Writing Stuff

Welp, now I am a writing teacher! Sorta. I'm teaching a co-op class off the book REACH FOR THE STARS Writing Workshop by the fabulous Susan Marlow (and featuring me :D). I've got 6 fun-lovin boys and a few with some real talent from what I can see from the two weeks I've been doing this. Real fun. I think we're gonna talk about showing-not-telling this week. Always a fun lesson.

AND going down to my younger grade tutoring. The elementary class with the boys was fun today. They've been doing well with their adjectives, so we decided to put them to work today writing a story about a secret agent that sneaks into Wal-Mart and removes a bomb and saves all the people (while listening to intense music of course!). The got SOOOO into it. Each boy had a different storyline...

By Jdude...

"Shisoh was in Wal Mart. He was looking for the missing bomb. He went to the first isle. Guards were setting the bomb. It was set, and the guards went away. Shisoh ran to it. He grabbed it and went out of the store. But he blew up." Oh sadness...the poor distressed author started to cry in the middle of class over the death of his heroic character. He sure has the writer's brain. He'll be amazing one day...I've said so ever since he was less than a year old, arranging magnetic letters on the fridge into fun, Sci-Fi names.

By Jess...

"Casban snuk into the store and went to the isle. It was the way to the bomb. He ran to the door and smashed the door open and found the bomb. He ran to it. The time was almost gone. 20 seconds. He ran out of the building and threw the bomb. It blew up. When the bomb blew up he ran to the store and all the people was safe." Good description huh? And this babe is a genius with his sentence structure already! :D

By Mayf (with some interpretation and help)...

"A dog was named Charlie. He ran into Wal-Mart. The bomb was in the corner of the store. He grabbed it in his mouth and set it down somewhere far. Then he went in to check if all the people were ok. The end." He loves the name Charlie :)

Sweeeeet huh? :D I'm proud of all my writing boys. Oh wait I have a girl too! In the junior-high division. She just did me a literary analytical essay on THE LAST BATTLE by C.S. Lewis. I purple-penned it over just a minute ago. She really put some good thought into it! Course it needs a little structure work, but the content is really good, I'm impressed!

But oh, a tragedy. My purple pen is running out of juice! I'm a fun pen kind of chick, and I had one of those big huge, stick-o'-dynamite looking ones that I used for EVERYTHING. Twas a purple-blue ink which made it good for editing. I like black better when I write for my own purposes, but this one was good and VERY used. Then Lukey the Penbreaker took it apart when I wasn't looking and I'm sure this put my pen into a state of trauma, for a couple days later it quit working. For three days I scribbled through sheets of paper, watching for a splash of blue. I shook, licked, blew...but to no avail. And I haven't found another big one since. I decided to move on with my life and find another pen somehow. I dug through the junk drawer and tried pen after pen, but those kind you buy in bulk rarely work to my satisfaction. Then a friend (not knowing my plight) sent me a cute purple pen. It wrote pretty...not fast enough for rapid brainstorming, but perfect for editing people's work. I dubbed it my editing only pen, and called it....The Purple Pen. Then my Gram gave me a pen for Christmas that looks like a candy-cane. I checked the color and consistency on my hand right off the bat and the ink was black! And it flowed wonderfully without globbing or quitting! Perfect! The Candy Cane is my Thinking Pen. I use it for school and to brainstorm and to take to class. It tends to fascinate people. I also have this New Year's Resolution to use up all my blank notecards by sending them to folks, and a found a couple of black pens that look boring, but they are of different consistencies and they each work well on a certain kind of paper. The Black Twins are my letter writers. How did I get off on this boring story? Yall don't even care, just me! :P Why do I write these things...oh well. All that to say, THE PURPLE PEN IS GOING OUT!!!!!!!!! I need a new one. One with a color besides blue or red and thick ink. I suppose The Purple Pen deserves to rest in peace...I've edited a whole Ethanator novel, many childrenses school papers, chapters in creative writing class...much has the mark of the signature Purple Pen.

The search begins.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 9

I got all the Boring Beginning answers right on the download!

Here's my lifeboat thing using two random names from my names chart...

