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Gotham FacultySTEPS TOWARDSFINDING YOURINNER CHILD ONTHE PAGEFaculty InsightBY MARGARET M EACHAM“Childhood is another country.”—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,The Little PrinceEven if you haven’t been a childfor decades, if you want to writechildren’s books, you need to finda way to see the world throughyour child characters’ eyes, minds,and hearts. You need to rememberwhat it’s like to be a kid, to find apassport to that other country.How does an adult writer createrealistic child and teenagecharacters? Here are some waysof thinking like a kid—plus someexercises to help you practice.Wonder why and ask what if.Kids are curious. They don’t know asmuch as adults, but they desperatelywant to know about and understandthe world, and because they don’tcome with preconceived notions,they are much more able to question,imagine things differently, and seeother possibilities.A child might ask “Why does it getdark at night?” An adult wouldexplain that it’s about the earthspinning. The child might then think,but what if it didn’t? Or what if theearth slowed down? Sped up?A child might ask, “Why is theregravity?” An adult would explainthat it’s because of the pull of themoon. The child might then think,what if something shifts, and there’smuch less gravity? Or much more?Practice:Play your own “what if?” game.Make up 10 what if questions andthink about possible outcomes.Next time you’re with a kid, listento his or her questions. What dothey wonder about? What do theyimagine? How do they see thingsdifferently?Read, watch, play.Though many aspects of childhoodare the same as they were whenyou were a kid, and even when yourgrandma was a kid, a lot of thingsare different. To understand theworld of children today, immerseyourself in their culture. Read thebooks they are reading, watch theshows they’re watching, play thegames they’re playing.Practice:Talk to at least three kids abouttheir favorite books, TV shows,games. Read the books, watch theshows, play the games—preferablywith the kids.Remember.Understanding today’s kids isimportant, but if you are to reallyget inside your child characters,you also want to remember yourown childhood. You were thereonce yourself. You passed throughevery age of childhood, and thereare probably a lot more memoriesof those days buried in yoursubconscious mind than you realize.Here are some methods for bringingthose memories to the surface: Look at old photographs and homemovies. Talk to people you knew back inthe day, reliving old times. Reread old letters, journals, diaries,school projects. Research what was going on inthe world when you were a child—politics, local news, culture. Listen to the music you listenedto back then. Ruminate—think about past lifeevents in a relaxed and meditativestate.Practice:Ask yourself: What was one thingyou really wanted when you were achild that you couldn’t have?Faculty ProfileBY ST UART PE NNE BAKE R“I don't think that you should let somebody else tellyou what your writing career looks like,” Gothamteacher and multi-hyphenate Lara Ewen says. Asthe former editor in chief of a fashion magazine,a journalist who has worked with publicationsincluding Women's Wear Daily and Rolling Stone,and a musician who’s released three albums, Larahas much to say about a creative career in thewriting world.Lara’s writing career began at Boston Universitywhere she studied poetry. This was also whereshe received her first assignment as a fashionjournalist:“I was working at a vintage clothing store, becauseclothing is awesome,” Lara says, “and a friend ofmine, who was working at the college newspaper,says something along the lines of, so you're like, awriter, right? And you understand, like, fashionGOTH AMWRI T E RS .COMCan you remember the first time youwere away from home overnight?What was it like?Do you remember the first time yourealized someone had lied to you?Who was it? Why did they lie? Howdid you feel? What did you do?I was able to develop a character for anovel I had been working on, which isnow due for publication in August.— Roxann King-Feuerman, writerFinally, before you write, practicebeing a kid. It will help your writing,and more than that, it will keep youyoung. As playwright Tom Stoppardsaid, “If you carry your childhoodwith you, you’ll never grow old.”Gotham gives studentsboth craft and confidence.Margaret Meacham has publishedmany books for children, includingOyster Moon and A Mid-SemesterNight’s DreamSEE MORE FACULTYARTICLES AND PROFILESON OUR WEBSITE.— Will Pharis, theater teacher/directorWhat was the thing that scared youthe most as a child? Did you get overthis fear? How?What is the bravest thing you’ve everdone? What was the meanest?Following her first foray into fashion journalism,Lara began covering fashion for a local newspaperin Boston and then LA, where she also worked asa film critic. Lara applied her sense of humor andperspective to these assignments, as well:LARA EWENWhat is the best holiday or birthdayyou can remember? What is thesaddest? Why?What is the worst fight you ever had?Who was it with? What about?and stuff? And I was like, I suppose ” Lara foundherself in Boston reporting on a fashion show.Photo byAnna AzarovOf what are you most proud? Mostashamed?Student Voices“Everybody wanted to go see the best moviesso they could write these sweeping wonderfulreviews I was always like, no, send me to the oneyou know you have to review that nobody wantsto go see. Which is how, you know, my absolutelystunning review of Timecop came to exist.”Lara then relocated to Williamsburg whereshe worked as the editor in chief of a fashionmagazine that focused on trade:“I was writing about the business of it—so textiles,and how different denim mills were working onfashion or, you know, what was happening in thestreetwear industry.”She also co-authored The Girlshop Guide to NYC, ashopping guide to New York City:“These were our favorite very, very, very handpicked stores we were never trying to becomprehensive. It was never about that. It wasn'tlike I’m going to list every bar in New York City.I’m just going to tell you about the three bars thatI think are cool.”libraries are working to provide free periodproducts across the country,” Lara says. “Ilove talking to people who are trying to makea positive change in the world, but also thentalking to people who are like, yeah, but here'swhy that's a problem I want, if somebody readsthis, to understand the entirety of the issue, tounderstand that it turns out that period productsaren't free because men don't understand periodsand men are in charge of almost all the fundingeverywhere in libraries, in the government.”The class changed me personally. Giving methe courage to write, to share my writing, andto be open to feedback. I have never felt so seen!— Ramona Sidlo, wellness coach & astrologerLara’s journalistic interests and publications arewide, but she does not limit herself to a singleform of writing. “I’ve been writing songs for aslong as I’ve been alive,” Lara says.She is also the talent booker for the Free MusicFridays series at the American Folk Art Museum,which has featured musicians such as MarcDelgado and Lizzie No.As a teacher, Lara highlights the importance ofinclusivity in her classroom:A place to go to learn fromother kindred spirits.“I think that you can't do journalism unlessyou understand the world a little bit, and sofor instance, it's important to have students'perspectives from places that aren't just the city,places that aren't just the United States,” saysLara, reflecting on the shift from in-person classesto Zoom. “We should be making this as accessibleas possible. And I think Zoom is a great step.”— Karen Z. Waltensperger, international health advisorLara continues her work as a journalist now. Sheis a regular contributor for American LibrariesMagazine where she investigates issues that affectsociety:“I just filed a story for American Libraries aboutperiod equity and period poverty and howtwitter Facebook instagram LinkedIn @GOT HAM W RI T ERSCO N TACT @GOT HAMW RI T ERS .CO M2 12 – 974 – 837 7

