Crafted Word Writing Prompts

Final Writing Prompt

Writing a Final Summer Narrative

This writing prompt invokes the mantra of not trying to reinvent the wheel, and so it is drawn from my final writing prompt of last summer.  I understand as well as any the constraints of time and motivation, but I will do my best to find a stretch of time to answer this final writing prompt myself.  For me, that means a chunk of uninterrupted time that spans three or four hours--not always easy with seven kids on vacation, but as I tell those same kids: if you ain't got time, you make time. Only you know what you need, but do your best to do your best. As an English teacher, I know that I will ask my students to write a narrative about their summer. If your teacher does the same, you will be one step ahead of the curve when school begins.

A good way to to start is to write a list of memories that each include an image and an action.  From those memories, paragraphs can be written; from those paragraphs an essay can be developed, and that essay can become your final narrative. I promise I will do the same.

Enjoy your last week of the summer as much as I have enjoyed sharing in your summer experiences through your blogging.

Thanks again,

Fitz

Our house is a beehive of morning activity this morning. My kids, all of whom whom, except for Pipo and Kaleigh, have never been on an airplane before are running up and down the stairs in various outfits that might be fit for their cousin’s wedding in Oregon later this week. Emma is miffed that the plane that flies out of Boston at six o’clock tomorrow morning is not going to fly over Tennessee; Charlie is bummed that we are not going to Chicago.  I’m clueless as to how they hold these places dear to their heart, but there is much we don’t know about our kids.  Maybe the piles of books they bought for twenty-five cents each at the Brewster Public Library rummage sale (and which are now spread like stepping stones across the family room) have sparked their imaginations of travel to various and remote places. This trip is our last hurrah of the summer and our first foray as a family as travelers outside the cocoon of our Bus. It feels a bit odd to be going mainstream with the rhumb lines of our travels predetermined by airlines, taxis, and hotels. I’ve never spent so much money before on something I couldn’t take home and set in my backyard. Like the over-played MasterCard commercial, I am sure the memories will be priceless; but every memory is priceless, as long as it is kept in the scrapbook of our souls--as long as it is deemed a treasure by the passage of time and by the yardstick of our own making.

For the past four years of these summer writing communities my last writing prompt has always been an exhortation of sorts to simply remember your summer by distilling the images and actions, and and rephrasing the introspective reflections, of the water that has passed over the dam of your life. There is a parable in the New Testament that describes a vineyard owner hiring men at different times during the day.  At the end of the day, he payed them all the same daily wage whether they worked one hour or ten hours. This angered those workers that put in a long day's work, as they received the same recompense as those who barely stepped into the vineyard. The vineyard owner pointed out that he had fulfilled his promise to all of them of a certain payment to be made at the end of the day. The religious allegory is, of course, that those who live a moral and upright life will always be rewarded at the end of their lives, and that those who come to spiritual realization later in life will also be rewarded in the same way. One does not trump the other.

I often think of the parable of the vineyard when I read your blogs. Many of you have put in a mighty effort all summer long writing and maintaining a record of your literary journey--a journey that is compelling and amazing. Though you may not fully sense it yourself, I see a remarkable growth in your narrative voice and the confident expression of yourself in your writing. You are the ones who have been working in the vineyard all day, and I hope you already feel rewarded. Others of you are coming to the vineyard later in the day, but you are no less welcome. My own kids fall into the category of those whose busy summers kept them from writing but whose experiences are no less meaningful and memorable. Though I may have to prod my abstemious offspring, I know that they will come to the vineyard later in the day and use their voice to find the spiritual rewards of their summer odysseys. If your own journal is sparse, I hope that you, too, will find a way to sit and sift through the grains of your summer and give heft and body, and a lasting testament to the inner and outer rings of these last few months.

There is an intrinsic beauty in preparation--especially if that preparation is a practiced and almost thoughtless motion. The first thing EJ and Pipo did when they got home yesterday (after two months away from home) was to find their fishing poles, untangle the impossible web of lines and hooks, dig some worms, and walk the mile to the mill pond to see whether the murky waters of their dreams would still relinquish its treasure. They didn’t need a lesson on fishing to know what they needed to do; they relinquished themselves to their hearts and let it take them where they needed to go. It was satisfying to see what can only be a subliminal desire on their part to recapture their old selves in their new bodies. You can never enter the same river twice, so I wonder what they were thinking in their silent meditations under the sultry willows that line the shore.  Perhaps EJ and Pipo were only thinking of monster catfish, but I’m sure the gravity and momentum of time will reveal a greater memory and a deeper speculation on what the moment returned to them. Thoughts are only completed by the power of words. They are saved from the diaspora of forgetfulness by the eternal testament and saving power of the written word.

In the same way that we are preparing for our trip to the west coast--packing, paying bills, arranging for pets, sweeping and cleaning and renting cars--a writer needs to prepare to write a lengthy writing piece by preparing for the work that lies ahead of them. Neither Denise nor I are practiced in this discipline of modern travel. As such we are like writers unprepared to face the empty page.  There is an awkwardness in our motions; there is always something we are remembering at the last minute and other things we will only discover when we unpack our bags. This preparation is something we assumed would be simple and easy to do, but for us it is not simple or easy; it is a humbling and awkward lesson in fallibility and inexperience-though not less joyful and exciting.  We realized last night that we hadn’t even planned where to go from the airport. At the last minute, I found myself plotting and planning how to get the most out of our brief sojourn. At the moment of my greatest discombobulation last night I called my brother Tom-- an oft traveling businessman. I laughed at how simple he made the whole process seem. He is already in Oregon with his family, and he mapped out the very few bases we needed to cover. Refreshed and reassured, I went to bed with the serenity that only comes of knowing. Little brother Tom closed the gap of my trepidation and ignorance by power and giving of his free and well-practiced knowledge. In the same way we, as writers, need to listen to those who have been there and done that in the trenches of the writing process.

My hope is that all of you will make a final trip to your blogs and try to capture your summer in a way that is full and revealing and will stand as a monument to your time in the vineyard of your writing community. To keep the strands of your writing together, find a theme--a single word or sentence--that most fully expresses the core of whom you are, what you have lived, and what you have become over the course of your summer wanderings, and let that theme weave through the flow of your narrative. More important than the monster catfish was the reason my boys went to the mill pond, and more important than the details of our trip to Oregon is the dream that is getting us there. These are the things that people want and need to see from a writer. I don’t expect anyone to wait on every word of my travels or my boy’s successes and failures as fisherman(only a vainglorious fool trusts that a reader is only interested in his or herself, for a discerning reader reads for a greater edification) but, for my part, I do trust in the rewards of reading anything written in   the vineyard that all of us entered knowing and anticipating what is expected from us as writers who wish to be read.

Each of us can only do what we set out to do. Good writing is both a task and an adventure. It is never one or the other. If you need help, guidance, or ideas, feel free to share your struggles in your journal or e-mail me, and I (and you, by commenting as well) will help you as best I (and we) can.

Thanks for reading and thanks for writing!