"Come on!" Adrian hissed. Kalista crawled after him through the tangle of bushes and long grass. The blazing bright sun shone overhead, which normally would've made Kalista happy, but now it only complicated things. Adrian motioned for her to be get down. They both dropped low and Kalista looked up, seeing the silhouette of yet another terrorist patrolling the border. When he was gone, she glanced at her watch. Two minutes until the next guard came by. Adrian had already started crawling toward the shore. They had to get out of here. The plan was to swim the small channel of water to the eastern shore, and then run farther. They would probably be seen and shot of course, but better to die escaping than die in captivity. Adrian suddenly shoved her head into the dirt. Had it been two minutes already? The shadow of the guard passed over them. He was so close that Kalista was sure he could hear her heart pounding like a hammer on an anvil. But he did not slow his pace. The two continued to push aside the vines and grass. There was the little clearing that served as a beach. Adrian glanced at her - it was now or never. They both picked up branches, grabbed each other's hands, and ran toward the water. Kalista's feet flew over the dirty sand, nearly tripping several times over the tangled seaweed, rocks, or garbage that had washed up or been thrown there by the terrorists. They dragged the branches behind them, covering their tracks. The next patrol guard would see them soon. Suddenly her foot hit something hard and she did fall. Adrian pulled her up and tried to hurry her along, but Kalista looked down at what had tripped her - to see the side of a upturned boat covered in seaweed, trash, and sand. "No, Adrian look!" she whispered. "It's an old lifeboat! We can pass as a couple of fishermen in a boat!" There was no time to debate it. Adrian helped her push the boat to an upright position, then put his hand over her mouth - just in time. A fully dressed skeleton holding a small piece of paper had been under the boat. Kalista felt like throwing up. Adrian grabbed the note and motioned for her to push the lifeboat into the water. He kicked the skeleton into a seaweed tangle, so that nothing would grab the patrol's attention, and leaped into the boat. They used their track-covering branches for oars, praying they wouldn't be identified and shot.

Here's the other one that is actually the prologue of my story:

Eldarion, king of Gondor rode for his very life under a black sky. Men everywhere were seemingly in a trance, making their way slowly toward the dark castle of Minas Tirith. The king had tried to stop them, but they would not be detained or seemed to notice any of his warnings. But it was what was coming out of the city that worried him more. Orcs that were not tortured elves, but tortured men pursed him hotly at breakneck speed.

Eldarion was afraid.

Thunder rolled almost constantly as he reached the little town of Osgiliath. More men were walking out, transfixed toward the city, all at the same pace. Their eyes did not move from the city nor did they speak, despite the pleading of their hysterical wives and children who had no power to stop them. Indeed, no one did.

Lightning struck.

The town was in confusion. The king rode in, looking about wildly. No one seemed to notice him through the wailing of the women and the screaming because of the approaching orcs.

Wind Blew.

A old woman opened her door and saw him. "Great King!" "Come inside! We will hide you!" Eldarion lept off his horse and it fled in fear. The king ran into the dwelling and the woman locked the door, and proceeded to close all the curtains. Her husband stood near, his sword drawn. Their son clung to his father, an eight year old lad with wide, jet-black eyes. "I put you all in danger! The orcs want me!"

"Say nothing of it, Your Highness. We are in danger either way." The woman beckoned him to a secret door in the floorboards. Eldarion leaped in. He heard Orcs in the village. He heard grunts, shattering of glass, doors being smashed, and people screaming in terror. They were being slain. The King pushed the trapdoor open in anger and quickly climbed out. "My lord!" the woman loudly whispered. "No! You will be killed!"

"It is my life they want! Not those of my people!" he ran to the door. The young boy poked his head fearfully out from under the bed only to unintentionally haunt Eldarion with his deep, frightened eyes. Before the king could turn the doorknob, he heard the boy cry, "Father? Father! No!" and emerge from hiding to grab his cloak. The man was walking toward the black city, eyes staring straight ahead. The woman tried also to hinder him, but orcs were upon the house. The woman pushed her son into the trapdoor while the man walked out of the house. She ran to follow him. "No!" the King called, but it was too late. The orcs slew her. He gritted his teeth and prepared to charge into the pack of orcs, but he felt his foot being grasped. Two small but surprisingly strong arms jerked him into the hatch and locked the door.

