to encourage students to become writers "and really, thinkers.”

"We’re trying to build up that excitement and that eagerness from kids to grab that next book, to find that author that they love or a series that they love," she said. "Teachers are working really hard to find that exact moment or thing that will inspire a kid or launch them to that next level. By inviting an author in, it helps us dig deeper and grab those kids and move them forward."

For more about Hogg, visit www.garyhoggbooks.com.