The Good News!
At OC Online we love how flexibility allows students, faculty, and even staff who have a passion for parenting, writing, pastoring, or other creative pursuits to work alongside those pursuits. We’re so proud to share Karri’s story as an example of this flexibility in action!
Karri is a learning specialist at OC Online and has been a meaningful and joyful part of our online staff since 2021. Karri will also be teaching Middle School Science 1 this year.
And this year, she also PUBLISHED A TEXTBOOK!!
Hear from Karri about her creative process, what she’s learned about writing, and how being a part of OC Online has allowed her the space and time to do this amazing work!
Room to Create
I (Karri) love my work at OC Online and since I’m part-time now, I can find time during the day (and in the evenings) to do both OC Online AND work on writing. I’m so blessed to be able to do both and to work with a flexible team. I’m thankful for each of these opportunities God has given me.
Generational Inspiration
I have been teaching science for almost 30 years now and I love learning more about God’s creation. When I was little, my dad would play audio tapes for us of someone called Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob would interview animals and other aspects of creation about their unique, created characteristics. I loved hearing those and they helped me to love science early! When I was in college and discovered the orderly way God put everything together, this cemented my joy in science. Something so orderly and precise could not have happened by chance. So when I was given the amazing opportunity to write this curriculum and share my joy, I knew I had to take it.
From Inspiration to Production
The fun part about writing is I am always learning new things about God’s creation. For example, did you know the mantis shrimp punches its prey with a force powerful enough to break glass? It rivals the speed of a bullet being fired from a gun and it means they can’t be kept in an aquarium, for sure. It’s such a unique way for a tiny, powerful creature to attack its dinner.
Sharing science in this way is my passion. Currently, I am writing a curriculum for middle school sciences through Bright Ideas Press called The Mystery of Science (MOS). We started with The Mystery of Science: Biology and are publishing seven more: Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Astronomy, Health and Nutrition, Marine Science, and Botany. We’ll publish 1-2 books per year for the next few years, so I’ll be keeping busy!
The Writing Process
The hard part about writing is doing it every day to meet a goal or a deadline. It can get tedious, doing something the same way, day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s something I have to work through frequently! When I’m dragging at the end of a project, I remember that someone told me the last 10% of a project is the most important. It helps me remember to finish strong.
Writing Tips: What I can share
- I’ve also learned, if you’re interested in writing a book, make sure to write about something you love. Your passion will make others passionate!
- Make sure you’re ready to put in the work.
- Lastly, an editor can SEEM like they’re being picky, but also that’s their job. While your writing is kind of like a piece of yourself, don’t take it personally when they suggest changes (this is hard!).
Connect with Karri
If you loved these tips and are looking for more, reach out to Karri! kiverson@oakschristian.org
