Hoover author Chandra Sparks Splond visited Berry Middle School recently to speak with students working as editors on the school’s literary magazine, The Phoenix, and offer them writing tips and tricks.
Splond visited teacher Dianna Minor’s class, where she talked about her perspective as a novelist, editor and publisher. Through a hands-on writing workshop, students gained insight into what it means to be a working writer.
“The good thing about [the visit] was a perspective about the writing life,” said Berry student Nicole Lober. “Most authors just talk about their books, but this one gave us an inside look.”
Minor said Splond’s message of “perseverance” resonated most with students.
“[Splond said] ‘just write.’ In order to be a writer, you must write something every day, not every other day, but every day. It doesn’t have to be a perfect piece, it could be something as simple as jotting down an idea,” Minor said.
Another key message delivered by Splond: inspiration. She encouraged students to never to abandon writing, regardless of the inevitable “writer’s block.”
“She told us not to give up on writing,” eighth grader Camille Chase said. “That was really helpful because I had been struggling with writing lately.”
Splond is an alumna of Ramsay High School in Birmingham and the University of Alabama. She has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, including in New York City, and currently owns West End Publishing.
Along with her experiences in editing and publishing, Splond has published several novels. Her book “Spin It Like That” was chosen as a Popular Paperback for Young Adults by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Her book “The Pledge” was a 2010 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.