tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14847892949797737402024-03-14T11:05:23.600+00:00Let's write!Ideas for creative writingSue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-51026045314659898692024-03-10T12:09:00.001+00:002024-03-10T12:09:56.174+00:00Picture post<p> Look at these pictures. What do you think each of the subjects is thinking about? What might be happening in their life? Are they happy, worried, excited, sad?</p><p>Choose one and write a story - or a monologue, in which you get into their head and write as that person about what they're thinking, feeling etc.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xajDLZYU_WCnFVwj-rV8AAqC2MZ6dtzVGLVBrZPuXRuU1sxzI_gTiymgyDc2afGknEvN_QUlNNa3GPFFuceXUJkAr7wG0o6a5xVNqXgHWxcaGt01eP4xFNx3KLjHqfxjSmYNZJBsWFXZQQl0O8tnjj5nzz5oMDZldKmfnllUx3VZtVtCAS0T8wabtmmA/s640/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xajDLZYU_WCnFVwj-rV8AAqC2MZ6dtzVGLVBrZPuXRuU1sxzI_gTiymgyDc2afGknEvN_QUlNNa3GPFFuceXUJkAr7wG0o6a5xVNqXgHWxcaGt01eP4xFNx3KLjHqfxjSmYNZJBsWFXZQQl0O8tnjj5nzz5oMDZldKmfnllUx3VZtVtCAS0T8wabtmmA/w300-h400/bride.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bride - Eva Gonzales</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFxjCcdDmRLzVYX7OKRqhyphenhyphenwP-dUe4VW8X9N5-rGD5WI7VP588-BXZIEEWj-PZVyzeH_8N26ClkoxTVmjwKqOwOF-Vxh5ixYIp_jD3vFcbcLuxt2LXULw5XJ0W9yhOowlmn3LsVkFVx_eh2aeLi_WQgTdzQopKM5Y0-PfDsoz9EtCgy55O-kiyVxI5Eqk7/s640/market%20day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFxjCcdDmRLzVYX7OKRqhyphenhyphenwP-dUe4VW8X9N5-rGD5WI7VP588-BXZIEEWj-PZVyzeH_8N26ClkoxTVmjwKqOwOF-Vxh5ixYIp_jD3vFcbcLuxt2LXULw5XJ0W9yhOowlmn3LsVkFVx_eh2aeLi_WQgTdzQopKM5Y0-PfDsoz9EtCgy55O-kiyVxI5Eqk7/w300-h400/market%20day.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market Day - Camille Pissarro</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnbwRnXMSj_tkMgpcAIAL2edKimh96OFIx_Lk6fRgPuWLtI_tD7SYvOBZPHO04gPaj4Lfb-X-2W5fXRIi-s1VZ-UnY7LkoyYBf7u_FiMN-j5nJ8CyoyodU9CvXwrrTa6odpVMtzNMeHFutpyqBgbLJEhT1rBgntTcYqZimKYIhUIoU_sBhe4HGTdCOS-f/s640/portraits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnbwRnXMSj_tkMgpcAIAL2edKimh96OFIx_Lk6fRgPuWLtI_tD7SYvOBZPHO04gPaj4Lfb-X-2W5fXRIi-s1VZ-UnY7LkoyYBf7u_FiMN-j5nJ8CyoyodU9CvXwrrTa6odpVMtzNMeHFutpyqBgbLJEhT1rBgntTcYqZimKYIhUIoU_sBhe4HGTdCOS-f/w300-h400/portraits.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Toulouse Lautrec</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIFn7BhOIVMa9FjfR72rh5CHv-t3oq6AuWtt54_fQ101lofbrATrwyezxnxUt_pH6nEqRW8uQpaag-vrSua4e6yJSluL0wGiyqmBD6J3u4K4XLwmjlnZhhDAXOMyiRgHdkQa-hbPNbasPOozN8R5MyIt97xEyTrxLLzJqVbstv4Xz-AO77eTeiJDe1Mat/s640/pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIFn7BhOIVMa9FjfR72rh5CHv-t3oq6AuWtt54_fQ101lofbrATrwyezxnxUt_pH6nEqRW8uQpaag-vrSua4e6yJSluL0wGiyqmBD6J3u4K4XLwmjlnZhhDAXOMyiRgHdkQa-hbPNbasPOozN8R5MyIt97xEyTrxLLzJqVbstv4Xz-AO77eTeiJDe1Mat/w300-h400/pot.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renoir - Woman with a Veil</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-82413932009139820092024-02-29T08:00:00.001+00:002024-02-29T08:00:00.139+00:00Book review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYIE5dBagxGpK9-dbgGNhHOiwy_xxteITN_ImrNF0BvlRdB9x1F_kNRrHvUc9Kg_kiVq54iov4Wama7XGKbhcjuAHsuD0l0FCnXdC7ZYSLwbLkvZxb5RHFWvw4lYMCm0rpLfcxZGPh8wIRvs5lTMSOmKr7IvDtYdB-EkxVzHjrVyIe2lPjG7ebKysaPUY/s512/Book%20reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="512" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYIE5dBagxGpK9-dbgGNhHOiwy_xxteITN_ImrNF0BvlRdB9x1F_kNRrHvUc9Kg_kiVq54iov4Wama7XGKbhcjuAHsuD0l0FCnXdC7ZYSLwbLkvZxb5RHFWvw4lYMCm0rpLfcxZGPh8wIRvs5lTMSOmKr7IvDtYdB-EkxVzHjrVyIe2lPjG7ebKysaPUY/s320/Book%20reviews.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>This week, I'd like you to choose a book you've read recently and really enjoyed, and write a review of it. A review will often begin with a brief overview of what the book is about. It will go on to analyse what was good about it, and possibly where it fell short. It may compare the book with others in a similar genre: it can often be useful to quote briefly from the book, to illustrate the points you are making.