-Fitz

“Good writers borrow; great writers steal.”
--Oscar Wilde

Recently, Julie Berry, a good friend of ours and neighbor in Maynard MA, published her first novel, The Amaranth Enchantment.   Unlike most aspiring writers, her novel was "picked up" by a major publishing house (the same house that publishes the Harry Potter series), and so she is off on a spree of book signings and readings throughout the country.  Pretty great stuff for a good-hearted and hard-working woman with four young children of her own! My daughter, Margaret, who is way more well-read than her dad, said it was her favorite book she ever read, which tells me that Julie certainly engages her target audience of young teen girls.

Most of us probably don’t have Julie’s perseverance, but we may have enough of a way with words to create our own story worth publishing. I asked her how she came up with the plot of her novel (a secret ploy on the part of an eager English teacher to help my own students develop plots for their own stories). Her answer was all too simple and obvious: Julie does not worry about plot because the “plot” is what’s left after answering--using seriously good writing skills--a series of “what if” questions.  She went on to say that she got the idea from Stephen King--one of the great horror story writers of all time. I laughed and said I was afraid that her approach might put us teachers out of business, but I found myself applying her approach to one of my favorite novels: What if some naive, intrepid, and quixotic young man named Ishmael signed up on a whaling cruise with a maniacal captain named Ahab? What if that captain was bent on avenging a previous encounter with a menacing white whale? What if Ishmael befriended a tattooed carnivorous giant of a harpooner named Queequeg? What if the white whale defeated all who tried to kill her--except, of course, the voice of the narrator, the sole survivor who lived to tell the tale? And then all Herman Melville had to do was use his imagination and his experience and perception of life to fill in the details and create compelling and vivid situations--and out comes the novel Moby Dick!

Here is Stephen Kings short and pithy explanation of the "what if" approach:

    1.    The basics: forget plot, but remember the importance of 'situation.'
I won't try to convince you that I've never plotted any more than I'd try to convince you that I've never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible. I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible.

A strong enough situation renders the whole question of plot moot. The most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a What-if question:

What if vampires invaded a small New England village? (Salem's Lot).
What if a young mother and her son became trapped in their stalled car by a rabid dog? (Cujo).

These were situations which occurred to me - while showering, while driving, while taking my daily walk - and which I eventually turned into books. In no case were they plotted, not even to the extent of a single note jotted on a single piece of scrap paper.

As readers, we need to be interested in what we read. As writers, we need to create interesting and compelling situations that seem real--even if they are completely “unreal.”

For a writing prompt, try applying the “what if” approach to whatever you are writing: a short story; a journal entry; a personal narrative, or a poem, and see for yourself if it helps or hinders your writing. It is a great exercise to think "what if I wrote about..." and see if what you come up with can be followed up with an "and then..." or two or three! It is certainly worth a try. Remember that "what if" only sets up a situation or a series of situations. You fill in the details using characters, dialogue, imagery and actions, and creating a setting and scenario that make what you write worth reading--and that is the really fun and challenging part of writing.

There is everything right about trying to imitate greatness.  Steven King and Julie Berry are great writers in their own right.  It is well worth heeding the sharing of their wisdom and their approach to the craft of writing.

Try Some Haiku

Haiku Techniques

I have always been a big fan of haiku poetry. I know from experience how understanding haiku can help us in any of our writing pieces.  If we are attentive, it teaches us to be concise, detailed, and original in the way we create imagery and deeper meaning--which is so important when trying to engage our readers attention and imagination. Try to write at least six haiku using the three different techniques I describe below.

Oftentimes, I write a haiku which then "evolves" into a longer narrative poem--and that's great, too! In fact, the term haiku is derived from the word "Hai" which means "insightful,"  and the term "Ku," which means "fun." (Or something very close to that.) For my purposes, Haiku are poems of 20 syllables or less constructed in three lines using an images, actions, and a cutting element (usually a punctuation mark that sets up the twist)  that separates the  haiku into two sections.  This might not be the definition you know, but it is the one we will use for the haiku we create.  It is not a bad idea to stay close to the traditional 5-7-5 syllable scheme, but it is certainly not the end and be all of "effective haiku."   Only a pedant (very boring person) is going to sit there and count syllables on you.  A good haiku has neither too little or too much, and it just feels like a haiku when you read it or hear it. It makes you want to say, "Ahhhhh ku..."

Here are my three Haiku Techniques: (Though there are many others as well!)

1. Technique # 1:Image and action + cool twist: See the description below

In her nest of grass
The robin sleeps all day;
It must be Sunday.
     ~fitz

1. Technique # 2: Image on Image + Cool Twist or Thought: Juxtapose images + actions that helps us see those images in a new and interesting way: This is what we discussed in class where you use "prepositions" to place two images in relation to each other, and then you add an action that adds some kind of cool twist--as in my poem above, or this final haiku that might also go with the scene from chapter ten.

Outside the bombed cottage
the old soldier smiles
and flips the pancakes.

     -fitz

Technique #3: Big to small, and small to big: "Give me a stone and I'll show you the universe.  Show me the universe and I'll give you a stone:"

All that's left
of the long winter--
a mitten in the daffodils
~fitz

Here is a way to practice technique #1:

First create a series of images and actions and make the first two lines of a "potential" haiku.

    •    Nature, and especially the seasons, is the best raw material for haiku.  Go outside and watch nature.  (Yes, move away from your computer and grab a notebook and a pencil!) Find a place where you can just sit and observe what is happening around you. Whenever you "see" something happening, write down that image and action using only nouns and verbs--and occasionally a necessary adjective, and rarely an adverb! The most common sights often make for the best haiku.

For example:   

• In her nest of grass
  The robin sleeps all day

• A single earthworm
  Inches across the wet pavement

• Three painted monarchs
  Dance around a single flower

• Lightening flashes
  And distant rumbling

Next, take those images and actions and create a haiku by adding a short thought, question, or statement. In traditional haiku this is called the "cutting."  The cutting adds a "twist" into the poem and lets your reader experience the image and action in a new (and often profound--and sometimes funny) way.  A good way to set off this cutting is by adding a semi-colon, double dash or colon at the end of the first section. I generally use a semi-colon in place of a comma and conjunction (so, yet, and, or, nor, for, but).  I use a colon to introduce a statement or a list.  I use the double dash when I want to add a cool thought or sudden insight to complete the haiku.  Try to keep this line between four and seven syllables.

In her nest of grass
The robin sleeps all day;
It must be Sunday.
~fitz

A single earthworm
Inches across the wet pavement:
Stop the speeding car?
~fitz

Three painted monarchs
Dance around a single flower--
Sweet waiting nectar!
~fitz

Lightening flashes
And vague distant rumbling:
Somebody's getting wet.
~fitz

These may not be the greatest haiku in the world, but I hope you get the basic idea of what I want you to try to do.  The important part of this exercise is to practice creating images and actions using nouns and verbs and essential adjectives. By adding the cutting I want you to see that even the most common of experiences can have profound and unique meaning.

Here is a way to practice technique #2:

First you need to create juxtaposed images--especially if the images are "out of place"--that are connected with a prepositional phrase.