CommunitySUMMER CONTESTTemperaturesRisingWRITE-INS (FREE)We offer free Write-Ins most every Fridayon Zoom, at 2 and 6:30 pm Eastern Time.Here’s what happens. The teacher gives an interestingwriting prompt. Everyone writes for a while. Then,those who want to read aloud their work. We take abreak and socialize (bring refreshments). Then you gothrough the process one more time. It’s writer’s heaven.You must sign up in advance. Spaces open everyThursday afternoon for the following day’s Write-In.GOTHAMWRITERS.COM/WRITEINI N S I D E W R I T I N G TA L K S H O W ( F R E E )We offer a free talk show on Zoom, most everyWednesday at 5 pm Eastern Time. It’s called Inside Writing.Every episode, the host and guests (writers, agents, editors)discuss the inside scoop on publishing and writing.(Also available on YouTube and most podcast platforms.)Photo by Sharon McCutcheonYou must sign up in advance.Tell us a story about temperaturesrising, figuratively or literally.GOTHAMWRITERS.COM/INSIDESCHOLARSHIPS FOR WRITERS OF COLORPassion, obsession, lust, fever,climate change, anything you canconjure. It can be true or completelymade up. It might be a torrid noirromance or a treatise on making theperfect cup of tea. Anything goes, solong as it’s hot.You get 99 words or fewer.Did you know Gotham offers variousscholarships to writers of color?The writer that sets our pulse racingthe most wins a free Gotham class oftheir choosing.GOTHAMWRITERS.COM/SCHOLARSHIPSHere’s an example:Penn knew hot flashes were forwomen undergoing menopause. So,on her twenty-sixth birthday—whenshe found herself slumped over thedirty bathroom sink, staring hardinto the mirror, skin splotched andred, her heart beating all irregularlike a wounded deer running itsway back to the forest from the busyroad—she was struck. The warmthspread through her chest, knockingher down before she’d even had thechance to answer Grandma’s HappyBirthday-ladybug phone call. Slidingdown to the merciful cold tile, Penncontemplated her body, and what itmeant now.Emma StephensonFor competition rules and online entry form,— visit —G O T H A M W R I T E R S . C O M / T E M P E R AT U R EGOTH AMWRI T E RS .COMtwitter Facebook instagram LinkedIn @GOT HAM W RI T ERSCO N TACT @GOT HAMW RI T ERS .CO M2 12 – 974 – 837 7

Stories are, truly, everywhere—everyplace you look, everyone you meet,everything you experience. Every day isfilled with hundreds of potential storiesawaiting your imagination and craft.Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter at#GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true ormade up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, andthey should relate in some way to these monthly themes:JUNEJULYAUGUSTcampkid stuffdreamyAt the end of each month, we will pick our favorite andreward that person with a free Gotham writing class.Your story must be no longer than 25 words,with a max of 280 characters, including spaces andthe hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere.Everyone has a story. Especially you.GOTHAMWRITERS.COM212–974–8377twitter Facebook instagram LinkedIn

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the spirit of discovery and fellowship. We've been teaching creative writing . Pressure-free, creativity-stretching, not-like-school courses for writers ages 13-17. Useful for expanding