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'd like you to focus particularly<b> on what made the book enjoyable</b> - what made it stand out, and what made you keep turning the pages - <b>what made you want to read on</b>?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to look at some reviews, you can take a look at my reviewing blog <a href="https://suepurkiss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. (I'm not suggesting that my reviews are models, but there are quite a few concentrated in one place, so it will provide you some examples, good or bad!)</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-9227726971158545562024-02-22T10:00:00.001+00:002024-02-22T10:00:00.134+00:00Heroes and villains<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have to admit, I like the main chracter of a book that I read to be someone I like, someone I'm rooting for.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But that's not always the case. Sometimes, the hero can actually be a baddie. How hard is that to pull off?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">See if you can write a story - or part of one - where the main character - the point-of-view character, the one who's leading us through the story - is really not very nice at all.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(Famously, Agatha Christie's break-through book was the one where the narrator turned out right at the end to be the murderer -and you don't know that till the last page! Very clever. Am not asking you to do that, though.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvfAFQfY64lEUG2fbGDYDoWm8sbKX6bYvI54Qn5zzzhkMyjsgWhIkdko1EkTm8NW31R5LpjZW5nUKeZ-wKqEURqrH-nBdyrax7QoDQM8K5u3OOGP9x4xhjgmsHRW3pDEKelAdBHouy9gdpC1kyLG9kqBwgnHnanYrX3rHHRf9Q0TQ4sRwXePbheHzWsis/s263/villain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="192" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvfAFQfY64lEUG2fbGDYDoWm8sbKX6bYvI54Qn5zzzhkMyjsgWhIkdko1EkTm8NW31R5LpjZW5nUKeZ-wKqEURqrH-nBdyrax7QoDQM8K5u3OOGP9x4xhjgmsHRW3pDEKelAdBHouy9gdpC1kyLG9kqBwgnHnanYrX3rHHRf9Q0TQ4sRwXePbheHzWsis/s1600/villain.png" width="192" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-62488468626819701082024-02-08T14:00:00.000+00:002024-02-08T14:00:00.270+00:00Night Walker<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQG1FRCqzNKTZjMlVKZSKhuO8ZtZ1sycHqqhyphenhyphenD74eigeuV_bdpf6gNyiiY5bzWV7VT8TP2jQkOpl7SyAazRLTG-fytd_EOXWfurcxNNadTLB5nlKK-V0Zy69eby0QZ5q_rXyNCtigk4cIqRXzyzQd-HOfULgV6cLr85A6tAFCUk50fyd6NQ0earNhl_KBC/s900/night-city-photography-2.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQG1FRCqzNKTZjMlVKZSKhuO8ZtZ1sycHqqhyphenhyphenD74eigeuV_bdpf6gNyiiY5bzWV7VT8TP2jQkOpl7SyAazRLTG-fytd_EOXWfurcxNNadTLB5nlKK-V0Zy69eby0QZ5q_rXyNCtigk4cIqRXzyzQd-HOfULgV6cLr85A6tAFCUk50fyd6NQ0earNhl_KBC/w400-h266/night-city-photography-2.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture by James Maher Photography<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>NIGHT WALKER</b> (From <i>Writing Magazine</i>)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What impressions could a person walking alone at night generate for your writing?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Who might the person be?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why are they alone, and where are they going?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What do they feel, on their own, in the dark?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What can they see, hear, smell, that is different from in daylight?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What does the darkness amplify?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Who might they encounter?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What does the person associate with darkness? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Is it a comfortable or uncomfortable environment for them? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What might happen?</span></p><p><br /> </p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-29801342841576768692024-02-01T11:30:00.001+00:002024-02-01T11:30:00.143+00:00These shoes are made for... writing about!