This morning, part deux
Two things I want to continue from this morning:
First, the speaking was plain, old-fashioned fun, especially the eighth and ninth graders. We went through the hero's journey (using Wizard of Oz), then we used it to come up with our own plot. The kids will take those bones and write their story, adding ligaments and tendons and muscles and flesh and all that jazz. I can't wait to hear how they turn out next week. These kids have talent. The story? A beagle has to save his parents from a mad scientist.
With the sixth graders, we did a Halloween scene and practiced using the five senses to increase the scary factor (Mich, I thought of you the entire time with their haunted houses and cemeteries and werewolves and zombies and pictures with eyes that follow you). These kids had a harder time focusing, but the ideas shot out like fireworks.
It energized me, seeing brains open up (not literarly, for those of you still on the Halloween theme).
Second thing (still regarding creativity), you need to see a picture of my beloved Nancy Drew pad. It's small and goes every where with me. A friend saw it in Barnes and Noble and thought instantly of me. I'm glad she did. I suspect that I could not be a writer without it (especially considering the memory factor).Imagine her worn on the edges, and filled with ideas: dialogue snippets, settings, observations while in the train station, and you have one of my best friends in this writing world.
By the way, Christianne, yes, the pic is from this year's ACFW, and good memory re: last year's pic. Impressive. The memory I used to have...
11 comments:
Sounds like a fun morning. I was so happy to meet you at ACFW!
Awww. All the budding horror writers...does my heart good! :)
OHHHH And guess what? You'll never, ever in a million years believe it. Jen has NEVER seen Wizard of Oz. I HAVE to make popcorn and yummy treats and have her over to watch it. I cannot believe I get to introduce someone to my favoritest movie of all time.
Oh, and I got Creepshow in the mail today, she'll have to watch that with me, too.
I don't believe it. You are introducing someone else to a movie? Wonders never cease.
And Jen hasn't seen Wizard of Oz? Jen! How have you survived this long with a trip somewhere over the rainbow?
Yeah, yeah, I'm deprived, I know.
And Creepshow? I don't know about that. Maybe early in the day.
Nancy Drew. My daughter's entre into the reading world! So, she inspires you to write? Do all your characters end up going about in a stylish pink suit, and taking the right wrong turns?
Unfortunately, none of my characters have trendy clothes.
But in my WIP, my main character is rereading her Nancy Drews.
Haha, that quip from you at the end was a good one. :)
Cool to read how it went! I particularly liked the bit about the beagle and the mad scientist, and also imagining what kinds of things could come out of putting the five senses to work on Halloween with a room full of sixth-graders.
Budding horror writers, indeed. I think horror is a genre particularly suited to Christians. But then, I'm writing a book about zombies just for fun.
We did a great interview with Scott Derrickson, the writer and director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose at TheHighCalling.org last year. You might like it.
Also, I just wanted to publicly thank you for being one of the first supporters of HighCallingBlogs.com. It looks like we're about to take off.
Heath,
#1 - Industry Accounting? Oh ha-ha-ha. I would elaborate but I gotta go to the bathroom before I have a laughter trauma.
#2 - Jen, no Wizard? Girl, don't get me started. Okay, you already did. They have these silver thingies called DVD's. Go check one out.
#3 - Mich, friends don't let friends not walk on the yellow brick road.
Marcus--definitely my pleasure. I love The High Calling and all it stands for.
Christianne--yeah, the five senses were an interesting exercise (or exorcise?) in keeping my breakfast down. Smells? Rotting flesh and dead fish. They didn't even have to think about the answers.
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