Pajama School Blog

Pajama School, Stories from the Life of a Homeschool Graduate

Check Out the First Pajama School Book Trailer!

by natalie

I am happy to report that the submissions are starting to pour in for our exciting Pajama School Promo Video Contest! Okay, so I admit that this is the first and only submission we’ve received to date…(there’s a reason I’m often called an “eternal optimist.” :-))

Time is quickly ticking away – the deadline for submissions is Friday, October 30 – but the field is obviously wide open for competition! There’s still a fabulous free family pass to the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival up for grabs! Just visit the contest page for all the guidelines.

Interview with Homeschool Grad Christina Grubb

by natalie

In our on-going series of homeschool grad interviews, this week I’ve asked Christina Grubb to join us. As a fellow author, Christina and I have enjoyed exchanging a number of e-mails pertaining to writing, publishing, and general homeschool topics. I’m sure you’ll enjoy getting to know her as well!

Christina GrubbHow long were you homeschooled?
My parents had decided to homeschool their children by the time I was three years old. So, I have never been to a public school!

What are some of your favorite memories of homeschooling?
Learning was regarded as a special treat by us children. When the winter months set in, we could hardly wait to get the change of clothes sorted through so that we could sit around the kitchen table together for school. My favorite thing was to take evaluation tests for spelling (because I always graded higher than my older brother?:-))!

What piqued your interest in writing?
At an early age, my parents instilled in me a special appreciation for history and the people who lived it. As I grew older, that appreciation transformed into a desire to tell others about the “good ole’ days” and how it could still be lived today.

The Vicars DaughterWhat are some good outlets you’ve found for developing and utilizing your writing skills?
One of the things I’ve found helpful is to join several secular writing contests. Though they may not have the same objective I have in writing, they have had some good reviews for my writing that has made me think more than once. (These are the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and websites such as www.writing.com and www.createspace.com.)

Other outlets are to read an old classic and jot down words that I like or that I didn’t know what they meant. Later, I would go back and research those words. I also love to use a Thesaurus while writing.

Can you tell us a little about your books?
So far, I have completed two novels and have about ten dozen others in the works! I have been creating stories since the age of eight or so, so you can only imagine how many story-lines are stored away, waiting for a rainy day. 🙂

The first of my novels, The Vicar’s Daughter, tells the story of a young woman growing up in late 1800’s England. (For some reason, my sisters and I have been infatuated with Old England!) Esther is an only child who thinks that life would be much better off if she were to elope with her lover. Almost miraculously, she is saved by the Lord before she does the irrational, and comes instead to revere her parents as her God-given authority.

The Warmth of His EyesThe second, The Warmth of His Eyes, is based on my mother’s life story. Though she was raised a Catholic, she did not come to know the Lord until I was 1 year old. She grew up thinking that her life was her own and that she should “enjoy” it before settling down and having children. The story is filled with a bunch of fiction, but the core of it is true. The contrast between both main characters’ families is based upon facts as well.

(Both of these are available as eBooks on our new online store.)

My desire in writing such stories is not only to entertain readers, but also to illustrate how great our God is, Who alone can redeem His children to Himself.

What did you do following your high school graduation to further your education?
Several months after my graduation, I was blessed to go to India on a short-term mission trip. Two years later, after taking some courses from a Bible College via correspondence, I moved to South India as a full-time missionary. To make a long story short, the Lord brought me back home and I have been enjoying the extra time (if I find any!) to write more.

Immediately following my graduation, though, I found great delight in devoting my time to reading the classics of the English language. Some of my high school requisites were history books and autobiographies published before 1900 (as per the Robinson Curriculum, which we used). Because they were so published, they were filled with Old English that has helped to increase my vocabulary. Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, and John Buchan are just a few of my favorite authors. I have also loved reading presidential diaries and autobiographies (namely, The Diaries of George Washington, Volumes I-IV, and the Autobiographies of Theodore Roosevelt and David Crockett – both very entertaining!) that have been very educational. But Dickens’ work is probably the most influential to my writing.

Are you working on any other projects – writing or otherwise – right now?
For the past few months, I have laid aside any writing projects to devote my time to building our family’s house (add-on to our original 1,100 sq. foot farmhouse). When it is completed in the next couple of months, God-willing, I hope to tackle those ten dozen stories!

How do you feel about homeschooling your own children someday?
There is no doubt in my mind that my children will be homeschooled. There is something so special, so unique, about the thought of teaching my own children. I will always treasure the one-on-one experiences with my own father and mother that I probably would not have experienced had I been in public school.