For example:

• The rubber ball
  in the new snow

• A dark puddle
  on the dry street

• On a withered branch
  the black crow

Now add an action of some sort  to the beginning or the end that helps add a new dimension and twist to the images and so create a haiku:

The rubber ball
in the new snow
will soon be lost
~fitz

When will the kids find
the dark puddle
on this dry street?
~fitz

On his long grey branch
the black crow
waits all day.
~fitz

Here is a way to practice technique #3:

The technique of expanding or narrowing is effective in all types of writing. To use this technique to create haiku you simply need to start with either a big or a small image.

For example:

• The last oak leaf [small

• The moon in the night sky

Now expand upon or narrow down the image:

Yesterday's winds:
strong enough to carry away
the last oak leaf.
~fitz

The moon in the night sky
walks with me
down this wet road.
~fitz

Here is a way to practice technique #1:

First create a series of images and actions and make the first two lines of a "potential" haiku.

    •    Nature, and especially the seasons, is the best raw material for haiku.  Go outside and watch nature.  (Yes, move away from your computer and grab a notebook and a pencil!) Find a place where you can just sit and observe what is happening around you. Whenever you "see" something happening, write down that image and action using only nouns and verbs--and occasionally a necessary adjective, and rarely an adverb! The most common sights often make for the best haiku.

For example:   

• In her nest of grass
  The robin sleeps all day

• A single earthworm
  Inches across the wet pavement

• Three painted monarchs
  Dance around a single flower

• Lightening flashes
  And distant rumbling

Next, take those images and actions and create a haiku by adding a short thought, question, or statement. In traditional haiku this is called the "cutting."  The cutting adds a "twist" into the poem and lets your reader experience the image and action in a new (and often profound--and sometimes funny) way.  A good way to set off this cutting is by adding a semi-colon, double dash or colon at the end of the first section. I generally use a semi-colon in place of a comma and conjunction (so, yet, and, or, nor, for, but).  I use a colon to introduce a statement or a list.  I use the double dash when I want to add a cool thought or sudden insight to complete the haiku.  Try to keep this line between four and seven syllables.

In her nest of grass
The robin sleeps all day;
It must be Sunday.
~fitz

A single earthworm
Inches across the wet pavement:
Stop the speeding car?
~fitz

Three painted monarchs
Dance around a single flower--
Sweet waiting nectar!
~fitz

Lightening flashes
And vague distant rumbling:
Somebody's getting wet.
~fitz

These may not be the greatest haiku in the world, but I hope you get the basic idea of what I want you to try to do.  The important part of this exercise is to practice creating images and actions using nouns and verbs and essential adjectives. By adding the cutting I want you to see that even the most common of experiences can have profound and unique meaning.

Here is a way to practice technique #2:

First you need to create juxtaposed images--especially if the images are "out of place"--that are connected with a prepositional phrase.

For example:

• The rubber ball
  in the new snow

• A dark puddle
  on the dry street

• On a withered branch
  the black crow

Now add an action of some sort  to the beginning or the end that helps add a new dimension and twist to the images and so create a haiku:

The rubber ball
in the new snow
will soon be lost
~fitz

When will the kids find
the dark puddle
on this dry street?
~fitz

On his long grey branch
the black crow
waits all day.
~fitz

Here is a way to practice technique #3:

The technique of expanding or narrowing is effective in all types of writing. To use this technique to create haiku you simply need to start with either a big or a small image.

For example:

• The last oak leaf [small

• The moon in the night sky

Now expand upon or narrow down the image:

Yesterday's winds:
strong enough to carry away
the last oak leaf.
~fitz

The moon in the night sky
walks with me
down this wet road.
~fitz

Who, What, When, Where, & Why?

These five words pretty much encompass the tools of a writer’s trade.  They are the bases any good story must run around in order to score because they answer the questions any inquisitive reader will have when reading your account of an experience you had, or witnessed, or simply want to write about. These are also excellent questions for you to answer when keeping a daily journal, as they are excellent questions to ask when writing any kind of narrative story.

 Who? Who did you see? Who did you meet? Who did you think about? (And remember, who can also be you!) Writing about people (yourself included) is always interesting because as persons who share the same feelings, thoughts, hopes, and dreams, we are intimately connected to the human condition, and so we like to read about your own experiences, and the experiences of other people, to find out how you, or he, or she deals with a varied and complex world.

What happened? As soon as "something" happens, we step out of the ordinary and into the realm of the extraordinary. This something can be as simple as noticing a bee upon a flower, a chance encounter with an interesting person, as heartbreaking as any human tragedy can be, or as newsworthy as a major headline in the news. If it captures “your” attention, it can (if you write well enough) capture the attention of even the most discriminating and demanding reader.

When and where did something happen? What many aspiring writers ignore is the need for readers to be able to place "your" experience (or the event that you are writing about) in a time and a place in a way that engages his or her imagination. It helps your readers to "see" what you are seeing as you tell your story, and it helps them to become as excited about and interested in your story as you are!
Why am I reading this? Most readers consciously or unconsciously ask themselves: “What’s in this for me?” Knowing why you are telling your story is as important as the story itself. When you know why you are writing about something, it will help keep your writing focused on a central theme (often called a “thesis” in an essay); moreover, it gives your readers a compelling reason to spend their precious time sharing in the power of your words!

 Remember these five words as you write about an event or person.  More importantly, remember these words as you edit.  If you have answered, in some way, shape, or form, these five questions in your writing piece, you have created a firm foundation for a solid writing piece. If you are missing something, go back and rewrite until you are confident that you have “rounded the bases” in the great game of writing!

 Writing Prompt: Life is the best teacher of all. Using “Who, What, When, Where, Why” as your guide, write about an experience you have had, heard about, or witnessed where you learned an important “lesson about life.” This can be a “big” lesson or a “small” lesson.  Either way, writing pieces that include a lesson or moral are always fun and interesting to read!

Ideas:
1.    Maybe you took a risk you should not have taken, like trying to mountain bike down a cliff, or swim in waves too big to handle, or sail a boat on a stormy day?
2.    Maybe you heard about someone who did something amazing.  Tell that story as well as you can?
3.    Maybe you saw someone struggle through a hard time in life, and you are inspired by his or her courage?
4.    Maybe someone did something for you
5.    What is the funniest thing you ever saw, and what did it teach you?
6.    What is your worst (or best) eating experience?
7.    What should someone NEVER do? (Be sure it is a true story from life.)

Our summer writing communities are about trying new ways to write and to practice by “doing,” not “thinking about doing.”  People are impressed not only by what we do, but by what we try to do.  Even the best baseball player fails two out of three times at bat—and only the very best only hit a homerun every twenty times at bat!

Don’t be afraid to swing. A good story idea is like waiting for the right pitch, but if you don’t swing at something, you will rarely round the bases.

As a writer in your writing community, you are the batter.  When we comment on the other blogs, we are the crowd cheering each other on as we play in this great game of creating literature.

