Writer's Journey

 Greetings! Ready to write yourself into a story? My dog Mitz has a challenge for you:  Write about yourself as though you were in a television show based on your life. In 500 words or less, answer the following questions, adding some details that are fictional, but would be interesting to the story: 1. What would the title of the TV show be? 2. What type of setting would your character live in? 3. What would your signature clothing be? A leather jacket? Jeans? A bonnet? Rainbow high tops? A Minecraft hoodie?  4. How would the show always end? With music you play? With your favorite quote? With a joke? With a phrase you say daily? 5. What two things should we know about your character in the show? If you have trouble answering these questions, think of TV shows that have been popular and entertaining in the past—maybe an older Disney show like Liv and Maddie , Cory in the House , Jessie, or That’s So Raven . You can also think of characters in movies such as Star Wars . ...

Many students will be relaxing for fall break this week, so we will have no assignment posted that you need to turn in. Look back over some of our past assignments and complete any parts you left undone in previous weeks. Also, take some time to journal this week if you don’t already do so. Journaling is an excellent way to get your thoughts down on paper. A journal can be a place to explore senses and emotions in depth. These emotions don’t even have to be your own. You can journal about the anger you saw in a driver on the street or the pain of someone you saw as you past a funeral. Have you ever written a “ sensory journal ?” Twice a day (and this can be brief if you are busy), sit down and try to capture in words the sights, sounds, smells and tastes you have experienced since your last writing. You don’t have to explain the situation around each of the senses if you don’t want to, but write about the smells from the bakery you passed or the odor from the cat litter box or f...

Here’s a word I have been thinking a lot about lately: atavistic. Many people consider the word to have a negative connotation. Atavism means to revert to an ancestral type. People often use this in the sense of going backwards or reverting to an out-dated way of being or thinking. The word can be used to imply that something or someone is flawed or primitive by today’s standards. However, I like to think of the word in a different sense. I like to think that the reappearance of a characteristic from an ancestor could be strength for some of us. For instance, I have discovered letters written by my grandmother and her sisters that contain beautiful imagery and are written in a unique writing style. A few people have commented that I get my writing talents from some of my ancestors on my maternal grandmother’s side of the family. Other people wonder where their musical talents come from only to discover that their great-grandfather was noted in his area for his musical ability. So...