Weekly reminder emails are sent the Monday before each class. If you accepted marketing from me at registration, you’ll receive these emails in your inbox and there’s no need to reference this page. If you did not accept marketing, this is where you need to look for all class communication as I’m unable to send you emails.
Introductory Email Sent 9/29/25
Greetings, Writing Families.
Our first meeting is right around the corner and I want to share details that help Family of Writers run smoothly.
First, print the workbook before your first class. It’s long so give yourself enough time and ink!
Second, please watch this short video that provides a big picture overview of the program. (NOTE: I made the video a couple years ago and it mentions that our focus will be meaning, but this year it’s DETAILS. Everything in the video still applies!)
Third, bring the following to every class:
One printed workbook per child attending from your family.
Favorite pen or pencil.
Writing pages are included in the workbook, but bring notebook paper and/or a journal if you or your children prefer writing on different paper. TIP: Don’t bring small journals or diaries. We all need lots of space on the page to let our ideas expand!
Water/beverage if desired.
Dinner if you don’t have time to eat before 6 PM (but nut free).
Fourth, know your cohort (1, 2, or 3) and show up at the right school. Click on your cohort below if you would like to go directly to your portal.
Cohort 1 meets at Rancho Vista (4323 PV Dr. North, RHE).
Cohort 2 meets at Lunada Bay (520 Paseo Lunado, PVE).
Cohort 3 meets at Montemalaga (1121 Via Nogales, PVE).
The last meeting for ALL cohorts is at Point Vicente (30540 Rue De La Pierre, RPV) on November 12th.
Fifth, please arrive promptly.
Be seated with your child, ready to write at 6 PM in the school MPR.
I do an early bird drawing as an incentive so give yourself time to get your names in the drawing before 6 PM.
Sixth, look for reminder emails arriving in your inboxes every Monday before class. With the information included in these emails, it’s not necessary to log into the membership area on my website. Everything you need each week is provided in the email.
If you don’t see the emails, the following could be occuring:
They’re in promotions or spam.
You didn’t yet reply to an email confirming it’s ok for me to send you emails.
You opted out of marketing at registration. This means you need to log into our course membership area to see copies that I’ve posted. Directions included at end of this email.
Finally, if you have any questions, please refer to FOW FAQ or email me (LorrieTom@lorriet.com).
It’s an honor to write with you and your kids during Family of Writers. I appreciate the effort it takes to return to school at night. I’m looking forward to our time together. Remember, you’ll arrive tired, but leave inspired.
Always writing,
Lorrie Tom
Week of 10/6/25 Class #1
Greetings, Writing Families.
It’s finally here. Family of Writers starts this week!
Here are three tasks to complete before we meet:
If you didn’t get a chance to review it yet, here is the WELCOME EMAIL with important class details.
Print the COURSE WORKBOOK (one per child attending). For anyone who printed the workbook prior to September 13th, I added a couple new pages that you might want to print for class #1. You can use THIS LINK to find those pages.
NEW! Please watch this short video before our first class. It’s a big picture overview of how Family of Writers fits into your children’s writing life (see page 2 in your workbook). NOTE: I made this video last year so it does mention that the focus is meaning instead of details, but all the information still applies.
For anyone in Cohort 1, please park in the lot on the Moccasin Lane entrance to Rancho Vista since the gates in the upper parking lot will be locked.
If you have any questions, please email me (LorrieTom@lorriet.com).
I’m looking forward to our time together. Remember, you’ll arrive tired, but leave inspired.
Always writing,
Lorrie Tom
Week of 10/13/25 Class #2
Greetings, Writing Families.
Thank you for a wonderful first Family of Writers week. It always warms my heart to greet returning families and meet new members of our Palos Verdes writing community.
Parents, I am so appreciative of your efforts to return to school after long days. Bravo to you! I am espeically thankful for Dodger fans who show up to class. If you’re a fan, please know that I will make baseball references in your honor during class. I’ve already got a good one planned for this week!
One other note for all of you younger parents, cherish this wondrous (and often stressful) time with your kiddos because it goes by quickly. My husband and I marked the end of an era today when we sold our mini van! I was shocked at how emotional I was (even shedding a tear or two). Selling that van really brings it home that my little baby daughter is all grown up. We have so many wonderful family memories in that car. I suppose it’s not an accident that I keep writing about family roadtrips lately.
