December 2017 - Page 3 of 4 - A Brave Writer's Life in Brief A Brave Writer's Life in Brief
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A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Thoughts from my home to yours

Archive for December, 2017

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[Podcast] Be There: A Brave Role Model for Parents with Karen O’Connor

Podcast S3E13 Karen O'Connor

It’s with great pleasure that I introduce you to the person who has had the single greatest impact on me as a mother, role model, and writer. Of course, I’m talking about my mother, Karen O’Connor!

We had such a wonderful conversation on the season finale of the podcast—looking back at both my childhood and the way she shared the homeschooling task with me and my sister, and how she has grandparented our children.

Truly: this is a “DON’T MISS IT” episode! And stick around till the end. Her final bit of advice is GOLD!

My mom is the author over over 85 books, an intrepid hiker of mountains and coastlines, and an avid line dancer. She has consistently modeled self-care and personal growth to me for my entire life. She’s a popular national speaker who has helped thousands of women, in particular, find the strength to be the best versions of themselves. I can’t wait to share her with you!

Listen to the Podcast

Download the Show Notes

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Tune in to the Brave Writer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher (or your app of choice), and here on the Brave Writer blog.


Would you please post a review on Apple Podcasts for us?
Help a homeschooler like you find more joy in the journey. Thanks!

Posted in Podcasts | Comments Off on [Podcast] Be There: A Brave Role Model for Parents with Karen O’Connor

Friday Freewrite: Pizza

Friday Freewrite Pizza

If your personality were a pizza, what kind of toppings would it have? Explain your choices, and describe how the toppings might taste all together.

New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.

Posted in Friday Freewrite | Comments Off on Friday Freewrite: Pizza

The Brave Writer Lifestyle in 2018

2018 Brave Writer Lifestyle Calendar

Our Holiday Shoppe is open and we’re selling this lovely Brave Writer Lifestyle Calendar. It is MORE than a calendar however.

Here’s the fun part:

Each month of the calendar features a beautiful illustration which celebrates an aspect of the Brave Writer Lifestyle. Each month of the year, I’m going to partner with you in implementing that aspect of the lifestyle!

We’ll post on the blog, on Instagram, and in the Homeschool Alliance about that month’s theme (like copywork or poetry teatime or nature journaling). We’ll provide you with resources and ideas to implement the BWL theme. And I’ll likely share about the theme on Facebook Live too.

2018 Brave Writer Lifestyle CalendarThen you can share about what you did in your family (on Instagram, in the Alliance, etc.). #2018BWL

The calendar will give you a place to record your activities, which child did what, and to make plans for field trips etc.

Consider this a starter-year-kit for making the Brave Writer Lifestyle a natural part of your homeschool experience!

Can’t wait to go on this adventure with you!


Sign up here for FREE emails (once per month)
that will share free Brave Writer Lifestyle resources and tips!

Posted in Brave Writer Lifestyle, BW products | Comments Off on The Brave Writer Lifestyle in 2018

Movie Wednesday: The Tale of Despereaux

Movie Wednesday The Tale of Despereaux

The sunny kingdom of Dor is famous for its soups, the favorite food of the king and queen and their daughter Princess Pea. But everything changes when a rat called Roscuro falls into the queen’s soup in the middle of a banquet. The terrified queen dies of a heart attack, and the devastated king outlaws both rats and soup.

Dor becomes a dark and gloomy place, and Pea becomes very lonely… until she meets a talking mouse named Despereaux. He wants to be a hero. He is so brave that his family are worried about him. And he has very big ears indeed.

Pea and Despereaux become friends. Maybe together they can convince the king to let people cook soup again and make Dor a happy place once more. But if Despereaux’s family discover that he’s been talking to humans, he’ll be cast into the castle dungeons forever…


[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases,
Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]


Published in 2003, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo won the Newbery Medal and is widely loved by children and adults. In 2008, an animated film loosely based on the novel was released, starring the voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Watson.

Discussion Questions

  • If you’ve read the original novel by Kate DiCamillo, how do you think the film compares?
  • Is there a message to this film? If so, what is it? Reading is good for you? You can be a hero no matter where you come from? Eat lots of soup?
  • Can you spot any similarities between the story and other fairy tales? For example, is Princess Pea a reference to The Princess and the Pea?
  • Which characters change throughout the story and which ones don’t? Give examples.
  • Does the film work as a computer animation? Can you imagine it working better told through a different medium? Explain your answer.

Additional Resources

Soup Recipes

Tale of Despereaux Book Club

The ArrowLearn language arts with the Tale of Despereaux Arrow!

The Arrow is the monthly digital product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel (you purchase or obtain the novels yourself). It’s geared toward children ages 8-11 and is an indispensable tool for parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.

Posted in Wednesday Movies | Comments Off on Movie Wednesday: The Tale of Despereaux

Writer’s Jungle Webinar: Dec. 10, 2017

Writer's Jungle Free Webinar
FREE Writer’s Jungle Webinar

December 10, 4:00 PM ET

Hey hey, ho ho!

I’ve scheduled another “Getting to Know the Writer’s Jungle” webinar and I scheduled it for a Sunday afternoon! YAY! That way I hope many of you can make it live.  I’ll share about each chapter in The Writer’s Jungle and the activities you will do with your children. I’ll also answer your questions—any about writing and language arts you might have!

Get the word out! I won’t be doing another one until much later next year. And yes, there will be a discount offer at the end for Live Attendees (only). 🙂

SIGN UP HERE


Look at all the places we can hang out!

2018 Speaking Schedule 

Posted in BW products, Webinars | Comments Off on Writer’s Jungle Webinar: Dec. 10, 2017

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