Montreal author, journalist and cegep prof Monique Polak spent the afternoon of January 11 at Bialik, talking to students about writing and giving them wonderful ideas about how to realize their stories. She made sure that each and every one in her Sec.2 audience wrote down all her tips for becoming a writer, and illustrated these with personal experiences from her writing life, such as how to pick up ideas for stories by eavesdropping - becoming a great listener is the first step to becoming a great storyteller. Working with a smaller group of students later in the Library, Monique spoke about how stories are transformed into novels, and how hard it is to get published when you are just starting out as an author. As the author of 12 books about young adults, (Miracleville, Junkyard Dog, What World Is Left, to name a few), Monique knows what it takes to be a writer. Monique's writing tips include the following:
- Write every day
- Read every day
- Listen to those around you because everyone has a story
- Writing is hard work
- Don't Give Up!!
Monique's memoir about her mother's experiences in Theriesenstadt is one of her favorites, and our students were very touched by the personal side of this story. When Monique took off the the small engraved scene, created by her grandfather, which her mother carried with her throughout the war, and which Monique now wears around her neck, we were all honored to hold it.
