Local author’s teen series hits big screen
It took several years and forays into other types of story-telling, admits author and Yellow Springs native Chris Tebbetts, but “through children’s writing, I finally connected to the right story-telling form for me.”
Chris is the author and co-author of numerous books for young readers. With the famous author James Patterson, he’s written the New York Times bestselling “Middle School” series and “Public School Superhero.” With Jeff Probst, the host of the television show “Survivor,” he writes the middle school “Stranded” series. He has many other books to his credit as well, and a young adult novel, “The Weakness of Gravity,” coming out in 2018.
The most recent Middle School series novel, “Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life,” inspired the recently released movie of the same title.
On Thursday, March 9, Chris, who now lives in Vermont, will be back to his hometown in Yellow Springs for a special screening from 6:30-10:00 p.m. of the movie at Little Art Theatre, 247 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs (www. littleart.com).
The event will kick off with a champagne reception with Chris who will talk about how his writing career was influenced by growing up in Yellow Springs. Chris will also sign books before the screening of the movie. All proceeds from the evening support the Little Art Theatre.
Then, on Sunday March 12, at 4 p.m., there will be a special $5 matinee of the film. Chris will sign books at 3 p.m., and answer questions after the screening of the movie.
In between, Chris will visit with students in the school system where it all began for him — Yellow Springs.
“I remember that our fourth-grade teacher told us to run wild with our stories, free our imaginations,” Chris says. “I was a happy kid. But I wrote a story about kids getting murdered one by on — perhaps because I’d recently read Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None.’ But this was fine with my teacher. I was free to create!”
Chris says books were his first love, and he spent a lot of time visiting the Yellow Springs Library, and soon became a voracious reader.
“I was also a theater geek in middle school and high school,” Chris says. In fact, the teacher that directed him in school plays, Becky Brunsman, is scheduled to introduce him at the Thursday fundraiser at Little Art.
Chris majored in film production at Northwestern University, and says he briefly worked in film production before working in theater in New York City.
“I started exploring writing, but I took a sampler platter approach—a little bit of creative nonfiction, a little bit of fiction— and I wasn’t really doing anything to learn the business end of publishing,” Chris says. “Then I took a children’s writing course, and it all came together for me—I connected with the form that’s right for me. Though I don’t have kids of my own, I love kids, and I seem to have a bat phone back to my middle-grade years, so I can draw on those emotions and questions. I also learn a lot from talking with my readers at events.”
As for tips for other writers, Chris says, “The best tips sound like clichés, but that’s because they are so true. Read a lot. Be persistent. Talent and learning the creative process is great, but you also need a lot of persistence to make it through this business. Writing is really rewriting, so learn to love your stories enough to want to revise and revise again. And remember to balance all of this with just having fun.”
Registration is open
for Antioch Writers’ Workshop’s spring one-day seminar, “How to Get the MOST out of YOUR Writing Life,” which will be held on March 25 at University of Dayton. The seminar will feature Cathy Day, author of the memoir “Comeback Season: How I Learned to Play the Game of Love” and the novel “The Circus in Winter.” Other sessions will be led by area writers. Visit www.antiochwritersworkshop.com for details or www.tinyurl.com/ AWWSpring2017 to register.
Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.,
Oakwood Starbucks, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Dayton — Word’s Worth Writing Center (www. wordsworthdayton.com) offers a “First Tuesday Writing Workout” with author and creative writing instructor Katrina Kittle. The session offers writing prompts, tips, and a minicraft lesson. See the website to register.
Monday, March 13, 1-3 p.m.,
Washington-Centerville Public Library, Centerville Library Lobby, 111 Spring Valley Road — This month’s “2nd Monday Authors” program features Kristin Bailey, a middle grade/young adult author of historical adventures and her book “The Silver Gate,” and David Kettlehake, a suspense writer and his book “Fever.” Visit www.wclibrary.info, click on “Programs” in the upper right corner, and then on “2nd Monday Authors” for more details. O’Reilly/Dugard Gaines/Gaines Horowitz Travis Stork Lama/Tutu Bret Baier Ferriss Melissa Hartwig Mark Manson Lee Shetterly Chopra/Kafatos
TRADE PAPERBACKS
(movie tie-in) Margot Lee Shetterly (movie tie-in) W. Bruce Cameron Sandra Brown Patterson/ Ledwidge Sarah Young David Dalai Margot Trevor Noah Fredrik Backman
(movie tie-in) Wm. P. Young Megan Miranda (movie tie-in) E.L. James Lysa TerKeurst Fredrik Backman Helen Hardt Fiona Barton (TV tie-in) Liane Moriarty Hilderbrand Paula Hawkins Elin