Thunder rolled.

Comment me everybody!!!!

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 8

I didn't do the Little Red Riding hood part because I saw the answers!:0 But I pretty much got the point!:)

This is the first bit I've written about this character. She kinda just popped up. I don't really know here or much about her yet.

Sailing on the Ocean... Sort of:

Asassia gripped the Dragon's back with her legs and spread her arms wide, feeling the salty, cool breeze flowing past her. The two of them were zipping through the water much faster than fast. The Dragon easily propelled herself with her wings, specially designed for swimming quickly in the water. Suddenly the Dragon forced herself up out of the water, into the air, then plunged beneath its surface. Asassia latched her arms around the Dragon's neck as they continued to dive down, frightening colorful fish. Bubbles surrounded them like a tickley blanket. She kicked her legs, trying to speed their descent as it were possible. The Dragon flipped and spun, enjoying the frolic time. Asassia did not know which of them savored it more. Her heart soared and if she could have laughed underwater, she would have. But now she was running out of air. She let go of the Dragon and motioned her to the surface. Asassia emerged and took a gulp of air. The Dragon was right beside her, and playfully sprayed water into her face. This time she could laugh, and did, releasing some of the bottled up joy inside her. She looked into the Dragon's bright green eyes and stroked her wet scales. It seemed as happy as she was. "You are beautiful!" Asassia told the Dragon. "And so smooth and agile in the water - like a sea goddess in the stories!" She rested her forehead on the Dragon's and smiled. "Calypso. It's the perfect name for you." Calypso licked her with a lizardlike tongue as if to agree.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 7

Before: It rained all week during our camping trip.

After: On the last day of our camping trip, I peeked out of our cramped pop-up tent to see if the relentless rain had ceased, hoping we could get at least one day of fishing fun before we had to go home. No. The torrents of rain made it of difficult to see anything, but I discerned the gloomy sight of our dripping lawn chairs, water making pools in the seats. The logs in the fire pit were soaked, and all I could hear was the splattering of cold drops hitting the canvas of our tent.

Before: Katie saw a scary sea creature at the aquarium.

After: Katie tapped the glass separating her from the brilliant yellow fish swimming carelessly by. The Tulsa Aquarium was full of these finned creatures that she thought were so lovley. Smiling at the yellow fish again, she turned to look at another tank. This one was darker, and lacked the bright colors. Katie pressed her face to the glass, confused. All of a sudden, a shadow passed over the sand on the tank floor. Lookin up, she shrieked and jumped back when she saw a shark larger than her father swim smoothly by, as if looking for something to chew on with its razor sharp rows of teeth.

Before: As I entered the cave, I found the object of my search- the lost treasure chest of the Ancients.

After: I was feeling less like Indiana Jones with every move. And less like a girl who had studied for years about this long-lost chest I was after. I army-crawled into the low, pitch-black, cleft in the rock. "A cave" my informer had called it. I scoffed yet again at those words as the space got even narrower. I held my flashlight between my neck and shoulder as I squeezed between the rocks that seemed about to make me the ham of a sandwich. My elbows were scraped raw and my pants were ripped. Sweat dripped on the dirt and gravel I crawled across. Slow going. The space was now too narrow for me to wrestle through. I shook my backpack off and tossed it in front of me, pushing it ahead whenever I caught up with it. I was now flat on my gut, shimmying into what was probably a dead end like all my other expeditions. My fedora scraped off and there was no turning around to get it. Great. There went the last of my Indiana Jones spirit. After an hour of crawling, I pushed myself out of the tunnel and into a vast opening as large and empty as a warehouse that had been cleared out. I whooshed out a sigh of relief to have my feet under me and unconsciously said aloud, "now THIS is a cave!" My voice echoed many times off the walls until the sound finally dissolved into air. I ran my flashlight across the walls where many hieroglyphic figures were painted in colorful detail. I could read some of it, but wasn't interested in trying to sort it all out right then. I had a treasure to find. Pulling the compass out of my bulky pack, I found the north side of the cave, and ran my fingers over the paintings on the rock wall. I couldn't bear to smash them with a chisel. I knew they were important pieces of history that would be demolished. Despite my hurry, I took out my camera and snapped several pictures and drew the signs myself on a notebook in case the pictures were no good. Closing my eyes, I brought my chisel down and connected with rock, sending shards flying. Whew, this was going to take awhile....
A long time later - I still don't know how long, I had laid aside my chisel and brought out the more detailed archeology tools. My heart raced excitedly as I forced my hands not to shake. Finally, it was out of the mountain. The chest I had searched for for ten years was in my hands.

