Grades 6–8
60+ Minutes
Narrative
VideosMayra Cuevas is the award-winning author of books for readers of all ages. Her young adult novel Does My Body Offend You? (co-written with Marie Marquardt) was long-listed for the PEN/Faulkner Award, named a 2023 Book All Young Georgians Should Read and appeared in multiple “Best Books” lists. In 2023, she was named Georgia Author of the Year (YA category). Mayra’s debut picture book My Abuela is a Bruja earned three starred reviews and released to wide critical acclaim. Her debut adult romance How to Fake a Southern Gentleman (co-written with Marie Marquardt) releases in 2026. Mayra is also the author of the teen foodie romcom Salty, Bitter, Sweet, and the short story “Resilient,” published as part of the anthology Foreshadow: The Magic of Reading and Writing YA. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Mayra is a former award-winning CNN producer, and now a creative writing professor. She also co-founded the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and its Latinx Storytellers Conference.
You will learn how to identify personal details in your life that could inspire a fictional story.
STEP 1
First, watch the video. Then, write your answer to this prompt in your writing journal:
STEP 2
On page 1 of the Writing with Specificity with Mayra Cuevas — Handout, draw and write about the pieces of yourself that keep closest to your heart. Think about your everyday life, family history, favorite things, dreams and aspirations, future goals, etc. Add at least five details to your map and use colored pencils or markers to illustrate these pieces of your heart.
STEP 3
Next, you will figure out which of the details from your Heart Map you’d like to incorporate into your story. On page 2 of the handout, choose at least five details from your Heart Map. Then, think...
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