Is there anything you would you do differently?
There isn’t very much that I would change… the only thing that I detested was having to do my math in tears because I just didn’t get it!

The one thing that I would probably do differently would be to have a more precise schedule than my mother did. 🙂 Though, I do not anticipate having to pressure myself just so that a schedule would be followed perfectly!

Thank you, Natalie, for conducting this interview. It has been a pleasure looking back at my homeschool years. Of course, I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Inspiration from an Unlikely Source

by natalie

All across the homeschool world today, we are remembering and offering tributes to Chris Klicka – a pioneer in the homeschool movement who truly poured his life into homeschool families all across the country. In fact, earlier this year, he was one of the keynote speakers at our homeschool convention here in Wichita. Little did we know that it would be one of his last. I had a chance to listen to recordings of his workshops several weeks ago [since I don’t get to attend the workshops live due to other responsibilities]. His candor, coupled with an unwavering passion for the Lord and His Word, touched many hearts, including my own. However, the inspiration that I have experienced most keenly in recent days has come from another source – Chris’ wife, Tracy.

I have never had the privilege of meeting Tracy, but a while back I found out that the Klicka’s had a website set up to update people on Chris’ condition. I began receiving notifications so that I could pray specifically for their family, especially as things took a turn for the worse. However, as I read Tracy’s posts, I found myself deeply touched and inspired to draw closer to the Lord and to my family. Her love for her family, and especially for her husband, emanates from her writing. And her sweet trust and glorying in the Lord in all things is an incredible testimony to behold.

I don’t know how long they will leave the website and updates accessible, but if you could use some inspiration and hope, or are facing dark and difficult times, I encourage you to click over to Chris Klicka’s website and read the journal entries of a godly woman who stands right beside her husband as one of the great homeschool heroes/heroines of our day!

Derby Weekly News Pajama School Story

by natalie

In August, I had the privilege of being interviewed by a reporter from one of our local papers about my book. She did a wonderful job putting together the story below!

Derby Resident Shares Homeschool Experience
by Esther Hoffman

Natalie Wickham is a 28-year-old homeschool graduate, piano teacher and longtime Derby resident. But Wickham holds yet another title: author. Wickham’s book, Pajama School, was released in April, and is available in local and online bookstores.

Pajama School contains a collection of stories telling about Wickham’s experience as a homeschooler. She was motivated to write it because people around her were curious about homeschooling.

“They would find out that I graduated as a homeschooler and they would just start pummeling me with questions,” Wickham said.

“I just felt like there was a need for someone who had graduated as a homeschooler … to share what it was really like,” she said. “There are a lot of misconceptions about homeschooling.”

Even before Wickham graduated, people asked her what it was like. “The number one question that kids would ask is ‘Do you get to do school in your pajamas?’” Wickham said. That question became the basis of the book’s title. But before she thought of the title, Wickham spent two years writing the book. She started in 2007, slowly gaining speed as she realized how important the book could become. By the time she completed the manuscript in summer 2008, she was writing every day. Pajama School is written from a Christian perspective, because Wickham’s inspiration for it came at the end of 2006, when she was praying about her goals for the next year. Parts of the Bible verse in Daniel 12:3 became her aim; she wanted to become wise and turn many to righteousness. She realized that she should write a book about her experiences as a homeschooler.

“I want to convey the hope and the purpose that my faith in Jesus Christ has given my life,” Wickham said. That is not to say that only Christians will appreciate Pajama School. The book contains practical ideas and perspectives on education which will provide insight to any parent looking into homeschooling. “Education is much bigger than it is made out to be,” Wickham said.

The full-time teacher at “Natalie’s Piano Studio” has a well-versed knowledge of Music Education without the experience of going to a traditional college. She believes that homeschool graduates who forgo college are “blazing a new trail into higher education.” She encourages homeschool graduates to rethink going to college just because “that’s the thing to do,” but instead, to look for alternatives and ask what their options are.
For Wickham, education comes in many forms. As she neared completion of the book, Wickham learned more about self-publishing, and decided to set up Sibro Publishing with the help of her family members, who she appreciates for all of their support and guidance. Pajama School is currently the only book published by Sibro, but Wickham said there is a possibility for more.

Wickham said the hardest part of self-publishing is getting the word out to book distributers. But she believes the benefits outweigh the difficulty. Authors who go through an established publishing company usually get only 8 or 9 percent of the royalties, Wickham explained. Her long-term goal is to start a foundation that is funded by her book sales.