Writing Prompt: July 6th

Redemption: Words Stolen From Time

Finally, the tall green pines standing sentinel around this cold New Hampshire pond are framed in a sky of blue. After a month of steady rains, foggy nights, and misty days I am reborn into a newly created world--a world that finally answered my prayers: no more trying to find that elusive spot under the camper awning that doesn’t seem to leak; no more running across the wet field dragging Tommy bouncing and laughing like a half-inflated beach toy towards a smokey campfire, and (almost regrettably) no more endless scrabble, card games, monopoly and shallow books. This fresh blue morning barks out the possibilities of the day: “Here is my rope-swing; here are my trails; there lie my waters...”

The window is small and the day is large. I shouldn’t even be here teasing words from empty an page when I should be embracing the possibilities of today. As Thoreau said: “My life is the poem I should have writ/ But, I could not both live and utter it.” The ignorant and lazy part of us might want to rally around Thoreau’s sentiment and say, “Amen to that,” but we would miss the irony and wistfulness of our collective predicament: like kids balancing on a plank set on a log, we scramble back and forth to find that sweet spot on the plank, that place of perfect balance between the forces of yin and yang--but, if we find that spot, we allow ourselves only a few moments of self-indulgent awe before searching for a more elusive and demanding challenge. To live fully, we must be bored quickly by the easy and mundane.  We have to set a larger plank across a bigger log. There is no legal limit to how many balls a juggler can have in the air.  We are only captive to gravity and the sun ticking its way to the horizon. 

I needed this blue sky to let me see the horizon and the infinite juxtapositions between the earth and sky. I need to be reminded that my page will always be empty if I don’t embrace the day that comes before it. I need to rush headlong into the blinding light; I need to fall and get up time and time again in contagious and courageous rhythm, and I need to remember to spend my day, and not simply save it, as if I could redeem it tomorrow.

My life and my words are my final redemption, woven (and rushed imperfectly) into the rags I wear.

Writing Prompt:
After nine or ten months of school, we are sometimes overwhelmed by the sudden influx of “free” time into our daily lives. Each day is suddenly alive with possibilities of choices, and we are free (and sometimes burdened) to do whatever we want. There is seldom a clear cut way to best spend your day--but you can try.  The word “essay“ means “to try.” So try to spend your day as fully as you can, and, before you go to bed, try (by writing a short essay) to capture your day in thoughts, images, and actions. Try to find a “theme” that best states the spirit of your adventures (everything you do is an adventure of some sort) and place that theme as the last line of your first paragraph.

We (especially us English teachers!) often overcomplicate what an essay is supposed to be. Any essay is simply a story, an idea, a thought, a response, or a reflection built around a single theme--and a theme is simply the main point you are trying to explore when you write. My best essays are almost always drawn out of a rambling journal entry of some sort, which is a great reason to keep a daily journal!.  Read my formula for writing a quick essay, and try to write an essay about a day where you do your best to live out the possibilities of the day.  If you use my my formula, your essay will be at least three paragraphs long, though as you can see by my own essay, the last paragraph can be a single line.  Post it in your blog and read and comment on the other blogs.

Have fun!

~Fitz

Fitz's Quick Essay & Reflection Formula

"Set the scene and state the theme. Say what you mean, and finish it clean!"

One of the hardest parts of writing is finding a way to make sense of what you want to say, explain, or convey to your readers--especially when facing an empty page with a half an hour to kill and an entry to write (or a timed essay or exam writing prompt). Here is a quick formula that might help you when you need to create a writing piece "on the fly." At the very least, it should guide you as your write in your blog, and at the very least, it will reinforce that any essay needs to be at least three paragraphs long! I've always told my students (who are probably tired of hearing me recite the same things over and over again): "If you know the rules, you can break them." But you'd better be a pretty solid writer before you start creating your own rules. The bottom line is that nobody really cares about what you write; they care about how your writing affects and transforms them intellectually and emotionally as individuals.
If a reader does not sense early on that your writing piece is worth reading, they won't read it, unless they have to (like your teachers), or they are willing to (because they are your friend). Do them all a favor and follow these guidelines and everyone will be happy and rewarded. Really!.

1. Set the scene and state the theme: Use your first paragraph to lead up to your theme. If the lead in to your essay is dull and uninspired, you will lose your readers before they get to the theme. If you simply state your theme right off the bat, you will only attract the readers who are "already" interested in your topic. Your theme is the main point, idea, thought, or experience you want your writing piece to convey to your audience. (Often it is called a "Thesis Statement.) I suggest making your theme be the last sentence of your opening paragraph because it makes sense to put it there, and so it will guide your reader in a clear and, hopefully, compelling way. In fact, constantly remind yourself to make your theme be clear, concise and memorable. Consciously or unconsciously, your readers constantly refer back to your theme as mnemonic guide for "why" you are writing your essay in the first place! Every writing piece is a journey of discovery, but do everything you possibly can to make the journey worthwhile from the start.

A sentence is a thought fully expressed. A paragraph is a thought fully explored.

2. Say what you mean: Write about your theme. Use as many paragraphs as you "need." A paragraph should be as short as it can be and as long as it has to be. Make the first sentence(s) "be" what the whole paragraph is going to be about. Try and make those sentences be clear, concise and memorable (just like your theme) and make sure everything relates closely to the theme you so clearly expressed in your first paragraph. If your paragraph does not relate to your theme, it would be like opening up the directions for a fire extinguisher and finding directions for baking chocolate chip cookies instead! And finally, do your best to balance the size of your body paragraphs. If they are out of proportion to each other, then an astute reader will make the assumption that some of your points are way better than your other points, and so the seed of cynicism will be sown before your reader even begins the journey.

3. Finish it clean: Conclusions need to be as simple as possible. In conversations only boring or self important people drag out the end of a conversation. When you are finished saying what you wanted to say, exit confidently and cleanly. DON"T add any new information into the last paragraph; DON'T retell what you've already told, and DON'T preen before the mirror of your brilliance. Just "get out of Dodge" in an interesting and thoughtful (and quick) way. Use three sentences or less. It shows your audience that you appreciate their intelligence and literacy!

Set the scene; state the theme; say what you mean, and finish it clean is a simple rubric for writing to keep in your head as you read and comment, and to practice in your writing as you reflect and express yourself with words.

Writing a Memoir

    I walk into my mother’s room at the assisted living center in Concord—and walk straight to the refrigerator.  It’s the same motion I’ve made every day since I could move in an upright position—some primal pavlovian response to the coolness of coiled condensers. The refrigerator from my childhood—bursting with an unending gaggle of epicurean delight to feed six ravenous kids and a steady stream of friends—is now an obscenely small countertop square in the corner of an uncluttered kitchenette.  But, still, I still expect to see gobs of grapes, oranges, and apples; chocolate pudding, leftover tuna casseroles, and Shepard’s pie, appian way pizza, kool-aid, custard, baloney; and eggs: pickled, deviled, scrambled, and boiled; and potatoes fried, mashed, hashed and rehashed in the unending evolution of necessity and tradition.