<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLpeFkxSE31-TwQPkDWoiYNRCvK2CeD1IvIlW8oXvvcCyMd4cm2fr3FlaOmlNP4IIzrfhWQYP8e5oLy5kGSi-WEHGTh-jdCSgwj33UtJl0INd7TB9KSBicm2QwVU5ss8dhQcUIEd_MHhDkDB7AEDs9L2oNJwYIBOk8HUZ3RS1lrv55tgBjeVZc85dMzQP/s640/shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="640" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLpeFkxSE31-TwQPkDWoiYNRCvK2CeD1IvIlW8oXvvcCyMd4cm2fr3FlaOmlNP4IIzrfhWQYP8e5oLy5kGSi-WEHGTh-jdCSgwj33UtJl0INd7TB9KSBicm2QwVU5ss8dhQcUIEd_MHhDkDB7AEDs9L2oNJwYIBOk8HUZ3RS1lrv55tgBjeVZc85dMzQP/w400-h323/shoes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Wikipedia<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>Either</b>: simply brainstorm shoes that you remember, for one reason or another, and write about them:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>Or</b> try this - which comes from Writers Online.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">'Give footwear a walk-on role in today's creative writing exercise!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The set-up is that a character picks a new pair of shoes, which in some way or another, precipitates something else happening.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who is the character?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What are the shoes they choose? Why do they pick them? What do they look like? When does the character think they're going to wear them?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do they fit? How do they make the character feel?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happens as a result of them buying/wearing the shoes?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Write the story!</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-16149915403690890212024-01-25T12:00:00.001+00:002024-01-25T12:00:00.137+00:00Stormy Weather<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqfOluSvXeiAiIHPGwJW-kXtcgJ7Gvu9B3Hx-V9amP1TZu5-eL-dTvN28e_G2YOi3eQwz0cqo9U_0K9yj-QJSe6TUWgDNVn6M9dEVOgST1mAKkQO2xRP4T7frTYjK_7gy0xW6_-w6zRvH0ZGEGleIessCikJl2ld9qRTyi0apwCzGrpVvH29RsgYBxCV5/s640/weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqfOluSvXeiAiIHPGwJW-kXtcgJ7Gvu9B3Hx-V9amP1TZu5-eL-dTvN28e_G2YOi3eQwz0cqo9U_0K9yj-QJSe6TUWgDNVn6M9dEVOgST1mAKkQO2xRP4T7frTYjK_7gy0xW6_-w6zRvH0ZGEGleIessCikJl2ld9qRTyi0apwCzGrpVvH29RsgYBxCV5/w400-h300/weather.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;">We've had some stormy weather lately, so let's use it in our writing.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Create a character - you could chose a name from the list we created a couple of sessions ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now put them in danger. Imagine a situation from the recent storms. For example:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">You're on an unfamiliar road in a remote rural area, and you're caught in a blizzard. The car can't go any further. In the distance, you see lights...</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">You're on our old friend the train. It's stopped - by a tree on the line, snow, floods - take your pick.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">You've just arrived for a stay in a village in the Welsh mountains. It's very pretty - but it rains heavily, and you see that the level of the river that runs through it is beginning to rise...</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You might want to introduce another character - perhaps someone you don't know all that well. What does the crisis reveal about this person's character? Does it bring you closer together, or does it drive you apart?<br /> </span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-35547396563014080762024-01-19T17:05:00.006+00:002024-01-31T15:47:41.143+00:00Writing about an object<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkhmswRFqeXKuiHCGPAQuJIlMODZbbv3IEIjXnOEc14kD8o82GhmiPgQIftZy0rgeLOIoT_6j0lCh7UZG7cqwCsirsuQ16DupK7lm8TIn0BmCfdyHZeo3uyYxuAGZmyXV-sodpjIlABGkb0GBJhIBidQz94lMnkQ-YeI5Gl86kHQ_FtfUuYrRF-gHWUaV/s800/horseshoe-symbol.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="800" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkhmswRFqeXKuiHCGPAQuJIlMODZbbv3IEIjXnOEc14kD8o82GhmiPgQIftZy0rgeLOIoT_6j0lCh7UZG7cqwCsirsuQ16DupK7lm8TIn0BmCfdyHZeo3uyYxuAGZmyXV-sodpjIlABGkb0GBJhIBidQz94lMnkQ-YeI5Gl86kHQ_FtfUuYrRF-gHWUaV/w400-h276/horseshoe-symbol.