The following post was provided by MRC (aka FlowerWind), 7 year old author, crafting tornado, and second born daughter. This is the first chapter of her NaNoWriMo novel from last November*. If you are unfamiliar with the Young Writer's Program at NaNo, I highly recommend the workbook you can print out. It is a great tool for teaching young ones about noveling.
Chester the Mouse
Chapter One-The Adventure Begins
Once upon a time there was a mouse. His name was Chester. Chester lived in a hole under a mushroom in the garden. The mushroom was quiet and peaceful.
Chester had three neighbors. The first was a brown rabbit named Pinkie. Pinkie had a white fluffy tail. She lived in a raspberry bush. The second neighbor was Binky the tortoise. Binky lives in a tree stump out near the ditch. Squirrel was the third neighbor. He lives in a hole in a tree. He has a collection of nuts. He collects them before winter.
Chester was lonely in his hole by himself. Every sunny day he would go out for a walk over to Binky’s house. Sometimes, he would go to Pinkie’s house. And sometimes, he would even go to Squirrel’s house. On rainy days, Chester would stay home. In the morning he would suck on candy canes that he had found in an old picnic basket. Later he would take naps and eat breakfast and lunch and go to sleep for the night.
For a week, he spent the night at Squirrel’s house.
In May, He would go to the store and buy some sliced cheese, peanut butter, and party stuff. Squirrel’s birthday was on June 1st.
After Squirrel’s birthday all of the visitors would go home and sleep for the night. Binky would go to his tree stump. Pinkie would go to her raspberry bush. Squirrel would stay at her house. And Chester would go to his mushroom.
*I do hereby declare that I typed this manuscript exactly as it was dictated to me, in spite of an overwhelming urge to spot edit.
Showing posts with label Guest posts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest posts. Show all posts
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Writing Partners-Guest post
The following post was contributed by AM Jenner (aka Romana). She is the one who pesters me about point of view issues and overusing the word "that". And I appreciate every bit of it. She has written and published several books with her partner. You can find them, and much more, at her website. Here is what she has to say about co-authoring.
Working with a partner is very easy for me, because I've always worked with one. There are both advantages and disadvantages in having a partner to write with.
The main advantage is having a sounding board, someone to bounce ideas off, and who can help you when you're stuck. A partner is someone who will help you create a world...and then destroy it if necessary.
The main disadvantage is in having to swallow your pride, both during the editing process and when talking about your successes later. "We wrote that." just doesn't have the same ring, or feeling to it as "I wrote that."; especially if your partner is not standing near enough to physically include in the "we". Sometimes it makes me feel others think I'm being snobby, using the royal "we"...so if you catch me on my own, I'm more likely to use the singular; not because I don't value or recognize my partner's contributions, but because of the way American English is wired.
There is a lot of trust involved in a writing partnership. You have to trust your partner to tell you honestly if an idea is worth pursuing or if it's absolute rubbish. You have to trust your partner with your characters; to help you shape their lives and stories correctly.
Sometimes you have a story so perfectly in your head you can't see where it doesn't hang together. It's very hard not to get mad at your partner while they try to tell you what's wrong with the world you're so proud of creating. It's also hard to contain your frustration and anger when you can see the glaring hole in your partner's plot and you can't find the words to make them understand what you mean.
If you both can stay calm and realize this is not a personal attack; the stories you write together can end up encompassing the best qualities each of you has to give. Each person can bring their strengths and make up for the deficiencies of the other, and the stories conceived and produced by your partnership will be better than anything either of you can produce alone.
The excitement, joy, and pleasure of shared creation...that's how writing is for my partner and me.
A M Jenner
Working with a partner is very easy for me, because I've always worked with one. There are both advantages and disadvantages in having a partner to write with.
The main advantage is having a sounding board, someone to bounce ideas off, and who can help you when you're stuck. A partner is someone who will help you create a world...and then destroy it if necessary.