    But sometimes potato buds: dry flakes mixed with water and two tablespoons of butter and mixed, when times were harder—times that were never actually mentioned—with a cup of carnation instant milk whose greatest benefit to childhood was to hide the peas, beets, boiled onions and other scourges of an Irish Catholic childhood that we were force fed in the daily penance of nutrition.  The whole milk with cream tops in glass bottles with paper caps; my father pawing the top shut and shaking the heavy cream back into the milk itself, exhorting us to imitate his practiced perfection, which none of us could do, and we always spilled the milk on the cracked formica table and vinyl chairs, and he always screamed, “Every night, somebody has to spill the milk: every single night!”

    And then, after the mopping rags, dinner resumed in the chaotic recollections of the day: fights about whose night it was to do the dishes, and who didn’t mow around the trees; who got seconds last night, and who got a C in penmanship, and who shouldn’t get two hydrox cookies for dessert because they weren’t smart enough to hide their peas in the potato buds. And we sat in the same seats with annoying little sister Annie on my right and an annoying little brother Tom on my left and my big sisters staring across from me: Eileen with her studious perfection; Mary Ellen with her jocky, untempered cockiness, and Patty, so old and hip that I hardly knew her, until she died so young that I can’t forget her; and in the overstuffed kitchen dad’s back was almost crunched against the basement door, and mom was pressed against the dining room wall—the room with the walnut table and eight matching chairs that we never used—a museum stuffed with bone china and silverware we polished every Christmas, bought, I’m sure, with green stamps and coupons.

    And out of that space we were reborn each day.

    Every morning, mom poured the wheaties, boiled the oatmeal and cut the grapefruit, while we listened to Joe Green in the BZ copter mumbling unintelligible warnings about tie-ups at the Alewife circle, and we sang along to  the hits of the week:“Watch me wallabies feed, mates, watch me wallabies feed.” Dad would grab his briefcase and we’d all try to be the first one to scream “Bye dad!” in a cacophony of competition, and, as if on cue, mom would sneak behind me and hold my head while I jerked convulsively, and she’d rub a warm wet cloth across my face and straighten my clip on tie and try to force down my cowlick and pick at my ears until I was fit to be presented to Sister Jean Beatrice—and, by some sort of convoluted math, to God.  And then she’d sit in her chair, quietly, and write her own mother a letter.

    Every single day she’d write grandma a letter … One of us could get the letter paper; and one of us could get the envelope; one of us would get to lick the stamp; one of us could put it on the letter; one of us could carry it to the mailbox, and the last one could lift up the metal flag. I never knew it was a ritual of perfection—a continual journey into the heart of the mystic love of family. You never know, but still, you remember.

    I never know exactly who I’ll see when I visit my mom. Over the past two years, Alzheimer’s is slowly chipping away at the edges of her memory.  One day she’ll remind me that it’s my childhood friend Danny Gannon’s birthday, and on the next day she’ll ask me who all the pretty children are…and like polite grandkids they dutifully tell her their names once again, except for Tommy, who screams.  “You know me; I’m Tommy!” who jumps on her lap and asks for a kiss—“Not that kind of kiss—a chocolate kiss.” And she smiles and says, “Of course, I know you.”

    I went to see her last night and looked at ads for cars in the Boston Globe.  She wants a Toyota. “Your father loved his Toyota.” I smile to her, “That’s because Toyotas were cheap, and dad loved cheap.” It doesn’t matter that she will never drive again. It doesn’t matter that we will have the same conversation tomorrow. It doesn’t matter that soon she will slip into a cloud of unknowing. It only matters that she is here, and in the magic and mysterious majesty of memory, she will always be here.

******************************************

Writing a Memoir using Poetry or Prose

We all have people in our lives that are really important to us.  A "Memoir" is a story we tell about that person.  This week, try and write a memoir about a person in your life who is important to you. This person can be a friend, a grandparent or parent, brother or sister, or aunt or uncle—anybody whom you know well and who helps you feel special and loved, or who has helped you through a hard time in life, or who is inspired and inspiring.

The Prose Memoir

There are many ways to write memoirs. Here is a simple and straightforward way to write a prose memoir.

1st Paragraph: Set the scene. Start with a scene where you and your memoir person are doing something together. Describe everything about that scene.  End the first paragraph by telling the one thing you like most about that person.  That becomes the "theme" of your memoir.

2nd Paragraph: Say what you mean. Write about why this person is important to you. Tell us your thoughts and feelings, and describe the specific “actions” this person does for and with you that makes him or her so special. Try and write at least five sentences—more if you can write more!!!

3rd Paragraph: Finish it clean. Start your last paragraph by telling us why everyone should have a person like your memoir person in his or her life. End the paragraph with one short sentence that"captures" why your person is so great—and use an exclamation point at the end. For example: "Uncle Tony is the coolest guy in the whole world!"

The Memoir Anaphora Poem:

Anaphora is a poetic technique that uses repeating phrases to start each line of the poem.  In essay and narrative writing (prose), it is called “parallel structure.” In both cases, if done well, it adds a powerful rhythm and cadence to your writing.  I used it throughout my “Mom” memoir. Here is an example from my writing:

One of us could get the letter paper; and one of us could get the envelope; one of us would get to lick the stamp; one of us could put it on the letter; one of us could carry it to the mailbox, and the last one could lift up the metal flag.

A good way to start an anaphora memoir poem is with the phrase “I remember…” and then create a list of memories using images and actions. Each line should be one natural breath long—usually around 10 syllables, if you count each syllable carefully. This helps each line be long enough to have substance and meaning, but short enough that your readers don’t pass out trying to read your poetry:) It is also ok to put in some short lines, too, for variation, but that is up to you.  The point is to say what you want or need to say.

Each new stanza should start with a new phrase.

For example:

Stanza one: I remember…
Stanza two: He (or she) always…
Stanza three: I wish…

I think you get the idea. You can create any type of anaphora beginnings that you want because you are the poet—and good poets are always willing to take chances

Post your poem or story in your blog. Make sure to read other people's memoirs and leave a comment for them.

Thanks for trying this!

Fitz

Conquering the Comma

Becoming better at something is not rocket science; it is, as Thomas Edison said, "...90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. In other words, reaching a new level in any skill or endeavor requires old-fashioned work. In writing, this means that you need to learn some of the basic skills of punctuation so that the depth and power of your words are delivered to your readers as effectively as possible. Luckily, most people are able to read through errors in punctation without becoming completely confused. One of the best writers in the English language, Cormac McCarthy, uses punctuation sparingly. However, I am also sure, he knows darn well how to use punctuation if he needed to use punctuation, and I am also sure that your teachers, SAT graders, and potential employers will appreciate that you utilize proper and effective punctuation in your writing.

After many years of writing and teaching writing, I can say with confidence that the ability to use a comma correctly is 90% of the punctuation battle; furthermore, 90% of knowing how and when to use commas is being able to know a clause or a phrase when you you see it (or write it!).

Take the time to study my comma rules and common comma errors, and view the attached  powerpoint on clauses and comma usage: It is also on my blog:  Simply go to my Punctuation links. There is a link that will take you to a page with numerous punctuation powerpoints. View: “Clauses: Essential Building Blocks” and the “English House of Commas.” This should prepare you for learning more about comma usage (and misusage). 

