Dear Writers,

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I was nervous before I started teaching Family of Writers this year. Usually, I teach one night per week, but this year, Family of Writers bumped up to three nights per week. Plus, the last time I taught in person was the end of February, 2020, right before the world shut down. Zoom uses a  different kind of energy. Frankly, I was worried about my stamina. 

But, magic happens when families gather to write and share stories. Writing with each and every one of you was exactly what I was supposed to be doing the last two months. After class, I’d come home and tell my husband and daughter that I wasn’t tired at all. It was the opposite. I was amped and excited. 

Seeing you huddle close with your beloved children is my favorite thing. To witness your expressions as you put words on the page and then share them with each other is an inspiring way to spend an evening. Then, when many of you picked up the microphone and shared your writing with the whole group, my heart burst because your beautiful words flowed into our community like a breath of fresh air. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming back to school when your dinner routines were rearranged, you needed to finish that last load of laundry, or simply collapse on the couch like a potato. Thank you for being amazing parents who do anything for your kids. 

Even though I’m the teacher at the front of the room, one of my favorite parts of teaching is learning from you. Your class evaluations are essential. Thank you for taking them seriously and giving me feedback that informs how I teach Family of Writers in the future. 

While I read and save every evaluation, I am only including comments mentioned repeatedly in this letter. Even if a comment is mentioned only once, please know that I make modifications to the class if I think it’s a great one. Without further ado, here are the highlights from the evaluations:

What did you learn about writing?

• It’s fun and enjoyable. 

• We need time to write.

• Writing under the influence of another writer is ok.

• It’s OK if a rough draft isn’t perfect the first time. 

• Writing is a way to express feelings. 

• Sharing writing aloud and giving positive feedback is important.

• With regard to writer’s craft, many of you learned:

• The importance of a lead.

• How to deepen meaning in your pieces.

• Meaning can be obvious or hidden.

• Different types of sentence structures.

• Different types of details.

• How to add a range of details.

What are your suggestions for improvement?

• Most of you wrote nothing needs to change. Thanks!

• More time to share pieces written during class. This was the second most popular suggestion.

• More assistance with editing and revision. 

• Regarding class logistics, here are the most common responses:

• Bring chair pads for those uncomfortable benches.

• More snacks.

• Make sure kids only put their names in the early bird drawing bag once. 

What’s your favorite part of Family of Writers?

• While snacks and the early bird drawing always make the list, some version of spending time with my child/parent was the most popular response. 

• Writing.

• Sharing.

• An encouraging environment.

• ME! Thank you very much.

If you look in my closet, you will see an almost overflowing bin filled with decades of Family of Writers evaluations. Over the years, the comments are consistently similar. 2023 Family of Writers evaluation comments match all the years that have come before you. Bottom line, while I am here to help your kids learn how to write well, I want to make it an enjoyable and encouraging experience. I want to create space for you to write together, share stories that keep you connected, and help you put words on the page forever. 

If you see me in the veggie section at Trader Joe’s, say, “Hello.” Tell me your latest story, writing challenge, or victory. I believe down to my bones that sharing and listening to stories is a deep expression of love. What an honor to bear witness to story-sharing families for so many years. I will always remember writing together.

Always writing,

Lorrie Tom

P.S. One last tidbit…The majority of you are not interested in an online version of the class. Kids seemed to feel more strongly about this than parents! Ya just can’t beat gathering humans together for some good ole face-to-face connection.