The main disadvantage is in having to swallow your pride, both during the editing process and when talking about your successes later. "We wrote that." just doesn't have the same ring, or feeling to it as "I wrote that."; especially if your partner is not standing near enough to physically include in the "we". Sometimes it makes me feel others think I'm being snobby, using the royal "we"...so if you catch me on my own, I'm more likely to use the singular; not because I don't value or recognize my partner's contributions, but because of the way American English is wired.
There is a lot of trust involved in a writing partnership. You have to trust your partner to tell you honestly if an idea is worth pursuing or if it's absolute rubbish. You have to trust your partner with your characters; to help you shape their lives and stories correctly.
Sometimes you have a story so perfectly in your head you can't see where it doesn't hang together. It's very hard not to get mad at your partner while they try to tell you what's wrong with the world you're so proud of creating. It's also hard to contain your frustration and anger when you can see the glaring hole in your partner's plot and you can't find the words to make them understand what you mean.
If you both can stay calm and realize this is not a personal attack; the stories you write together can end up encompassing the best qualities each of you has to give. Each person can bring their strengths and make up for the deficiencies of the other, and the stories conceived and produced by your partnership will be better than anything either of you can produce alone.
The excitement, joy, and pleasure of shared creation...that's how writing is for my partner and me.
A M Jenner
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Vanity Plates-Guest post
The following poetry was submitted by Frank (aka Grumpy of "Grumpy Grinch"), fellow letterboxers and rhymers extraordinaire.
Vanity Plates
As I was driving through the States
I took a glance at license plates.
Some were clever; some were dense
Of some I couldn't make much sense.
I think that fellow boxing fans
Should offer us their license plans.
I like AQLBXR
1MORBX, attracts, for sure.
B,X,C,R,Z,Y, need I
Explain to you exactly why,
Turns my mind to boxing thoughts,
Lovely views and hiding spots.
LUV2BOX is what we feel,
IMBOXIN has a great appeal.
But I have found, unfortunately,
That in these matters often we
Are thwarted by the DMV.
Vanity Plates
As I was driving through the States
I took a glance at license plates.
Some were clever; some were dense
Of some I couldn't make much sense.
I think that fellow boxing fans
Should offer us their license plans.
I like AQLBXR
1MORBX, attracts, for sure.
B,X,C,R,Z,Y, need I
Explain to you exactly why,
Turns my mind to boxing thoughts,
Lovely views and hiding spots.
LUV2BOX is what we feel,
IMBOXIN has a great appeal.
But I have found, unfortunately,
That in these matters often we
Are thwarted by the DMV.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Red Wing--Guest post
The following is a post provided by JLC (aka DoodlePaws), 11 year old author, graphic novelist, and first born daughter.
Red Wing, an Eastern Red Bat in the barn, watched what happened every day. The men working on the tractors, the sparrows building mud nests on the ceilings, the clatter of tools; but one thing for sure, he was extremely bored with it. The only stuff he could do was stare, doze, doze and stare. His sister, Gigi, however, was finding all sorts of things to do. She fluttered around the barn, off walls, through piles of hay, weaving in and out of lattice. But of course, Red Wing was bored with that too.
“I get no cure for boredom these days.” He said. “I know that because every day is absolutely the same. Not a single scrap of new life. Curtain rods!” He’d always think.
Gigi always had the same answer to that.
“Yeah, issues. But sadly I can’t find a cure for your feelings. You spice it up yourself.
Sometimes beating boredom is harder than it looks, isn’t it? When it comes to Red Wing’s boredom, people aren’t kidding when they say that.”
“I don’t know how long I can last,” thought Red Wing.
The tractors, sparrows, tools and Gigi went on doing ordinary stuff.
“I think I’m gonna die!” Red Wing yelled.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he flew down and screamed at it all:
“Every day’s so boring, it’s outrageous.”
But of course, all the people could hear was squeaking.
“I’m outta here! Aren’t you listening to me?”
Still no answer. Maybe Gigi was right after all. So Red Wing decided that he would have to leave things the way they are. He told Gigi she was right, which made her smile. Even Red Wing smiled. This was going to be a better day than he expected.
“This barn is still great!” He said out loud.