Here is the "Conquering the Comma" powerpoint, which will work for you if you have Powerpoint or Keynote (for mac) on your computer. Download Conqering the Comma Powerpoint

Whenever you use (or don't use) a comma, you should soon know which rule you are using.  And when you know the rules, you will write with more confidence and clarity, and, like Cormac McCarthy, if you know the  rules, you can break them!

Have fun.  After you feel like you know what you are doing, try some of the online quizzes at the bottom of this page to find out if you have conquered the comma--or not!

I will send this weeks writing prompt, "Writing a Memoir," to you later today (to give you time to practice commas:)

Thanks for all of the great writing posted on your blogs. Stay inspired, keep writing, and keep commenting.

Fitz

The Top Ten Comma Rules:

Separate elements in a series:
I have to remember to bring my books,
pencil, baloney, and peanut butter fluff sandwich. Use a comma before the
final "if" there could be any confusion in meaning without it. [Note: if you
are introducing a list with a noun, use a colon to introduce the list. Don't
forget these important items: my books, pencil, baloney, and peanut butter
fluff sandwich. If you introduce the list with a verb use a comma after the
first item in the list: Don't forget my books, pencil, baloney, and peanut
butter fluff sandwich.]

Commas with Conjunctions:
 Soyet Andor Norforbut (I make my kids say these words with a Russian accent.  Look close and you will see they are the seven main conjunctions.  Whenever you use one of these words a little bell should go off in your head: “Maybe I need a comma here.”) These commas must have an independent clause (meaning, it can stand alone as a sentence) BEFORE and AFTER the conjunction and comma.

This kind of comma can always be replaced with a period or semi-colon instead of the comma and conjunction.
It is raining, so I am not going to school. [comma and conjunction]
It is raining; I am not going to read. [semi-colon]
It is raining. I am not going to study comma usage. [period]

Commas with introductory elements (words, phrases, and dependent
clauses):
Actually, Fred can take the test. (introductory word). Without
thinking, he ran into the burning building and saved his goldfish.
(introductory phrase) Because it is raining, I am not going to school.
(dependent clause).
Commas with parenthetical elements (non-essential phrases and words):
The kid in the back row, who loves grammar, took all of the quizzes and
studied the comma use webpage. Remember: If it you want your reader to
read it without emphasis, use commas; if you want to whisper or say
something as an aside, use parentheses, and if you want to shout, use double
dashes.

Commas with descriptive adjectives:
If you can naturally (meaning
without it sounding weird) put an "and" or a "but" between the adjectives, a
comma will probably belong there. He is a mean, nasty, hard-hearted
teacher, but, at the same time, he is a wise old owl.

Commas that express contrast:
This is important when comparing the
differences in somebody or something and you want to emphasize the
contrast. He's big, but slow. You don't need a comma if you write
"He is big and slow." because you are not emphasizing the contrast.

Commas to avoid confusion in meaning: For most, the year is already
finished. These commas often fall into another rule as well. In this case, "for
most" is an introductory phrase. Here, the comma helps to clarify that the writer is talking about "most" of the people, not most of the year.

Commas to set off quotes:
Fitz said, "Know how to use commas, and you
are 90% of towards writing grammatically correct sentences."
It is important to remember that you can also use a colon to set off a quote.
Use a colon when the quote is introduced by a noun. My teacher says Fitz has too many rules, and this is what he told his students: “To thine own self be true. Don’t listen to fools.”
If a quote is four or more lines long, separate the quote as a paragraph introduced with a colon, whether the preceding word is a verb or not. (I like the quotes in italics, but that is not a rule.”)  You don’t need the quotation marks because the indentation and context indicates the quote. Indent the entire quote one inch from the left margin.

Commas with place names and dates:
Use this format: On June 8, 2009, The Fenn School,
Concord MA, will be a quiet place.

Commas with tag elements:
As when a word or phrase is "tagged on to
the end of a sentence. Do you love studying commas, Peter? I couldn't
memorize all of this myself, of course. In most cases, the tag element can be removed from the sentence without any loss in meaning (though there will be a loss in clarity!).

Here Are Some of the Common Comma Errors

1. Commas with Parenthetical Elements:
If you need it, then you don’t need it!
Any phrase or clause that could go in parentheses, could also be enclosed within commas or a double dash.
Here you need to figure out if the information you are adding to a sentence is essential or non-essential.  If the sentence "makes sense" without the phrase or clause then it is non-essential, and so it needs a comma to separate it from the essential part of the sentence. However, if the phrase or clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, you should not use commas

For example:
My brother in the red shirt likes ice cream. [In this sentence, you might have two brothers, so the red shirt is essential to the sentence.]
My brother, in the red shirt, likes ice cream. [In this sentence, you are talking about one brother, who just happens to be wearing a red shirt. The red shirt adds detail, but it is not essential to understanding the sentence.]

2. Comma Splice:
This is one of the easiest mistakes to make as a writers because it is so easy and natural to do! If you become a fanatic about your use of commas with conjunctions between independent clauses, then you will go a long way towards avoiding this common mistake.
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only with a comma.
For example:
I love English class, our teacher is so easy. [

Note:
A comma splice also occurs when a comma is used to divide a subject from its verb. For example:
My students are engaged in my class, and never want to leave. [The subject “my students” is separated from one of its verbs "want." Also, “never want to leave” is not an independent clause, which should trigger an alarm in your head!]

3. Missing Comma in Compound Sentence:
Soyet Andor Norforbut (spoken with a heavy slavic accent)
For example:
Wordsworth spent a good deal of time in the Lake District with his sister Dorothy and the two of them were rarely apart. (Comma should be placed before the "and.")  Soyet Andornorforbut!  Anytime you see a conjunction, stop and ask yourself if there is an "independent clause" after it; if so, use a comma.

4.  Missing Comma after Introductory Elements:
An introductory element is a word, phrase, or clause that introduces and/or sets up the main part of the sentence
To understand this, you need to know the difference between a phrase and a clause:
*A phrase is a group of closely related words that is missing a subject or a verb. It is usually a prepositional phrase.
For example:
After eating, we went home. [There is no subject in the introductory phrase.]
After dinner, we went home. [There is no verb in the introductory phrase.]

*A clause is a closely related group of words that contains a subject AND a verb.
For example:
I am cool. [I is the subject, and am is the verb]
Phil ran towards the water. [Phil is the verb; ran is the verb, and "towards the water" is a prepositional phrase.]

Here’s the rub: Now you need to be able to tell if a clause is dependent or independent.

The Difference between an Independent and Dependent Clause
*An independent clause when it can survive on its own as a sentence as an idea fully expressed or a completed thought.
For example:
Phil ran towards the water. [This is a fully expressed thought!]
*A dependent clause if it needs another clause to "complete the thought" and complete the sentence.
For example:
While Phil ran towards the water, [This is “dependent” on more information—as in an independent clause—to be a fully expressed thought, such as: While Phil ran towards the water, I called the police.]
Here are the two big rules on clauses and comma usage:
1. If a dependent clause comes at the beginning of a sentence, it needs to have a comma after the dependent clause, but if the dependent clause comes after an independent clause, it does not need a comma because the word that comes before the dependent clause (called a "dependent clause marker") acts as the comma.