Ok. Enough of my banter. I can’t wait to see you this week. Please arrive promptly, ready to write. Don’t hesitate to bring dinner if life gets too hectic.
Please watch this short video if you didn’t get to watch it before our first class. It’s a big picture overview of how Family of Writers fits into your children’s writing life (see page 2 in your workbook). NOTE: I made this video last year so it does mention that the focus is meaning instead of details, but all the information still applies.
If you signed up to bring snacks, please bring items that are wrapped and nut-free. Keep it simple and plan on enough for twenty. Thanks in advance for your kindness. See below for the names of families bringing snacks in each cohort. If anyone wants to bring items for Cohort 1, we’re a little short.
If you have any questions, please email me (LorrieTom@lorriet.com).
Once again, I’m looking forward to our time together. You’ll arrive tired, but leave inspired.
Always writing,
Lorrie Tom
Snack Volunteers—Thank you and sorry for any misspellings in this list.
COHORT 1: Teddy Cole, Luca and…three more if possible.
COHORT 2: Jennifer Randolph Ray, Erin Fairchild, Brooke Bakturner, Heidi Fessler, Sajid Mohamedy
COHORT 3: Alyson Yamauchi, Dee Dee Xia, Thu Kim, Ruxn Han, Anita Sreerama
Week of 10/20/25 Class #3
Greetings, Writing Families.
The third week of Family of Writers is upon us. I can’t wait to write with you and your kids. For the first time, we don’t have any Dodger game conflicts! Go BLUE for the World Series win (no FOW classes scheduled then either—YEAH).
Here are highlights from last weeks’ classes that made my heart soar:
As always, watching you with your beloved kids is pure joy. The way you look at each other is priceless!
I love that we had so many pieces about ordinary things in our lives (like Cheetos, Doritos, Lattes, and Cost Co). Everyone has something to write about and often those ideas are right in front of our faces. We just need to pay attention and notice them. For me, that’s the first step of being a writer—which doesn’t even involve putting words on a page. It’s that noticing habit of mind.
I am so moved by the couragous vulnerability expressed by every parent who walks in the room for Family of Writers. Honestly, it’s not my teaching up front that makes the lasting difference. It’s YOU, showing up for your kids and doing the same thing that they are asked to do. Thank beyond for that gift.
I loved discovering new writing ideas when I listened to some of you share your version of our writing invitation. For example, when writing a piece inspired by “Sometimes on a Mountain in April,” Totran began each stanza with a different decade of life, beginning with her childhood in Vietnam and ending with what she imagines her life might be when she’s 80! I want to write my version of that piece! Also, Adam made his own twist to the same writing invitation. He took the last word from a stanza and let it influence what he’d write in the next. What a fun adventure in writing. I love that many of you are taking risks and going for it!
I love being surprised by the ideas that end up on my pages whenever I sit down to write. With all of you last week, I wrote about selling our mini van, what it’s been like to watch all families writing in elementary school MPRs for over twenty years, and visiting the American Girl Store for three of my daughter’s birthdays. Before I sat down to write, I had NO idea that I’d revisit those memories, and that’s where some of the joyful writing energy lives for me!
Of course, I could go on and on, but brevity is also the sign of a good writer. Here are the reminders and annoucements for class this week:
SNACKS: Thanks in advance to all the families who signed up to bring treats for class this week. You are appreciated by one and all. Please keep it grab-and-go-simple. Families bringing snacks are listed below.
ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS: At the beginning of class this week, I’ll review instructions for submitting pieces to our writing anthology (see pages 50-56 in your workbook). This means everyone (parents and students) submits a piece for our anthology! I've saved every anthology since 1998. They are keepsake treasures, holding your family's legacy of stories.
It's not lost on me that submitting a piece for our anthology might be causing some stress. I know some of you are thinking—I'm outta here. I don’t have time for this, but don't get scared. Helping your child develop a process for revision and editing is essential. The process will be worth it in the end. I promise.
Here is a video explaining all Writing Week details. It’s meant to be watched after our class this week, but watching it now is fine, too. Think of it as a quick class. Watch it with your workbook open to the Writing Week pages.
