Build a better world this summer, one story at a time

When I wrote about the Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge of the Dallas Public Library system earlier this week, readers in surrounding cities may have felt left out. So, here’s some good news about summer literary activities for young people, no matter where they live.

artist: Matthias Zimmermann

Since I have family members in Richardson, I’ve long been familiar with the wonderful programs offered by the Richardson Public Library, from toddler story times to advanced activities for teens and adults.

A couple of offerings in Richardson this summer have grandkids Gabe and Alex particularly buzzing, including the Writer’s World Building Workshop, June 24, 2-4 p.m., taught by Polly Holyoke, author of the Bluebonnet-nominated The Neptune Project and The Neptune Challenge. Holyoke will offer practical tips to help build vivid new worlds in their own fantasy and science fiction writing.

Adult writers (like me) have paid to take classes on world building, but this one is free for writers ages 10-18 years. Registration required, at the Youth Services Help Desk at the library, 400 Civic Center Drive in Richardson, or by calling 972-744-4358. I called to be sure and – there’s no residency or library card requirement for this!

Also on the boys’ to-do list is the Young Authors class taught by children’s author Nancy Churnin (The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game) on Friday mornings from June 16 – August 4 (no class July 7). The boys have been writing and illustrating their own miniature comic books for years.

It helps that their dad is an illustrator and graphic designer. Still, Churnin’s help with writing strategies, illustration techniques, page layout and more, is a huge boost. Participants have a chance to write and illustrate a picture book to add to the library’s collection. How’s that for becoming a published author is just seven weeks? (Maybe dad will take the hint and get started on that picture book he keeps talking about. . . )

The classes are available to Richardson residents entering grades 5-9 this fall. Free, but this one requires registration and a valid Richardson library card (if you need more incentive to get kids their own library cards). Call 972-744-4358 or stop by the Youth Services Help Desk at the library to register.

Other free, no residency required summer offerings from the Richardson Library include 3D printing & Tinkercad (ages 13 and up), introduction to LinkedIn (teens and adults), and a 3D printing contest with separate categories for ages 7 through adult. And more. See the library site for details.

***

Texas-based Half  Price Books  also joins the summer readathons with its Feed Your Brain summer reading program for kids in preschool through high school. Reading 15 minutes a day (during June and July earns Bookworm Bucks (good for in-store credit) for ages 14 and under. (Adults may read aloud to kids still learning to read.)

For teens, there’s a Feed Your Brain Summer Reading #BOOKBINGE. Read HPB’s recommended Penguin Teen titles and write a short review to earn your own Bookwork Bucks. See the site for details.

***

The Richardson Library programs mentioned here and the Dallas Library’s reading challenge are just the iceberg tip of what’s available at local libraries this summer. Find, read, share and enjoy! 

Wordcraft -- Kittens, couture & tech for non-techies

Things I learned from tech geek James Gaskin: easiest password technique ever, why every writer needs a kitten, and that Hawaiian-style shirts know no season.

I already knew about Hawaiian shirts from watching Gaskin man the audio system at the monthly meetings of the Southwester chapter of Mystery Writers of America. But I didn’t learn the technique that will make me throw away my scribbled stash of passwords until I heard him speak at the recent meeting of the Writers Guild of Texas.

It was part of the wisdom Gaskin disbursed in his “Technology for Writers: Tips, Tools, and Tricks to Produce and Promote Your Words” program for the WGT audience gathered at the Richardson, Texas, library.

In between working his day job, Technical Solutions for Small Business, Gaskin writes (his latest books are Texas Hysterical Society and Email From A Dead Friend), and delivers his signature deadpan humor.

“Somebody once asked me for my best writing advice in a word,” Gaskin said, opening his talk. “I thought¾ ‘Finish’! So thanks for having me, it’s been a pleasure.”

Seriously, he stayed to offer a simple tip for constructing passwords, which have morphed into pass phrases. “The trick today is to have a different password for every site.” Unfortunately, most of us find this so daunting we use the same passwords for multiple sites, or succumb to jotting them down, or to trusting management of our dozens of passwords to online sites. Gaskin’s formula: “I have four numbers that mean something to me, then I have something (alpha) in the middle that means something to me, then another four numbers and a special character,” for example, “1234WGT5678!”. Or “1234MWA5678!”

Tempted to use your birthday for the numbers? Think again. As Gaskin said, “Nobody on the Internet deserves the truth from me. When I’m asked what my birthday is on the Internet, it’s not my real birthday.”

But how often do you change your passwords, an audience member asked. Gaskin’s answer: “I don’t, because I know the people who stole a password at Target don’t have my password for the Writers Guild.”

There was, of course, much more technical know how (we stayed until the library’s PA system warned it was about to close), but you’ll have to contact Gaskin at www.gaskin.com for the full accounting and his list of helpful writing, organizing and editing software. I only have space now for his words of wisdom about kittens: get one. But first, get a blog.

And then, “Write this on your hand,” Gaskin said. “Never post a blog without an image. And if you can put a picture of a kitten on your blog, do it! I got a kitten, just for pictures.”

The illustration is of, yes, the real James Gaskin (in the marvelous shirt) with a crowd of admirers. Now if I could only manage to squeeze in a kitten¼

***

Totallyunrelated useful bytes: Oops, I goofed on the dates for the Dallas Public Library’s expansion of Sunday-Monday hours. New hours for the Audelia Road, Dallas West, North Oak Cliff, Oak Lawn, Paul Laurence Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest, and Preston Royal branches will begin Monday, April 6. All library branches will be closed April 5 for Easter.

And this coming Saturday, February 7, my friend Kathleen Rodgers launches her latest novel, Johnnie Come Lately, at Barnes & Noble, Southlake, TX, from 2-4pm. Kathleen will sign copies of the 2nd edition of her earlier novel, The Final Salute. Both books will be shelved under "New Fiction" and both are available at B & N online.