Generally, it is better to put the independent clause first because it has the most important information in the sentence.
For example:
We didn’t have school today because it was snowing. [Not having school is the main point of the sentence, and so it should come to your reader’s attention first.]
Because we had the storm of the century today that walloped New England with ten feet of snow, we didn’t have school today. [Here the important part is the big storm, so it is fine to have the dependent clause come first.]

Note:
If you have two independent clauses--and you want to have one sentence--you must combine these sentences using a comma with a conjunction, a semi-colon, or a long dash (double dash).

 

Danny, Jimmy and Me: Writing Prompt #3

   

    Mrs Roeber never seemed to let Jimmy go outside, which, to my thinking as an 11 year old, was why he was so smart.  Most days after school, I’d rush two houses down the street and get Danny Gannon to come out and play. Then the two of us would go to Jimmy’s house next door.  If Mrs Roeber answered, she would always be polite and say something like, “Jimmy needs to catch up on some science work. Perhaps he can play later.”  If Jimmy answered, he’d usually be out of breath from running upstairs from his basement “office” and plead with us not to give up on him--or at the very least go out back and talk to him through the basement window.  So, me and Danny would sneak out back and lay on our stomachs on the pokey grey gravel outside his basement window. Five feet below, Jimmy would be doing his work at his workbench (which, in all honesty, was a pretty cool place).  I always wished I was smarter, so I could  do his work for him and get him outside to play. I was better than Jimmy at a lot of things, but those things were never get graded until you can appreciate them “later in life.“  But, to my Tom Sawyer way of thinking, I preferred being outside and average to being inside and smart.  Danny was an outside kid and smart, too, and that always troubled me, but not enough to let it call my inside/smart: outside/not smart philosophy into question. Danny’s voice was always the one that tried to tell me that the sledding jump was too high, or that branch would not support my weight, or those snakes would bite, or that we couldn’t run faster than a nest of bees we just destroyed.  Once we got Jimmy outside, he was like a mad scientist: ”We’ll, just have to see how high Fitz can go on his sled,“ or, ”I’ll distract the snake so Fitz  can grab it from behind,“ or ”Bees have been clocked flying at 80 miles per hour.“ Looking back, we probably seemed like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, and we did tend to go our different ways as we grew older, but we always still manage to reconnect somehow, and it doesn’t seem like we are a day older. It’s kind of hard to put into words because Danny and Jimmy might not be my best friends, but they will always be my best friends. Just thinking of the three of us together is like a window opening to a cool and welcome breeze. And the coolest thing is the window is always there. It might be that the only thing we actually had in common was living next door to each other, but still, we made it work. Imagine if the world thought this way.

Writing Prompt: It was fun for me to sit down for the hour or more it took me to write that paragraph and remember Danny and Jimmy.  Because it is only one paragraph (I could probably break it in two or three), it can only give a glimpse into our friendship, but (hopefully) it gives you enough to know how important they were--and still are--in my life. For the first writing prompt this week, tell a story about someone you consider to be one of your best friends. It can be as long as you want it to be, but it should be at least one ”meaty“ paragraph. The reason it took me so long to write my paragraph (apart from the fact that I spent too much of my childhood outside:)) is that I ”tried“ to use specific scenes to help tell my story; I used dialogue a little bit, and I used some ”reflection“ (which is a fancy word for saying what I thought and felt).  If you put all three of those writing techniques together, it always makes for more interesting reading.  Try it!!!

Comment: PLEASE, please, pleez, pull-ease comment on the other blogs in your community.  Just click on their names in the sidebar, read what your fellow writers are writing and leave a nice comment because it is really nice to know when people appreciate the work you do.  Heck, you can even go to my blog and post a comment. It will make my day!

Write what you want: The prompts are just a part of what you should be writing on your blogs. Half the fun of writing is just sitting down and seeing what comes.  Write movie and book reviews, describe a day in your life in the summer, write poetry or songs, post pictures--anything! because everything you put in your blog will help to make your blog a treasure trove of memories you can have for the rest of your life.

   

    Mrs Roeber never seemed to let Jimmy go outside, which, to my thinking as an 11 year old, was why he was so smart.  Most days after school, I’d rush two houses down the street and get Danny Gannon to come out and play. Then the two of us would go to Jimmy’s house next door.  If Mrs Roeber answered, she would always be polite and say something like, “Jimmy needs to catch up on some science work. Perhaps he can play later.”  If Jimmy answered, he’d usually be out of breath from running upstairs from his basement “office” and plead with us not to give up on him--or at the very least go out back and talk to him through the basement window.  So, me and Danny would sneak out back and lay on our stomachs on the pokey grey gravel outside his basement window. Five feet below, Jimmy would be doing his work at his workbench (which, in all honesty, was a pretty cool place).  I always wished I was smarter, so I could  do his work for him and get him outside to play. I was better than Jimmy at a lot of things, but those things were never get graded until you can appreciate them “later in life.“  But, to my Tom Sawyer way of thinking, I preferred being outside and average to being inside and smart.  Danny was an outside kid and smart, too, and that always troubled me, but not enough to let it call my inside/smart: outside/not smart philosophy into question. Danny’s voice was always the one that tried to tell me that the sledding jump was too high, or that branch would not support my weight, or those snakes would bite, or that we couldn’t run faster than a nest of bees we just destroyed.  Once we got Jimmy outside, he was like a mad scientist: ”We’ll, just have to see how high Fitz can go on his sled,“ or, ”I’ll distract the snake so Fitz  can grab it from behind,“ or ”Bees have been clocked flying at 80 miles per hour.“ Looking back, we probably seemed like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, and we did tend to go our different ways as we grew older, but we always still manage to reconnect somehow, and it doesn’t seem like we are a day older. It’s kind of hard to put into words because Danny and Jimmy might not be my best friends, but they will always be my best friends. Just thinking of the three of us together is like a window opening to a cool and welcome breeze. And the coolest thing is the window is always there. It might be that the only thing we actually had in common was living next door to each other, but still, we made it work. Imagine if the world thought this way.

Writing Prompt: It was fun for me to sit down for the hour or more it took me to write that paragraph and remember Danny and Jimmy.  Because it is only one paragraph (I could probably break it in two or three), it can only give a glimpse into our friendship, but (hopefully) it gives you enough to know how important they were--and still are--in my life. For the first writing prompt this week, tell a story about someone you consider to be one of your best friends. It can be as long as you want it to be, but it should be at least one ”meaty“ paragraph. The reason it took me so long to write my paragraph (apart from the fact that I spent too much of my childhood outside:)) is that I ”tried“ to use specific scenes to help tell my story; I used dialogue a little bit, and I used some ”reflection“ (which is a fancy word for saying what I thought and felt).  If you put all three of those writing techniques together, it always makes for more interesting reading.  Try it!!!

Comment: PLEASE, please, pleez, pull-ease comment on the other blogs in your community.  Just click on their names in the sidebar, read what your fellow writers are writing and leave a nice comment because it is really nice to know when people appreciate the work you do.  Heck, you can even go to my blog and post a comment. It will make my day!