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Here's a horseshoe. (Because that was the object I meant to bring to class on Thursday.)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><b>Writing about an object</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">First of all, take a really good look at your object. Handle it - is it heavy, rough, smooth? Does it have a smell? (Unlikely, but you may have chosen a flower!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Then, looking at it really closely, describe it in detail.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If there's already a story attached to it - a memory of when you acquired it, perhaps; or maybe it reminds you of a person or an occasion - then you could write about that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If not, make it the focal point of a story. Make up a character. Was the object given to them? By whom? Was there some significance attached to it? Or was the object used in some significant way - perhaps someone was murdered with the horseshoe - or perhaps a florist saw it in a bric-a-brac shop, and was inspired to create a range of floral gifts centring on the horseshoe motif - which became so successful that they saved her shop from having to close...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Off you go!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> </span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-40999258341038488012024-01-11T16:05:00.000+00:002024-01-11T16:05:37.567+00:00Tarquin Mosse (or whoever)<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> A few notes on how to approach the next task.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So you have your character - let's say he's called Tarquin Mosse. And you have chosen a problem for him to encounter - let's say his car has driven into a ditch.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>First of all</b>, make a few notes about Tarquin. Eg: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">How old is he?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What's his backgound? (Sounds quite posh, with a name like that. Or is he? Could he have adopted the name - might he have started off as someone quite different?) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Does he have a secret?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What does he look like? What kind of clothes does he wear?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What are his weaknesses/strengths?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Then</b> - think about the situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What kind of car is it - maybe a Porsche?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Does it belong to him?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If not, whose is it? Does the owner know that he's driving it? Why did he take it? What are the ramifications of the crash?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>What is poor Tarquin to do</i>?</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">NB: if creating an actual story seems too big a stretch, maybe just explore the character: give him/her a bit of back-story - just see where it goes.</span></b></p><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-84107078398969920752024-01-04T13:33:00.006+00:002024-01-04T13:59:33.137+00:00Hanging on to Christmas!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNxRtAjmiZNN_RRvip6Bqu79MZjWrUsO7EgG3sBfL3NXkYTNJcrecobg-I7iNLsZeVkXZzAvKuUoGX82C4JJJMqOz28raE7rJagaJau6WoDdvu8wfpm8Z1W1CZEBBc09FBr8zzHBTNGzAxAZqjydOoV1Z0iEvvFEgXEYlttJ-sxnH1XruD0WhDDOYoBnQ/s640/Xmas%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNxRtAjmiZNN_RRvip6Bqu79MZjWrUsO7EgG3sBfL3NXkYTNJcrecobg-I7iNLsZeVkXZzAvKuUoGX82C4JJJMqOz28raE7rJagaJau6WoDdvu8wfpm8Z1W1CZEBBc09FBr8zzHBTNGzAxAZqjydOoV1Z0iEvvFEgXEYlttJ-sxnH1XruD0WhDDOYoBnQ/s320/Xmas%20tree.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>One last nod to Christmas 23 before we leave it behind for ever! </p><p>Here are two starting points for a possible piece of writing for us to share on Thursday 11th: choose whichever appeals.