Red Wing, an Eastern Red Bat in the barn, watched what happened every day. The men working on the tractors, the sparrows building mud nests on the ceilings, the clatter of tools; but one thing for sure, he was extremely bored with it. The only stuff he could do was stare, doze, doze and stare. His sister, Gigi, however, was finding all sorts of things to do. She fluttered around the barn, off walls, through piles of hay, weaving in and out of lattice. But of course, Red Wing was bored with that too.
“I get no cure for boredom these days.” He said. “I know that because every day is absolutely the same. Not a single scrap of new life. Curtain rods!” He’d always think.
Gigi always had the same answer to that.
“Yeah, issues. But sadly I can’t find a cure for your feelings. You spice it up yourself.
Sometimes beating boredom is harder than it looks, isn’t it? When it comes to Red Wing’s boredom, people aren’t kidding when they say that.”
“I don’t know how long I can last,” thought Red Wing.
The tractors, sparrows, tools and Gigi went on doing ordinary stuff.
“I think I’m gonna die!” Red Wing yelled.
When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he flew down and screamed at it all:
“Every day’s so boring, it’s outrageous.”
But of course, all the people could hear was squeaking.
“I’m outta here! Aren’t you listening to me?”
Still no answer. Maybe Gigi was right after all. So Red Wing decided that he would have to leave things the way they are. He told Gigi she was right, which made her smile. Even Red Wing smiled. This was going to be a better day than he expected.
“This barn is still great!” He said out loud.
Monday, March 22, 2010
In Defense of Limericks--Guest post
The following post was contributed by Mark Berkeland (aka Wassamatta_U), friend (I certainly wouldn't want him as an enemy), pun master, and all around good egg (Did I just call Wassa an egg?).
I really feel like the Lowly Limerick often gets short shrift, and feel it is my duty to defend this form of poetry as being more than meets (or meters) the eye. And so, without further ado, here is my post:
"The assignment for today is simple. Write a limerick."
I'm afraid I have to disagree with this. Limericks, when done well, are NOT "simple." Allow me to pontificate about one of my favorite forms of writing... the lowly Limerick.
I love limericks. What other form of poetry depends almost solely on the use of a "punch line?" Bad puns or twists are almost a requirement of a good limerick, and those are the sorts of things I really enjoy doing. But to successfully pull off a really top-notch limerick takes a lot of effort, for what one would THINK is a simple poetic form. Heck, the meter is well-defined, there's only 5 little lines, it uses a standard AABBA scheme... what could be so hard?
Aye, but there's the rub.
As any writer of short stories knows, the limited length limits your ability to "build" the story. One must be succinct, and choose very carefully what elements to include so that the story can build without exceeding it's natural size limitations. The same is true, only magnified, with a good limerick. It is DARN HARD to set up a good joke in 5 lines!!! And SHORT lines, to boot! You really have to work at stuffing your thoughts into such a limited space, especially when there is the further restriction of meter and rhyme. You have to choose your words very carefully, and you don't have the luxury of wasting a single syllable.
Which brings us to the NEXT challenge for the limerick writer... the rhyme scheme. Remember how I said the limerick has a punch line? I misspoke. More often, it is a punch WORD. In other words, the REAL kicker rests solely on the very last word of the poem. Everything else is leading up to that ONE WORD. Naturally, there are always exceptions (as with any literary form: see "Kate DiCamillo"... but I digress). But mostly, one doesn't make the joke earlier in the last line. And heaven forbid trying to stick the joke in the AABB part! People would stop reading at that point! No... the final word is where the limerick gets it's true power. But wait.... that's not ALL! As with MOST jokes, the limerick punch depends on the UNEXPECTED. People shouldn't see it coming from a mile away, at least with a REALLY good limerick. Obfuscating the joke would be a lot easier if you could do it somewhere within that last line, but no... we have to do it as the last word. And since we are sticking to AABBA, that last punchline word has to rhyme. And it has to rhyme with not just ONE other line, but TWO other lines (the FIRST two). And since those other two WERE the first two lines, the reader has had time to anticipate "other words" that will rhyme with those. Thus making it VERY difficult to surprise them! It's gotta rhyme (though close-rhymes, or Tom Lehrer-type pseudo rhymes, in my opinion, are not only acceptable but preferred), and it's gotta be unexpected. And it has to fit in the meter. And you have to build to it. Put it all together, and it is an absolute WONDER that anyone can EVER write a really good limerick!