Now, to open it.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 6

This is my really cool, very awesome, fabulous ship - the Dragon Verde where I am captain. She is the fear of the Indian Ocean, the true sea serpent the legends tell of. Fully crewed and fully armed! Taste the triple guns, Mate! A pirate's life for me!

5 Dead Words: Cool, Small, Awesome, Short, Yucky

The Tour of my Room: Walking down the hall and turning the corner is no adventure. But peeking into my room will raise your eyebrows in incredulity, mirth, or disgust. A gleaming sword, Glamdring the Foehammer, stands mounted on the white wall directly in front of you. A half-sized Templar shield, gold-rimmed with a red cross graces the adjacent wall, keeping company with the piece of Middle Earth memorabilia beside it. After giggling at the hanging weapons, you walk into the room and notice that the leg room is sparse, thanks to the bulky queen sized bed. You sit down on it, running your fingers over the purple and white floral quilt made by grandma for my 16th birthday. The numerous stuffed puppies and baby dolls dressed in pretty pink scattered across the bed give you the hint that this room does not belong to me alone. You hear a noise and turn toward the door, your eye catching a calendar with varied pictures of ships from STAR WARS to adorn the month of April. The entrance of a dark-haired, two-year-old little sister confirm your suspicions that I am not alone at nights. She snatches up her box of miniature toy kitties from the corner and waddles out. You smile at her and glance out the large window by the sword that overlooks our quiet cul-de-sac, peeking to the right to enjoy the sight of snow dusted mountains. A cluttered desk stands in the corner next to the window, covered in papers and school supplies with a computer monitor as the centerpiece. There at eye level is yet another calendar, this one displaying Davy Jones's tentacled appearance from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. You wisely decide not to ask why I have two calendars in my room. Above it is a homemade picture board, proudly holding numerous cards, letters, pictures, and my favorite comics for your enjoyment. As you continue to turn your head in a circle, you view my hanging clothes and bucket of shoes; as my closet doors are missing. The last wall may be the most interesting of them all. A drab wooden dresser and a bookshelf taller than you stand at attention, side by side, with three swords of my creation between them waiting for use. The shelves hold every kind of book from Elsie Dinsmore to Eragon. A fuzzy pink mushroom chair sits at the foot for lounging. You giggle yet again at the sight of a poster of Eli Manning dropping back to throw yet another amazing pass. A sliver cross hangs shining over a shiny radio and a box of cds. Now you are back to the door, watching my little bedmate dump all her hats out of their basket and laying her dolly in it for a nap.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 5 revised

Sorrow - Trojan gazed down at the body, feeling his heart shatter with a shock wave felt by his whole soul. Tears chased each other silently down his white face. He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again, this scene would be less than a horrible reality. But it was real. It was happening. "No... no... no..." he whispered. His right hand, still holding the bloody sword, was trembling severely. Stricken, Trojan suddenly dropped the weapon as if it burned him, and stared fearfully at that right hand, aghast at what horrific death and keening pain it could cause - at his bidding. His strength seemed to fail him, and he collapsed to the ground, weeping violently and shaking with sobs.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 5

This is something I grabbed and tweaked from my LOTR book. I don't have many other characters lying around and I know this guy a lot better than most of the others, or somebody I just think of at the moment.

NERVOUS - Trojan was usually superb at hiding his feelings under an expressionless mask, but now his face was white, making his hair an even greater contrast to his skin. His lips were tightened into a thin line and his eyes darted here and there. His hands were clasped together so tightly that his knuckles were white. Huntram suspected that it was to keep from biting his almost non-existent fingernails again.