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Spoof Christmas roundup letter</b></p><p>I think it was Jude who suggested this: make up one of those round robin Christmas letters that some people include in their christmas card. You know the kind of thing: <i>It's really been quite the year, with Freddie gaining a triple first at Cambridge, Beatrice starting her first job in a merchant bank (on £80 000 a year, lol - but with a promise of a raise in six months!), Mary writing her fifth best-seller (sorry, not meaning to boast!) - and me completing a one-man expedition to the north and south poles in the space of three months (it's okay, am nearly over the frostbite!)...</i></p><p>It could be from a made up person, or possibly from a well-known figure whom you find particularly inspirational - eg Suella Braverman? Michelle Mone? </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Ghosts of Christmas past</b></p><p>This doesn't have to include ghosts - it's simply an invitation to remember a particular Christmas in the past - or perhaps more generally, how Christmas used to be when you were a child. (Think of decorations, family traditions, food, presents, weather - and how Christmas <i>felt </i>then.)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-12117169955790787722023-11-30T14:33:00.001+00:002023-11-30T14:33:18.999+00:00Place - adapted from Writing Magazine<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This week's homework is on place. Choose one of the following:</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Cave</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Use a cavern as the location for aomething to happen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Where is your cave? What is there about its geology and geography that makes it significant?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What is the atmosphere like in the cave? What colours, textures and flavours does it hold? Is it spacious? Dangerous? Treacherous?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Is it home to anyone or anything?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In what way could your cave be an element in a story, poem or piece of creative non-fiction?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"><b>Watching the sea</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Explore memories of watching the sea.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Write about a particular sea. Think about where you or a particular character were, and what qualities the sea had that made it particularly memorable. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What colours was it? What did it sound like? What did watching it make you feel?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why does your chosen memory of the sea stand out? Was it because of the sea itself, or because the sea is associated with a particular person or circumstance?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Opulence</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Consider how to create an atmosphere.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Think of an opulent setting, either real or imaginary.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What effect does it have, and on who?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What do you want the opulence to convey to a reader? Choose your words carefully. If the ambience you want to create is one of power and oppression, the way you write about it will be very different than if you're wanting to craft a sense of luxury and ease.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Write a passage of prose or poetry where the opulence is intended to have a particular dramatic effect, either positive or negative.</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-27058016812134702302023-11-23T09:22:00.001+00:002023-11-23T09:22:16.426+00:00People<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"> First, find a picture of a person who interests you (preferably someone you don't know, and probably not a celebrity).</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">First, look at the person. Then describe them carefully. (Physical appearance.)