Self-publishing allowed her to have the final say on what it looked like. The cover was designed by her friend, Hannah Gleghorn, and the interior was designed by another friend. “It was really important to me for the book to look professional,” she said. As she works to establish sales channels for Pajama School, Wickham maintains a blog at www.pajamaschool.com to discuss homeschool resources and topics related to the book. Another of her blogs, www.journeytoselfpublishing.com, contains advice for others who aspire to self-publish.

Wickham continues to create more side-projects emphasizing creative endeavors. Her latest project is a cooperation with Advent Film Group to create a contest that any of her readers can enter. “What we’re doing is giving people the opportunity to put together a 30 to 60 second promo video clip,” Wickham said. These clips, made to promote Pajama School, will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will determine three finalists whose entries will be voted on by readers of the Pajama School blog. “The winners of that will receive a free family pass to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival,” Wickham said. The contest rules and guidelines will be posted on the Pajama School Blog on Sept 1.

Click here to buy your own copy of Pajama School! I’ll even autograph your copy if you leave a comment in the customer note section to that effect. 🙂

Using Metaphors to Paint Pictures…Like a 2-Year Old with a Crayon

by natalie

Ever since I came across the Mark Twain article I referred to in this post, I’ve thought quite a bit about the concept of using stronger nouns to paint descriptive images in my writing. I’ve also been particularly attuned to this aspect of writing in recent days as I’ve read the work of others, so I was quite amused to receive an e-mail from my Dad with the following metaphors and analogies that were actually used in essays written by high school students. I think it’s safe to say that this would not be the best way to integrate more visual imagery into your writing! May it bring a smile to your face like when the photographer uses a squeaky stuffed animal to make little babies laugh… 😉

Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two other sides gently compressed by a thigh master.

He spoke with wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

She had a deep throaty genuine laugh like that sound a dog makes just before he throws up.

Her vocabulary was as bad, as, like, whatever.

He was as tall as a 6-foot 3-inch tree.

The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7 pm instead of 7:30.

Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across a grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. traveling 35 mph.

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil, but unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a landmine or something.

He was deeply in love, and when she spoke he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.

She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.

Her voice had that tense grating quality, like a generation thermal paper fax machine that needed a band tightening.

Interview with Homeschool Grad Molly Williamson

by natalie

Today, I am excited to welcome my long-time friend Molly Williamson to the Pajama School Blog for an exclusive interview. Molly recently produced her first film, and I thought you all would be interested in learning more about the film and the steps Molly took to acquire the skills to produce it.

Molly WilliamsonTell us a little bit about yourself and your homeschool experience:
I was homeschooled through all twelve grades. It was a wonderful experience that I am extremely grateful for. My parents always encouraged each of their children to follow their own natural bents and develop their God given talents. So, when one day I announced that I wanted to be a film director, though inwardly freaking out, my parents immediately began to encourage me and try to find ways to help me learn more about filmmaking.

How did you first become interested in filmmaking?
I remember, even as a child, being fascinated by movies and how they were made. When I was about sixteen, I began to lament the fact that the films coming from Hollywood were filled with vulgarity and humanistic worldviews. At the same time, films coming from Christian filmmakers lacked originality and good production value. I had a strong desire to see films that were exciting, original, and artistic, while presenting Godly principles.

What kinds of things have you done to learn about filmmaking and to acquire the necessary skills to produce a film?
I think one of the very foundations of good filmmaking is good photography. So I began to hone my photography skills. I read the book Filmmaking For Dummies, which I recommend to all dummies who are interested in filmmaking. And I started shooting short videos and music videos with my family. I practiced camera work, storyboarding and video and audio editing. The best way to learn how to do something is by doing it.

Do you think you’ve missed out or are at a disadvantage by having chosen not to attend college?
I am sure that attending film school or college would have had a number of benefits. However, instead of spending years learning from the very people whose humanistic films I do not want to imitate, I have kept my worldview intact and my perspective fresh. Instead of investing my resources in classes that may not even pertain directly to filmmaking, I have used them to gain practice and experience in the craft I wish to pursue.

Toward The Golden West
You just produced your first film. Can you tell us about it and where you got the inspiration for it?
Toward The Golden West is a 30-minute short film. It tells the story of one family’s struggle on the home front during WWII. It is about keeping the faith when the world seems dark, and leaving a legacy for the next generation. I find the indomitable spirit of the WWII generation very inspiring. When we decided to make a movie, we felt this was a story we could tell that would be both interesting and realistic to film with our limited resources.

