Lyda Morehouse

Wattpad is so much fun, you’ll love it! Welcome!

Okay, apparently, I'm going to answer you both as Lyda and as Tate.  But, yes, please keep me posted about any opportunities that present themselves.  I'd be totally up for it!

Long ago, I used to teach cartooning to kids and really loved it.  We did a lot of comic book creation and things like that.  What kind of format are you thinking?  Something electronic?  Something through a place like the Loft?  It'd be a lot of fun to write a manga /comic/ web comic for someone to illustrate, for sure.
          
          Anyway, thanks for reaching out.  I'm very open to an idea like this.  I mean, I wonder if a person could even just hold a workshop at a convention or something like that?

FYI, you could really cash in on some story illustration classes, according to my 6th grader, if you were less interested in teaching them how to draw (since kids like her already know how to draw), and instead gave them something to draw ABOUT, that would work great.  Bring a story to the class, and tell them to illustrate it, and you illustrate it as well.  Discuss, integrate, refine.
          
          This is not just applicable to the publishing industry in regard to cover design and/or children's book illustration, but also graphic novels, movies and animation, and advertising.  An illustrating class for students like that of all ages could end up being not just fun and creatively good for you, but also lucrative too?
          
          Anyway, just a thought from someone totally outside of the "creative" realm who is looking at things from a more consumer-based standpoint, based on what types of things I would be willing to pay you to teach/inspire (YES! I believe that teachers should inspire!) my kids in regard to . . . 
          
          Maybe you've thought of all of this before.  But just in case you haven't, there it is. This from someone who used to love to write fiction, used to love to draw, who had that beaten out of her during college and grad school because I tended, like Shawn, towards the social sciences and nonfiction.  I'm not saying that nonfiction writing is a bad venue--there needs to be more people who go into it who are actually good writers. What I'm saying is that we need to break down the barriers between the two.  There needs to be more fiction writing creativity re-infused into nonfiction writing, while still retaining the integrity of documentation.  Journalism has already mixed the two elements in print and video, and it's a mess.  The literary and scholarly nonfiction world has been too silent on that issue.
          
          But hey, I digress.  Just wanted to have a conversation, one writer to another, from different genres, about how much I appreciate what you do on your end.  : )
          
          Cathy

BTW, Lyda--
          
          Some of the illustrative stuff you've posted to FB and provided links to is really cool.  My soon to be 12 year old is a decent writer, but her passion is art and illustration.  I have shown her some of the stuff you posted, and she loves it.
          
          Have you ever pondered offering some illustrating classes in addition to writing classes?
          
          Also--there is an art emporium opening up very soon here in Waconia.  I and a few of my education peeps are floating the idea to them about including a writers'/illustrators' "loft" within their venue, and they are intrigued.  I will keep you posted, as it could be another venue for you to teach, sell your books, and expand your contact base as a writer out here in the SW metro.  : )
          
          Keep in touch and best to you, Shawn, and Mason!
          
          Cathy

Hi, Lyda!  Glad to see you joined Wattpad.  Thanks for following me, although as you'll see I haven't posted any work.  The history grad school process kind of beat the fiction writer out of me in many ways.  Some day I hope to recapture that--maybe I'll start by taking one of your classes at The Loft!
          
          Speaking of that, you can certainly follow me, but the person in my family you'll want to follow instead is my daughter, Carrie Thom.  She will turn 15 next month.  She hasn't had a lot of time as of late to post too many stories to Wattpad (most of what is there she posted in 7th and 8th grade), but is always talking about getting back to it, and I want to continue to nurture that in her, which is why I joined Wattpad to read her stuff.
          
          Without even looking at instructor names, Carrie was going through the Summer 2014 Young Writers' Program brochure from The Loft, and pointed out your mid-June class for teens, since it interested her and it could perhaps fit into her already quite busy summer schedule.  When I pointed out you were the teacher, she wanted to take it even more, because I have told her that we went to Augsburg together.  So if we can fit it into Carrie's June Marching Band schedule (which I have been bugging her director for, to no avail so far), Carrie will be taking that class from you.
          
          In any case, what I'm saying is that if you "follow" Carrie Thom on Wattpad, it might inspire her to start writing some things on it again.  And she'll do her best to work in a class from you, if not this June, some other time soon, and it's likely she'll tell her friends as well.  She has writing talent in both fiction and nonfiction, but will likely go into social science or science in college, and I don't want her to lose her fictional talents, and instead want her to develop them, if for no other reason than for her own enjoyment and keeping her imagination sharp!
          
          Cathy