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">What do you think this person's like? Describe their <u>character</u>.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">They have a <u>secret</u>. Something that may have happened way back in the past, something they've never talked about, something they've tried to forget. What is it?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">In the present, something happens to remind them of this secret. Maybe a letter or a message, maybe a scent or a glimpse of a familiar figure, maybe a piece of music. Whatever it is, it disturbs them. And things start to happen.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WRITE THE STORY!</span></b></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-9105684059538912572023-11-09T16:23:00.003+00:002023-11-09T16:23:52.310+00:00First lines<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Choose one of the opening lines below, and write either a short story or the beginning of a longer piece following on from it.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">In so many ways, it was a bitter winter that year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As the mug slipped from her fingers, her heart sank, for Elizabeth knew that she could never replace it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">The river ran deep. Who knew what secrets it held?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought I recognised the figure walking up my drive, but I was wrong.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">I will love you till we die, but I hope you die first.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That day, she did something that would change her life and the lives of those around her forever.</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-6769461874270458842022-11-11T16:15:00.001+00:002022-11-11T16:15:49.315+00:00Choose your title<p><span style="font-size: large;">This week, I asked everyone to contribute a title for a story or a non-fiction piece. Not quite sure which of these are supposed to be non-fiction - take your pick!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You can choose whichever title you like - now all you have to do is write the piece that goes with it!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBwrcePPG640YGTWpN2zsbvtK9IHS3CyinO5DhfJcvGetXdo8aGlTPnIvzq3Fg3Ret4ldQb9dnSg-bQhTQIEM06k22jYPSjkyUSJyh379DTI_aDYJHNRSqUP6xxV0tO9IwdhKUAm-aP8pQrPs4qEKW6og30N-HlFmLVaXE0NWLgmTSPiqcWlmHSciug/s620/moon.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="620" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBwrcePPG640YGTWpN2zsbvtK9IHS3CyinO5DhfJcvGetXdo8aGlTPnIvzq3Fg3Ret4ldQb9dnSg-bQhTQIEM06k22jYPSjkyUSJyh379DTI_aDYJHNRSqUP6xxV0tO9IwdhKUAm-aP8pQrPs4qEKW6og30N-HlFmLVaXE0NWLgmTSPiqcWlmHSciug/w400-h240/moon.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Colour of Clouds</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Under a Midnight Sky</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"What now?" I asked.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">High Jinks at the Town Hall</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Life and Times of a Total Moron</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Rat who Lived in a Mine</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Four Children, One Mum</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once Upon a Time...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Christmas Party</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-76489920081966575422022-11-05T09:01:00.005+00:002022-11-05T09:01:52.744+00:00Tell us a story...