, 
, 
Author Julia Cook was in Luverne last week to talk about the difference between tattling and telling and to share tips on writing.
She told fifth-graders that all good stories are like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches — the bread is the start and the finish, and peanut butter and jelly are the good stuff in between.
She also said good stories are written with the beginning and end first, so that the "good stuff" has direction.
"You get the start of the story and the end of the story and then mix all the good stuff together in the middle," she said.
The good stuff, she said, is often what makes readers empathize with characters.
"Make your story touch people, human-wise," she said.
She said it's important to let ideas flow freely, without worrying about spelling and punctuation at the start.
"I just unzip my brain and put it on paper," she sold fifth-grade students in Luverne Elementary School Wednesday, Nov. 18.
She encouraged students to first record their thoughts and ideas, and then arrange them later with proper sentence structure and spelling.
Cook spoke with students in all elementary grade levels and also made a presentation to the public Nov. 17 in the high school auditorium.
A former school counselor, Cook has more than 50 published books and activity guides that use humor to help children become lifelong problem solvers.
She has presented in more than 800 schools across the country and regularly delivers keynote addresses at national education, counseling and character conferences.
Cook's visit to Luverne was sponsored by Luverne Elementary booster club, PPIE — Parents, Parents In Education.