See you on your regular writing evening this week at 6 PM. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with your kids. Finally, thanks to our host schools for welcoming us all.
We begin at 6 PM promptly. Feel free to bring your dinner if that makes getting to class easier for your family.
Always writing
Lorrie Tom
P.S. Here are additional links in case you need them:
COURSE WORKBOOK (one per child attending).
Big picture overview video of how Family of Writers fits into your children’s writing life. See page 2 in your workbook. NOTE: I made this video last year so it mentions that the class focus is meaning instead of voice, but all the information still applies.
COHORT 1 Snacks: Espinosa, Alice, Krystal
COHORT 2 Snacks: Joshi, Robertson, De Marco, Wilson, Krusso
COHORT 3 Snacks: Elisa, Adam, Laura, Marii, Kathy
EMAIL SENT AFTER CLASS 3:
THANKS FOR A GREAT CLASS TONIGHT!
As promised, here are the resources you need for submitting your pieces to the anthology.
ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND VIDEOS
Here is a suggested schedule reflecting a process that works for me, but do what works for you! Remember, if drama is brewing, please feel free to choose peace and sanity over a perfect piece of writing.
Weeks of 10/27/25 (Writing Week) and 11/3/25 (Anthology Submission Week)
Dear Writing Families,
This week we don’t have class because it’s Writing Week! I want to give you time to revise and edit one of your Family of Writers pieces for our fabulous Family of Writers Anthology.
All details and directions for submitting your pieces are on pages 50-56 in your workbook. Pieces are due on November 4th NO LATER than 6 PM.
Please remember that the main goal of this class is to help you and your child love writing! However, I know that submitting a piece for publication can be stressful. To help make this process as painless as possible, here are two videos with an approach to revision and editing that reduces anxiety and stress.
VIDEO #1: Overview of Writing Week big Ideas and directions for submitting your anthology pieces. (Please refer to pages 50-54 in your class workbook.)
VIDEO #2: Revision and editing process parents can do at home with kids. The worksheet that goes with this video is in your workbook on page 54. You can also click on the READ MORE button below.
Falling in Love with Revision and Editing
Whenever you need to help your kids with revision and editing at home, use this approach so you can all fall in love with the process of making your writing shine.
Please note that it’s also fine to do whatever revision and editing process works for you and your child in this season of life! Skip the videos if you prefer. The most important thing is that you enjoy the process and submit your amazing pieces.
Be sure to read the special notes at the bottom of page 53!
When you submit your pieces to my email (lorrietom@lorriet.com), please expect a reply confirming I received your submission. If you don’t hear from me within a few hours, please email me to be sure I received your wonderful writing.
See you at our next class on November 12th at 6 PM in the Point Vicente MPR. Happy writing! I’ll miss you this week.
Always writing,
Lorrie
P.S. Just between you and me, even though I want everyone to submit a piece, there is no shame if you don’t. Family of Writers is above and beyond regular school life and I don’t want to contribute to any drama at home. All are welcome at our last class when we celebrate every writer whether a piece was submitted or not! BUT, I am doing a special-never-been-done-before activity on our last night and your child might feel left out if I can’t find a golden line in their writing. Please email me a golden line from one of their pieces if you don’t submit one to the anthology. Otherwise, I will read their submitted pieces and discover them myself.
P.S.S. If you have been attending a cohort that’s not your home school cohort, be sure to let me know the cohort where you want your pieces to appear.
11/3/25
Greetings, Writing Families.
I hope the LEAST stressful thing that happens this week is that your pieces are due by 6 PM tomorrow night. I hope the process has been amazing for you and your child.
Please include your cohort in the email or on your piece. It saves me a lot of time.
I confirm receipt of your pieces within a few hours of receiving them. Please check your email. If you sent me a piece and DON’T get a confirmation email by 6 PM Tuesday night, check back to be sure your writing doesn’t end up in my SPAM or somewhere floating around in internet outer space!
We don’t have class this week, but I’ll see you on Wednesday, November 12th in the Point Vicente MPR at 6:00 PM. I’ll send another reminder email on November 10th with all the details.
I can’t wait to read your pieces and delight in your golden lines. Thank you so much!
Always writing,
Lorrie Tom
Week of 11/10/25 Class #4/Publishing Party!
EMAIL: LINK to email