Write what you want: The prompts are just a part of what you should be writing on your blogs. Half the fun of writing is just sitting down and seeing what comes.  Write movie and book reviews, describe a day in your life in the summer, write poetry or songs, post pictures--anything! because everything you put in your blog will help to make your blog a treasure trove of memories you can have for the rest of your life.

Here is a fun writing prompt!

Copy this sheet and post your answers on your blog. Be sure to comment on the other blogs in your group.

 ABC About You Questions:
A-Angry after a sports game:
B-Birthday:
C-Camp you go to:
D-Drink you last had:
E-Easiest Person to Talk to:
F-Flip on a trampoline:
G-Gummy Bears OR Gummy Worms:
H-Hometown:
I-In love With:
J-Juggle:
K-Killed a bug
L-Longest Car Ride:
M-Milkshake flavor:
N- Number of siblings:
O-One wish:
P-Pets:
Q-Question:
R-Reason to Smile:
S-Song you last heard:
T-Time you woke up:
U-Underwear:

V-Vegetable:
W-Worst Habit:
X-X-Rays:
Y-YOYOS are:
Z-Zodiac Sign:

Random Questions About You:

Spell your name without vowels:
Your favorite numbers:
What color do you wear most:
Least Favorite Color:
What are you listening to:
What is your favorite class in school:
Word you always misspell:
When do start back at school:
Are you outgoing:
Favorite pair of shoes:
Favorite clothes:
Where do you wish you were right now:

THE CANS:

Can you dance?:
Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth?:
Can you whistle?:
Can you write with both hands?:
Can you cross your eyes?:
Can you walk with your toes curled?
Can you speak another language?
Can you put worms on a hook?

THE DO'S:
Do you believe there is life on other planets?:
Do you believe in miracles?:
Do you believe in magic?:
Do you make your bed everyday?
Do you know all of the states?
Do you know how to swim?:
Do you like roller coasters?:
Do you get an allowance?
Do you go fishing?
Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows?:

THE HAVES:
Have you ever been on a plane?:
Have you ever asked someone out?:
Have you ever been asked out by someone?:
Have you ever been to the ocean?:
Have you ever painted your nails?:
Have you ever sung in the shower?
Have you ever had a mean teacher?
Have you ever had an amazing teacher?
Have you ever wondered if there is life on another planet?

THE WHATS:
What is the temperature outside?:
What radio station do you listen to:
What was the last restaurant you ate at?:
What was the last thing you bought?:
What was the last thing on TV you watched?
What do you want to do today?
What do you want to do tonight?

THE WHOS:
Who was the last person you called?:
Who was the last person you took a picture of:
Who was the last person you said I love you to?:
Who is your favorite teacher?
Who listens best to you?
Who would you call first if you are upset?

CRYING SECTION:
Ever really cried your heart out?:
Ever cried yourself to sleep?:
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?:
Do you cry when you get an injury?:
Do certain songs make you cry?:
Do you cry at the end of sad movies?

HAPPY SECTION:
What can make you happy?:
Do you make people happy?
Can music make you happy?:
Who do you make happy?
Laughed so hard you cried?

LOOK AT ME.
How tall are you?
Do you have braces? Who is your orthodontist?
What is your current hair color?:
Current piercings?:
Have any tattoos?:
Eye color?:

CURRENTLY WEARING.
What shirt are you wearing?:
Pants?:
Shoes?:
Necklaces?:
Hat?

HAVE YOU EVER

Been in a police car?
Called 911 by mistake:
Laughed at the wring time in the wrong place?
Ran away from home?
Cried in school?
Thrown up in a store?
Wanted to be a movie star?
Cheated in a game?
Done a flip on a trampoline?
Seen a dead body?
Won a prize?
Teased your brother or sister?

THIS OR THAT

Pepsi or Coke:
McDonald's or Burger King:
Chocolate or Vanilla:
Strawberries or Blueberries:
Meat or Veggies:
TV or Movie:
Guitar or Drums:
Adidas or Nike:
Chinese or Pizza:
Cheerios or Frosted Flakes:
Cake or Pie:

FAVORITES:
Favorite Show:
Favorite Movie:
Favorite Song:
Favorite Band:
Favorite Book:
Favorite Food:
Favorite Sport:

Any other questions you can think of?

 
 

WRITING PROMPT #1: Learning to Set the Scene Using Specific Images & Actions & Place and a Question

 

 A good writer always tries to engage the imagination of his or her readers. As an aspiring writer  you need to remember that a reader can’t get inside your head, so it is necessary to “paint the picture” that you want your readers to see.  Since we only have words with which to paint, I want you to practice creating “images and actions” and placing those images somewhere to help you paint pictures with your writing.

For my writers in Fitzbloggers who have been with me for a few years, this is still an excellent exercise to practice in your narratives, essays, and stories! It is a skill I always try to be conscious of in my own writing--as imperfect as it still is!

Here we go:

Specific Image: A specific image is always a noun and any adjectives that describe that noun. A specific image is as focused as possible.

For example:

• “A person in a car“ is an image, but it is not an image that a reader will see they way you want them to see it; however, “The woman with the wild red hair in the white 1966 Corvette with chrome wheels” is a specific image that forces a reader to use their own imagination to see it more clearly--even if they are not sure “exactly” what a corvette looks like.

Action: An action is always a verb and any adverbs that describe the action:

For example:

• “The woman with the wild red hair in the white 1966 Corvette with chrome wheels squealed around the corner at 100 miles per hour.

Place: The place is where the images and actions are happening. The place should always be as specific as possible. A racetrack is a place, but it is not specific; however, “The aging two mile oval of brick at the Indianapolis Racetrack” is specific.

Put all three of these together and you can create a picture that a reader can see and experience more fully--in the way that you want them to see it!  Plus, it is also proof that you know what you are talking about, and, like supporting facts in an essay, it makes you more believable and trustworthy.

The woman with the wild red hair in the white 1966 Corvette with chrome wheels squealed around the corner at 100 miles per hour on the aging two mile oval of brick at the Indianapolis Racetrack.

Question:To make your image, action, and place more interesting, simply ask a question. For example: Why is this woman on the racetrack? What is she thinking? Who is she? Is she escaping from alien space invaders? Any one of these questions will serve as a topic for a paragraph--or even the start of a whole story.

Your Job: In your blog, create five Specific Images & Actions & Place and a Question. They don’t have to be fictional.  Even just sitting in your backyard you will see many images and actions that work:

For example:

• The ruffled sparrow chirping endlessly in the windblown pine tree: Is it laughing or crying?
• My little five year old brother, alone in our backyard, tosses up the plastic ball and swings his yellow whiffleball bat: Is he having fun?

Choose one of these scenes and answer the question in a detailed way. Don’t worry about telling a great story. Learning to write well is like the five year old swinging at the ball: just try and hit it--that is success!

Thanks and have fun! I’ll be checking your blogs on a daily basis. Use the chatbox to let people know when you have posted something new!  Be sure to check out the other blogs in your group and leave comments that are specific, supportive, and substantial!

Fitz