And so, Dear Stacy, I must take issue with your opening line: "The assignment for today is simple. Write a limerick." A truly good limerick, though easy to READ and to UNDERSTAND, can be darn HARD to craft!
End of Sermon.
I figured after my Limerick Rant, I should also include an appropriate
example of said poetry. Just tack it on the end of my rant:
A Limerick's the kind of a poem,
That makes you start scratching your dome.
'Cause it's hard to explain,
Why these rhymes are a pain,
But I think once you see 'em, you'll know 'em.
I really feel like the Lowly Limerick often gets short shrift, and feel it is my duty to defend this form of poetry as being more than meets (or meters) the eye. And so, without further ado, here is my post:
"The assignment for today is simple. Write a limerick."
I'm afraid I have to disagree with this. Limericks, when done well, are NOT "simple." Allow me to pontificate about one of my favorite forms of writing... the lowly Limerick.
I love limericks. What other form of poetry depends almost solely on the use of a "punch line?" Bad puns or twists are almost a requirement of a good limerick, and those are the sorts of things I really enjoy doing. But to successfully pull off a really top-notch limerick takes a lot of effort, for what one would THINK is a simple poetic form. Heck, the meter is well-defined, there's only 5 little lines, it uses a standard AABBA scheme... what could be so hard?
Aye, but there's the rub.
As any writer of short stories knows, the limited length limits your ability to "build" the story. One must be succinct, and choose very carefully what elements to include so that the story can build without exceeding it's natural size limitations. The same is true, only magnified, with a good limerick. It is DARN HARD to set up a good joke in 5 lines!!! And SHORT lines, to boot! You really have to work at stuffing your thoughts into such a limited space, especially when there is the further restriction of meter and rhyme. You have to choose your words very carefully, and you don't have the luxury of wasting a single syllable.
Which brings us to the NEXT challenge for the limerick writer... the rhyme scheme. Remember how I said the limerick has a punch line? I misspoke. More often, it is a punch WORD. In other words, the REAL kicker rests solely on the very last word of the poem. Everything else is leading up to that ONE WORD. Naturally, there are always exceptions (as with any literary form: see "Kate DiCamillo"... but I digress). But mostly, one doesn't make the joke earlier in the last line. And heaven forbid trying to stick the joke in the AABB part! People would stop reading at that point! No... the final word is where the limerick gets it's true power. But wait.... that's not ALL! As with MOST jokes, the limerick punch depends on the UNEXPECTED. People shouldn't see it coming from a mile away, at least with a REALLY good limerick. Obfuscating the joke would be a lot easier if you could do it somewhere within that last line, but no... we have to do it as the last word. And since we are sticking to AABBA, that last punchline word has to rhyme. And it has to rhyme with not just ONE other line, but TWO other lines (the FIRST two). And since those other two WERE the first two lines, the reader has had time to anticipate "other words" that will rhyme with those. Thus making it VERY difficult to surprise them! It's gotta rhyme (though close-rhymes, or Tom Lehrer-type pseudo rhymes, in my opinion, are not only acceptable but preferred), and it's gotta be unexpected. And it has to fit in the meter. And you have to build to it. Put it all together, and it is an absolute WONDER that anyone can EVER write a really good limerick!
And so, Dear Stacy, I must take issue with your opening line: "The assignment for today is simple. Write a limerick." A truly good limerick, though easy to READ and to UNDERSTAND, can be darn HARD to craft!
End of Sermon.
I figured after my Limerick Rant, I should also include an appropriate
example of said poetry. Just tack it on the end of my rant:
A Limerick's the kind of a poem,
That makes you start scratching your dome.
'Cause it's hard to explain,
Why these rhymes are a pain,
But I think once you see 'em, you'll know 'em.
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