A Visit with Margaret Peterson Haddix
March 25th, 2011 by 
tinakamo
On Friday, 3/18 we were very fortunate to participate in a writing workshop with Margaret Peterson Haddix, the author of Dexter The Tough, The Girl with 500 Middle Names, the Missing series and many other books. She talked about how to develop characters in your stories. What did you learn from her that you think is important to remember? How do you think she applied her ideas for character development when she wrote Dexter The Tough? How can you use what you learned from her in your next story?
Posted in General Discussion, Literature Discussions | 
15 Comments »
March 25th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
I learned that you should give a good introduction on your carecters. Like what there names are like if I where in the book I would say that my name is Taylor. In my next story I should Include a lot of deitail in my wrighting.
March 26th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
When Margaret Peterson Haddix talked about using your imagination in writing, I thought that it was important to remember. You can’t write a story without good imagination! She developed the character Dexter when she read in a kid’s assignment book that he beat up a kid and took all his money. That’s how I think she developed Dexter. I would do the place first. Then, depending on what place, I would choose the character(s). Example:My place is the ocean. The characters would be a shark and some fish. Then I would use my imagination to figure out what they would do.
March 26th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I learned to always put lots of details or your story will be boring I think you should always remember that or all of your storys will be very boring. She did great. I don’t know but mabey I will just do what she tould us when are class went.
March 26th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Don’t tease people because it might hurt their feelings. Something sad might be happening in their family.
When you’re mad about something or someone you shouldn’t take it out on someone or something else.
I can use my life experiences to write in my next story (:!
March 29th, 2011 at 9:48 am
I learend that you should put some details about the carecter.like there names and which school do they go to like just to get to know them.I think I should add more what the carecters do and were there are.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:07 am
I think that the fact that you should use your imagination in writing but only in fiction stories because if you did not, it would be non fiction, but maybe you can put like things to think about in the story, so that makes the fact that you can use your imagination in every type of book (if you want to). I also think that settings (places), characters (people), a problem (bad thing that happens), and how they solve it is good information for fiction stories and for non fictions you just need correct statements. I think she applied everything because when we read it in class like everything we learned was in it. Maybe the base of my next story could be… SETTING: in outer space CHARACTERS: Captain Kelf and Cal PROBLEM: the aliens return
HOW THEY SOLVE IT: they blow up the middle of their giant monument where the aliens live then kill the ones outside of their home. I should not of said that because its- “Pono!” “Coming mom!” “Thanks. I was about to tell them what I was goin-” “HUH?”
March 30th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Margaret Peterson Haddix talked about what you need in a story like a beginning middle and end and a place where the story takes place,characters and imagination. You can develope characters from all around. I can use my imagination and the thing that are around me and a place where it takes place and a beginning middle and end.
March 31st, 2011 at 6:58 am
MARGRET PETERSON HADIX makes her books from true storys.
i learned that you have to put action in to the character.
one day margret peterson hadix went with her kids to the libary and she met a girl at the libary on the girl’s shirt it had a name and it was not her name
April 2nd, 2011 at 8:40 am
I learned that for your first few sentences should be the best ones in the book also use a lot of detail and imagination,use good description of your characters. I think she developed Dexter the tough because she read a boys book
when she visited his school and it said I beat up a kid and Margaret Peterson Haddix thought why did this boy write this was he guilty or was this boy proud of him self? Because in Dexter the tough in the beginning when Dexter beat up Robin he was proud of himself but then he felt guilty later on. I will use my imagination as I think, I will use details to describe my characters. My first sentences will be the best in my book.
April 2nd, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I learned that you can grab a small part of your life and you can make a big story because Margret Petterson Haddix wrote so many of her stories with some thing that happened in her life like when she wrote the book THE GIRL WITH 500 MIDDLE NAMES she went to the library, she saw this girl she was wering a shirt that had a name on it but it was not the girls name it was her middle name.
April 3rd, 2011 at 7:20 am
Dear Jolie,
Good idea!i It’s easiest writing a story about your life! If only you could remember what happened when you were a baby…
April 3rd, 2011 at 10:33 am
I learned that you have to have a interesting beginning so the reader gets interested in the book they want to read the whole book and you need a interesting middle so they want to read the end like when my class read Dexter The Tough we got so interesting we read the whole book. You have to have some details about your characters and you would select a story that is not a bed to bed story then your story is not really going to be interesting.
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:46 pm
I learned from Margaret P. Haddix and think it is important to remember that you have to make an interesting first part to the book by being discriptive so that the reader would want to keep reading it. She applied her ideas for character developent when she wrote Dexter The Tough by useing lots of details. I got to know a lot about the characters when she put a lot of detail. I can use what I learned in my next story by writing more about my character and putting more details.
April 3rd, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Margret Peterson Haddix taught us how to develop characters. What do you need in every story? Make a interesting first part of a story. I think she made her characters in her imagination. I think I can use what she said in my next story.
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I think what was important to remember was that you need to add lots of details in your stories when your making one. Mrs. Haddix used lots of details in her book Dexter the tough and I could imagine and understand the story good. In my next story I’ll remember to put lots of details when describe my characters and write my book.