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMyelBnKfT4reQ8MiRSbAOE8UEqXmFjMRq3L5gDTmoBMKnLbec55Yiv-kN00kO6oNLKEZFyYCxlHW5c2VpL5AJ5IRU79OUYgPEkca7UBkYn9V6unV1hS43YpnxOLnSm3WsJe7S7s-bNgz2siL2Cs4JgkMSoIWGLS-B8ddmBei_J8IuCtQC5ApAIygYg/s800/storyteller-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMyelBnKfT4reQ8MiRSbAOE8UEqXmFjMRq3L5gDTmoBMKnLbec55Yiv-kN00kO6oNLKEZFyYCxlHW5c2VpL5AJ5IRU79OUYgPEkca7UBkYn9V6unV1hS43YpnxOLnSm3WsJe7S7s-bNgz2siL2Cs4JgkMSoIWGLS-B8ddmBei_J8IuCtQC5ApAIygYg/w400-h200/storyteller-1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">This task is from this month's Writing Magazine - it's the subject for a competition. (If you'd like to enter the competition, the story has to be 1500-1700 words, and the closing date is 15th December.) If you don't want to enter the competition, it can be any length that suits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Tell us a <b>true story</b> using all your best narrative techniques - whether it happened to you, somebody you know, a distant historical figure, or even an inanimate object. </span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-82455560081579433302022-10-21T11:52:00.003+01:002022-10-21T11:52:16.993+01:00Creating a character<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyv8h3SQredACSQQ76DBim46gYDbWkJ01k_czgiBNdMSc5xGMTtmjQKC71sHlvtO0iqb3QWVS_aj6DcJ6a1IrmN4W0CSuX3fBP_mjSLxa2YQ_Sp-deu6AuCalFzSy0V5w6WhJXBGzn7mT4rrnMaISOSjCmsfdQ0br--8e9IztTzVZPMzt_X4Aw1XNfg/s436/characters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="115" data-original-width="436" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyv8h3SQredACSQQ76DBim46gYDbWkJ01k_czgiBNdMSc5xGMTtmjQKC71sHlvtO0iqb3QWVS_aj6DcJ6a1IrmN4W0CSuX3fBP_mjSLxa2YQ_Sp-deu6AuCalFzSy0V5w6WhJXBGzn7mT4rrnMaISOSjCmsfdQ0br--8e9IztTzVZPMzt_X4Aw1XNfg/w400-h105/characters.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Characters from the Duolingo language app.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* Choose a first name and write it down. (Don't think about your answers for two long; just go with whatever pops into your head.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* Choose a surname, and write it underneath.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* Write down a physical characteristic about their face - eg piercing blue eyes, lots of wrinkles, soft red mouth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* They have some sort of habit that they don't notice but other people do - like drumming their fingers, straightening cuffs, twiddling with a ring. What is it?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* What do they do for a living?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* What's their happiest memory from when they were a child?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* What are they afraid of?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* What do they want most of all?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">* Brainstorm a few of their characteristics - eg cheerful, impatient, painstaking, anxious, confident.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">So now you have a character. Put them into a story - which involves a <b>journey</b> of some kind.</span></p><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-2101177263719279242022-10-13T11:00:00.001+01:002022-10-13T11:00:00.173+01:00Fairy Tale Twist<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF_KOI8Yjva8ivSSv_VhWvW5q223h9ra8Qfh153HJ-LTm89da5vDLjnru5mwLW1hTojf2Gus_xrJrhUG0Z74sDhxNf45NOE4JAGn2a16Z64GTELqrAc2IHOvEVhU5L5YH7EZdcZqXzowg-UuM0sLdRpCAbpSdpFfY2jRdnOKGnH8I88fwLmnhs2icmA/s300/Pied%20Piper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF_KOI8Yjva8ivSSv_VhWvW5q223h9ra8Qfh153HJ-LTm89da5vDLjnru5mwLW1hTojf2Gus_xrJrhUG0Z74sDhxNf45NOE4JAGn2a16Z64GTELqrAc2IHOvEVhU5L5YH7EZdcZqXzowg-UuM0sLdRpCAbpSdpFfY2jRdnOKGnH8I88fwLmnhs2icmA/w400-h224/Pied%20Piper.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A new take on an old fairy tale - continue the story!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The Pied Piper of Hamelin hadn't reckoned on Mrs Muskett, Year 3's formidable music teacher...</span></i></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Or:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Choose another fairy tale, and invent a similar twist.</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-53970941264699363022022-10-06T09:00:00.000+01:002022-10-06T09:00:00.184+01:00Lucky find...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLCqDmaZfJtW2oUPDnSjXlBsP_Hy2KvldHJJQTv_hCoWl7azEpUKpkZZdvc-gfJn0mNcg3MJu8Eixl8V3YZcppKPpxvixHQX7yYCty_MHNrTQ3RmJxK1Syx31OA-bnjGv-u2Gir_m4ux9vMcZop5p3iRffrHzSO_4M1x7HM94qXDxiTpay9BQl5ZIng/s340/note.