Iowa Public Television

The great thing about writing is that it takes so many forms. Reporters, novelists, copywriters and bloggers all make their living from writing, yet they may have very different personalities. Writing as a career path allows you to use your creativity, imagination and curiosity in ways that suit your individual strengths.

Author and publisher Deb Engle will talk about what led her to be a writer (it started with a 5th-grade book report) and the many ways writing can look as a career. She’s done many of them…from copywriting for The Des Moines Register to writing crafts books for Better Homes and Gardens. She’s worked on videos, magazines, marketing publications, op-ed pieces and children’s books. She’s also the author of a book that was reviewed in Oprah magazine, and she’s had essays in collections with the Dalai Lama and Robert Louis Stevenson. Now, her company publishes books for other authors, helping shape their writing to connect with readers.

Deb will share three essential things to make a writing career a reality. And through it all, she’ll communicate how vital it is to do what brings you joy. If writing is your heart’s desire, find a way to follow that passion, and you’ll be rewarded with a life of imagination and unlimited possibilities.

PBS LearningMedia, a dynamic platform offering the best of public media content and produced specifically for PreK-16 teachers. With free access to over 14,000 high-quality resources tied to national standards, teachers can download, save and share exactly what they need for an inspired classroom experience. Sign up is free and easy! Learn more about PBS LearningMedia.

Applicable standards from MCREL:

Self-Regulation Standards

Standard 2: Performs self-appraisal

Level IV [Grade : K-12]
1. Performs analysis of employability
2. Understands preferred working environments
3. Understands career goals
4. Determines explicit behaviors that are used and should be adopted to obtain wants and/or needs

Sessions are provided at no cost by Iowa Public Television in collaboration with the Iowa Communications Network to PK-12 students and the adults working with or on behalf of PK-12 students in Iowa.