"Thankfully, we have Cat Wagman to help us
get back to the common courtesies of Life, Living, and Remembering.
Each page of Why ... THANK YOU! enlightens and
is a lively experience. There isn't anyone anywhere who could or would not
benefit from a Note of Thanks.
As humble as
this may sound: For a Job well done: THANKS, Cat!"
Working Words would like to introduce Cat and
Moussé Wagman. 
Cat is the author and Moussé
is the one with the whiskers, and both are wearing Creative Catalyst Silly
Sensors at the moment. Together they approach writing Thank-You Notes as a
fun-filled creative activity, and they are ready to share their techniques with
you.
Let Cat and Moussé help you:
by ANN L. TAYLOR
1995-96 National
President, Women In Communications, Inc.
If you've ever struggled with or have been intimidated by the mere thought of putting pen to paper when writing a thank-you note, this book is for you! Cat Wagman has taken the fine art of saying "Thank You" to new heights with a warm and witty "quick read" that will challenge, delight, and inspire any child-and adult, for that matter. She shows how much fun there is in creating "from-the-heart messages" to those we care about and to those who care about us.
I know. I've taken her tips and passed them onto my grandson, Brent, who is now a First Class Thank-You Note Writer! His latest one to me included the lines,
| "Granna, the new in-line skates you gave
me for my birthday work great. I'll teach you how to use them when you visit in 3 weeks." |
Now, that will be a real struggle and a little intimidating, but with Brent's enthusiasm
and some practice, I'll be skating in no time at all!
I have no doubt that once you learn the easy techniques Cat shows you, and use them
when writing your notes, you will be delighted to find out how creative you truly are and
how much fun writing can be.
I wrote this book for a very special person—YOU! As a unique individual, you have your own thoughts and feelings. To help you communicate those feelings and thoughts, I will show you, step-by-step, a professional writer's way to write a Thank-You Note in a style all your own.
As part of my ongoing commitment to help kids and grown-ups discover the joys of creative writing, I decided to write “Why ... THANK YOU!” It started with my own Thank-You Note writing experiences and grew out of a class I have taught called the Why ... THANK YOU! FUNshop™. I have also shared my methods with students during Career Day programs in local schools.
When my parents were kids, they HAD to write Thank-You
Notes, and I'm sure yours did, too. However, I don't think anyone has ever
approached it as something FUN to do. How many times do you think kids have
heard the following?
“Did you write a Thank-You Note to Grandma, YET?!?”
or
“Just write a note and be done with it
already!”
There are many books which tell you about “form and structure,” but not about the actual writing of a Thank-You Note. Many grown-ups don't enjoy writing because they think it is hard to do. However, when something is FUN to do, no matter how hard or challenging it may seem, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes.
I will show you the materials you need, talk about planning, demonstrate “Cat's Creative Catalyst” and how to use it, and, of course, give a variety of Thank-You Note examples for many different occasions.
Feel free to share this book with your friends and parents. Above all, have FUN with it! Let this book help you explore the Magical World of Words, Images, and Emotions.
Now ... have FUN and ENJOY !
This is my gift to you.
Cat
Here's What Others Are Saying About
"Why ... THANK YOU!"
" 'Please' may get credit for being
the magic word, but a couple of other magic words are 'Thank You.' Cat Wagman
shows us not only how to get our thank-you notes written, but how to have some
fun along the way.
Where was she when
I was a kid? Thanks for a great book, Cat. Gee, that was fun!"
Cat Wagman, a professional writer with
more than twenty-five years experience, began her communications career in
Public Broadcasting. Now, as a full-time writer and 
consultant, she provides all types of advertising, marketing, and
office procedure documentation and training materials to businesses in South
Florida. She considers this her "bread-and-butter" writing, while her poetry,
fantasy, and children's stories are her "dessert."
In 1976, Cat and her husband, Jan, managed to write and mail more than 150 notes in only three days-after they got married, and before they left on their honeymoon! It was from this point on that Cat became known as the family's Thank-You Note Writing Expert.
Later, Cat drew on her experiences and developed her first Why ... THANK YOU! FUNshop™, which she presented to her elder son's third grade class in 1990. She continues to use Thank-You Notes to introduce the joys of creative writing to kids of all ages (and teachers, too!) during Career Days at local schools.
As a Thank-You Note Writing Expert, Cat helps people of every age to creatively compose their thoughts and translate them to paper. Her ultimate goal is to encourage the exploration of creative writing as a recreational, therapeutic, and expressive tool for living life to the fullest. "Why ... THANK YOU!" grew from her love of writing, her enjoyment in teaching others, and the hundreds of Thank-You Notes she has written over the years.
Highly recommended!”
- Midwest Book Review
“Why ... THANK YOU!
... this book lives up to its claims ...
Written clearly
and concisely, Why
... THANK YOU! is appropriate for anyone old enough
to write a thank-you note.
Important bonus: everyone who uses this book will
improve his or her writing skills—painlessly.”
-The Mountain Times
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at Cat@thankyouthankyou.com
© 1997 - 2011 Catherine E. W. Wagman