If someone is interested, how can they order a copy of Toward the Golden West?
Send me an email including your name and address, with the subject line ‘Toward The Golden West DVD’. Cost is $8.00, including shipping.

What are your future aspirations in filmmaking or otherwise?
My ultimate desire is to glorify God wherever He leads me in life. I would love to continue being involved in making films that aim for the highest quality in both production and content.

Filmmaking

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Molly! I’m excited to see you continue to invest your God-given interests and talents in such worthy projects in the years ahead!

Natalie’s Note: I was privileged to be invited to attend the Premiere Showing of Toward the Golden West and even managed to get my picture taken with the three stars of the show! 🙂

Pajama School Interview and Advice for Non-Fiction Authors

by natalie

Maggie Woychik, of the Encouraging Emerging Authors blog, conducted an interview with me that has just been posted this week. You can check out the two posts at the following links:

The Pajama School? Natalie Wickham Explains…

Natalie Wickham and “The Pajama School” – part 2

Maggie has a great line-up of authors for the coming months, so other “emerging” authors may be interested in keeping an eye on the blog for lots of great tips!

Filmmaking Resources

by natalie

Even though I haven’t personally delved much into filmmaking, I’m a huge fan of the independent Christian film industry – one of the reasons that I’m sponsoring the Pajama School Promo Contest. There are lots of fabulous resources available for those who are interested in this industry, but I wanted to point out a few that I’ve come across recently:

CJ Powers on Screenwriting – Of all the aspects of film production, screenwriting is the one that interests me the most. I’ve done quite a bit of script writing and find that a lot of the underlying principles are the same.This interview, posted by Nathaniel Bluedorn, is worth re-reading multiple times, as there is much to be gleaned from it. Especially note Mr. Powers’ assessment of collaboration among Christian filmmakers and the comparison of how many hours industry professionals spend practicing their craft, versus the time investment of Christian indie filmmakers. Definitely some food for thought!

Cloud Ten Pictures Blog – Run by Eric S. Highland, Public Relations and Social Networking guy for Cloud Ten Pictures, this blog is chock-full of practical and helpful tips for aspiring filmmakers. Be sure to get in on his latest “How YOUR IDEA Makes it to the BIG SCREEN” series. You’ll also want to check out the HOSFU site – a treasure trove of resources for independent Christian filmmakers!

Christian Filmmakers – With over 1,500 members, the Christian Filmmakers Forums are a great place to connect with like-minded filmmakers and share ideas. Topics include: Events and News, Reviews and Critiques, Music and Sound, Producing and Directing, and much more!

I’m sure there are many more great resources available. If you know of any, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

And remember, you can win a great giveaway package by helping promote the Pajama School Promo Contest. 🙂

Lights, Camera, Action!

by natalie

The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For… 🙂

…Presenting…

…the Pajama School Promo Contest!

Win a free family pass to the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival OR admission to their Filmmakers Bootcamp! Check out the Official Contest Page for all the details and guidelines on how to enter this exciting contest!

Here’s some more exciting news – even if you don’t participate in producing a film, you can be entered in a drawing for a great giveaway package by helping spread the word about the contest! The giveaway package will include a copy of Pajama School, a DVD of Come What May, the soundtrack for Come What May, and a $25 gift card for the store of your choice! You can enter the drawing multiple times – once for each of the following things (just leave a separate comment indicating each thing that you do since I will be using a random number generator to determine the winner):

1. Post about the contest on your blog/website. Link to the Contest Page. (Feel free to use “Win A Family Pass to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival!” as your post title.)

2. Twitter about the contest with a link to the Contest Page. Include hashmark #pajamaschool in your tweet. (Here’s a tweet ready to go for you: Win A Family Pass to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival! – http://bit.ly/13CBfy #pajamaschool)

3. Update your Facebook status with “Win A Family Pass to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival!” and a link to the Contest Page.

4. Include a contest announcement in your print or e-newsletter or in a special e-mail to your mailing list. (Add me to your mailing list and then leave a comment indicating that you sent the newsletter/e-mail.)

5. Grab the code for one of the Pajama School banners and add it to the sidebar of your blog/website.

I’m looking forward to having a ton of fun with this contest, and I hope everyone else has a great time as well! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. Let the filming begin! 🙂

Big News Coming!

by natalie

Next Tuesday, September 1, 2009, I’ll be announcing something BIG that we’ve been working on putting together for the last month. It’s a super exciting contest that you won’t want to miss! So…mark your calendar and check back here on September 1 for the BIG NEWS – the contest page will go live at 12:01 a.m. 🙂