Fun and Games and Writing

Let's have some fun today. Do you like to play memory games?

How about matching up cards or answering game questions?

HIGHLIGHTS has a colorful memory game online this month--Memory Lanes.

I plan to go back and play the game again and try to beat my score. I didn't have as good a memory as I thought. :-)

Exploring your memory is a great way to create details for stories.

Pretend you wanted to set your story in your house.

• What color is your front door?
• What material is the floor in your living room? What sound do you make walking across it?
• How would you describe the view out your bedroom window?
• What do you hear when you open the window?
• What do you smell cooking when you walk into the kitchen?
• Is it warm or cold when you step outside?

I hope you enjoy challenging your memory today.

More Bird Stories

Normally when I think of winter birds, I picture cardinals and blue jays and sparrows. But what about seabirds--like the gulls and pelicans and terns. They hang out at the beaches even when the temperature drops.

What do these birds like to eat?

What do they sound like?

Where do they build their nests?

FEEDING THE GULLS by Deanna Calvert might be a fun to read.

Or A DAY AT SEAGULL BEACH by Karen Wallace.

Or SEEING SEABIRDS by Allan Fowler.

Did you know Herring Gulls will eat most anything? They are the ones who will steal your snacks at the beach if you're not careful.

Could you write a story about a gull who ate too much junk food at the beach and couldn't fly?

One day when it's too cold to go outside this winter, pretend you're the snack-loving gull and write about your misadventures.

Hands Up to Start a Story

The new year is a great time to start writing--a story a week would be a great goal.

All you need to start your next story is your hand.

That's right.

Place your hand flat on a piece of paper.

Trace around it.

In the center of your hand, write one sentence about the story you want to write.

A story about bringing my dog home for the first time.

Above the little finger, write "WHO."

Then above the next finger, write "WHAT."

Above the next finger, write "WHY."

Above the next finger, write "WHEN."

Above the next finger, write "WHERE."

Now fill in the information on each finger.

WHO: my dog Patches and me

WHAT: bringing Patches home from the animal shelter

WHY: to show how scared Patches was at first

WHEN: last summer for my birthday

WHERE: at my dad's house

Now, using your handy outline,

start at the beginning--

and tell your story.

Don't forget to give your story a fun title, like "A Place for Patches."

You can even add illustrations or photos.

Get ready, set, write!

More from Bruge--Weaving Lace and Stories

Bruge is famous for its lacework. How did they make lace before modern machinery? By hand, of course. The art of braiding this type of lace is tricky. This lace is called bobbin lace. Bobbins are used to hold the threads on a small pillow. Originally, the bobbins were made from bones, so it is also known as bone lace. And sometimes it's called pillow lace as well. For more pictures, click on this Wikipedia link.

Stories are woven together also. Some of the threads of a story would include the characters, the setting, and the plot. Each story forms a different pattern, just like lace.

I've done only a little weaving in my day, on a small loom and knitting and crocheting as well. It's tough to keep all the strands in line, forming the pattern you want. It's tough to keep them from becoming tangled sometimes.

So it is with a story too. I work hard at twisting the plot here and turning a character there or weaving in the setting--just right. This week I'm revising a couple short stories and reviewing a middle grade chapter book in progress. I'm untangling a few knots here and there in each, trying to make wonderfully woven stories for my readers to enjoy.

Sometimes that involves a fair amount of unraveling--which makes it especially hard to keep the pattern of the story in tact. But a completed story, intricately woven with beauty and finesse, is always worth all the hard work.

Now, I'm back to my story weaving.

Paddling Up a Canal in Bruge

Well, not exactly paddling--but here are photos from our recent trip to Bruge in Belgium as we traverse some of the local waterways.

Bruge is often called the Venice of northern Europe because of its canals. This medieval city is incredible--like stepping back in time.

I'm trying to sail onward with a number of story adventures this week. Sometimes the writing and rewriting goes pretty smoothly. But today, I'm not sure if I'm making progress or simply spinning in a larger and larger circle.

Come back tomorrow to see if I've made progress with my writing...and for more photos from my travels.