IT’S ALL ABOUT – BEING GRATEFUL IN NOVEMBER

This month, I will celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. Here are a few ways to include gratitude in your writing in November and throughout the year.

1) At every Thanksgiving holiday dinner, I pass around stones and markers to each guest. Each person writes a word or phrase detailing what they are grateful for. This year, I will think about my words, and perhaps try to incorporate some of my feelings of thanks into my manuscripts.  

2) I am definitely thankful for my writing partners. They help guide me, critique my work, share in the ups and downs of the writing life, and generally provide support throughout this journey. This month, I will think about all my writing friends and hopefully become inspired to write a new story highlighting themes of friendship. 
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​3) I am always thankful for my family. This year, I will write notes of thanks to my family, reminiscing about special times we have shared over the past twelve months. I hope that these memories of vacations, adventures in nature and in cities, and just everyday moments will help spark some stories centering on family.  
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What are you grateful for this year? How can you incorporate some of the ideas above into your writing practice this month? Let me know in the comments. 

BIO:
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Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; and Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-author). Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-authored with Callie Lovvorn and Shirin Rahman, Illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing on November 1, 2022. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story judge, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle! 

CONNECT:  

https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog 
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
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https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com
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