ANGER - At Maab's words, Huntram nervously glanced at Trojan. The man's face had hardened and he seemed to tremble with suppressed rage. His eyes became narrowed orbs of hate, and he snapped harshly, ""And how is it that you two travel this land in which you have no business?"

In the book, you almost only see Trojan through Huntram's eyes, which is why everything here is from his point of view.

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 3

Character: Maab Kuldar the Dwarf
Physical traits: The typical dwarvish attributes are standing short, stocky, bearded, fully-armed, and filthy - and Maab is no exception!
Personality Traits: Loyalty, toughness, bravery, and a perky attitude mingled with soft-heartedness are the trademarks of this axe-bearing character. But even dwarves have their bad sides. Like most of his kin, he is as stubborn as can be. A fiery temper frequently shows, but it is not an hasty temper that will flare up for the wrong reasons. He is wise in choosing in whom he can place his trust... or his hate.
Likes/Dislikes: As long as there are more orcs to decapitate, this dwarf couldn't be happier. Also among his chiefest joys are a good smoke and plenty of meat. Almost the only thing that riles Maab's temper is anyone who stands in his way or threatens him. He fears no living thing - except horses when he has to ride them!

Character: Huntram Shaster
Physical Traits: This 15-year-old has blonde wispy hair that is never combed for long and usually has hay in it. He is tall for his age, all arms and legs, and doesn't move as if he quite knows what to do with them. He is always sunburned and chewing on straw.
Personality Traits: Huntram is an adventurous boy, and hopes to get out of the farm one day to see the world - until he is dragged out of the farm to defend the world. Then he realizes that his home is where his heart is - but even that doesn't break his constant resolve to be great at what he tries. His valiant efforts are all too often disastrous. He loves his little brother, who ultimately got him into this "mess", and stays close to him through danger after danger.
Likes/Dislikes: Huntram's favorite thing in the world is normal, everyday farm life in the Iron Hills. He likes the old plow horse, even though the creature is as stubborn as a dwarf. Never having the knack for learning, he never went to school, and later found out how dull it was when he must learn - or die. He hates the schedule his wanderer friends are used to: going to bed only when it was too dark to ride, and getting up at the first morning light!

Reach for the Stars! ~ Lesson 2

Peregrin Took
What is it that draws people to Pippin in THE LORD OF THE RINGS? Is it his fun-loving personality that people can relate to? Is it his cute red curls, funny accent, and delightful hobbit shortness? Is it his ability to break out in song and remain cheerful no matter what the situation? Or his pure love for his friends and the little things that remind us how big his heart is and how brave he really is? He is my favorite character in this movie and book for all of these endearing traits, and especially for his line, "I'm not likely to grow anymore - except sideways."

Gage Ironshanks
I know that you've never heard of him - only a select few have. He is a character I have created in a book I am writing that has no current title. This man hardly warrants the name, having seen only seventeen winters. Gage is an outcast, taken with fits of madness that lead him to do things even he cannot imagine. His scruffy appearance, piercing eyes, and dark demeanor render him almost inapproachable. His tattered cloak flies in and out of trees like a bird of prey. His continuous acts of violence and his frequent proof of a soft heart through it all keeps me, his creator, in suspense. The black sheet that seems to cover his character from my eyes exasperates me. I want to erase everything I have written about him, but it is impossible to do so. His two-sided personality eludes my pen with amazing dexterity as I try to pin him to the page. He is my enemy, yet I am somehow restrained from obliterating him. Perhaps I will one day overcome my forbearance with him and wipe him from the face of the earth.


Ok, whoa. That was WAY dramatic! But, oh well, it's true!!!:)

Reach For the Stars! ~ Lesson 1

Book: The LORD OF THE RINGS
Character: Frodo Baggins
Setting: Middle Earth
Problem: The Dark Lord Sauron's Ring of Power
Plot: Frodo the hobbit must destroy this Ring of Power - or give up their free lands for lost. He is joined on his quest by his friends, who have personal battles of their own to fight. Braving terrible dangers, the fellowship sets out on its journey to Mount Doom - the one place the Ring can be unmade.
Solution: Through the perils of backstabbing traitors, evil wizards, ravenous orcs, and other vicious devices of Sauron, the Ring travels across Middle Earth to the fires of Mount Doom, and is cast into the flame.