Energetic Author Encourages Imagination in Briarcliff

From Syntax:

Briarcliff Manor third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students offered topic proposals like engineers, golfers, pizza and endocrinologists for future book ideas to middle grade and young adult author Janet Tashjian during her visit to Todd Elementary School on Nov. 1.

Tashjian, a Los Angeles-based writer who was welcomed to Todd through the PTA, is the author of the “My Life as a...” series and was happy to hear students’ ideas for future books in the series.

“Part of my job is to make stuff up…and the other part is structure,” Tashjian shared, comparing the “structure” portion of her job to games like Minecraft and Legos. “I start all my books by asking, ‘What if?’”
Tashjian encouraged the students to practice writing every day, extract ideas from their own lives and continuously edit their work. “Writing is rewriting,” she said.

Photos courtesy of Todd Elementary School