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="340" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLCqDmaZfJtW2oUPDnSjXlBsP_Hy2KvldHJJQTv_hCoWl7azEpUKpkZZdvc-gfJn0mNcg3MJu8Eixl8V3YZcppKPpxvixHQX7yYCty_MHNrTQ3RmJxK1Syx31OA-bnjGv-u2Gir_m4ux9vMcZop5p3iRffrHzSO_4M1x7HM94qXDxiTpay9BQl5ZIng/s320/note.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Replacing a rotten window frame, you find a slip of paper wedged in the wall. It changes your life. How? (NB - it's not this particular note - this is just to illustrate the post!)</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Or:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You are stripping off layers of wallpaper in your house. When you reach bare plaster, you find a drawing/message which shocks you. What is it, why does it shock you, and what happens next?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(<i>Thanks to Writers' Forum for the first of these.</i>)</span></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-30661416340461410282022-09-08T14:28:00.002+01:002022-09-08T14:28:31.498+01:00There are places I remember...<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> For this task, begin by thinking of a house, or maybe just a room you remember: or you could choose a workplace or an office - anywhere, really, that means something to you.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Draw a rough sketch plan of the place. Then annotate it: eg <i>This was where my sister and I listened to records; The sitting room where we watched TV together and I first saw... </i>etc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then choose one of the memories/notes, and use it a a springboard for a piece of writing: could be a story, could be memoir.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUg2ndO8d34zT7ClVJoIsd953b5OYzEnX_bzjiqNDNqCy5L2_aTXmEUxBVZ6BHbdWMM8Z1whrcrCUv4r9-NzWrpsULznjZlobL14Nth7mUnIxPOd3OHTX_fMeWi4SuNMrss2AKPCrGaI-xQllauepKfX6TTaQOrMdXUZhn6ucmLKD7-qwhze1rw40Hw/s800/50s%20living%20room.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUg2ndO8d34zT7ClVJoIsd953b5OYzEnX_bzjiqNDNqCy5L2_aTXmEUxBVZ6BHbdWMM8Z1whrcrCUv4r9-NzWrpsULznjZlobL14Nth7mUnIxPOd3OHTX_fMeWi4SuNMrss2AKPCrGaI-xQllauepKfX6TTaQOrMdXUZhn6ucmLKD7-qwhze1rw40Hw/w400-h300/50s%20living%20room.webp" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-49468719461991082622022-08-23T16:26:00.000+01:002022-08-23T16:26:17.723+01:00Homework!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Margaret very sensibly suggested when we met that it would be a good idea if I set you something to write about ready for our first meeting of the new 'school' year. So here you go.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>First option</b>: choose one of the following pictures, and write a story suggested by it. You could begin by describing the picture, if you like; or you could launch straight into the story. One possibility would be to focus on one character in your chosen picture, and get into their head - ie write about what's going on in their voice, and see where that leads you. Or you could write about what happened before the scene in the picture, or about what happens after it.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyBW8OX29Lbg8FqDB3QsS99t4YeZ2hOMERbliGhyUx0kpOUvES2YirFCRxlcd5dbbiR7X1d5RToCpvNxhrC_unrcyb6tK50SPfO4pfDqrVm0H9dOjZStDEv35_aPuJ7u98B00x4aZSSo6w7xf1y8GXRM_1Lfkv3idHp27_3Uee3gLk7dwNirB_qoZMg/s500/s-l500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyBW8OX29Lbg8FqDB3QsS99t4YeZ2hOMERbliGhyUx0kpOUvES2YirFCRxlcd5dbbiR7X1d5RToCpvNxhrC_unrcyb6tK50SPfO4pfDqrVm0H9dOjZStDEv35_aPuJ7u98B00x4aZSSo6w7xf1y8GXRM_1Lfkv3idHp27_3Uee3gLk7dwNirB_qoZMg/w360-h400/s-l500.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Picture by Vermeer</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuwMF6V0It5M2xV4AYsX-McL0aR-c7UKUG67Fw-VC63AgJU0uqlcXNQtHK4YtyYTMuatMGG0uClm80-xO0QvSlOpyXrQTDLPTKEBjGncRZiC0awirzMAMLdtUAs-j62CCWYYfqJOUsbzIcjnVxIEubVR2Yn1L-6l5Tsx-Ze1IceFigG7Vi7hv3NIiyQ/s254/scream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuwMF6V0It5M2xV4AYsX-McL0aR-c7UKUG67Fw-VC63AgJU0uqlcXNQtHK4YtyYTMuatMGG0uClm80-xO0QvSlOpyXrQTDLPTKEBjGncRZiC0awirzMAMLdtUAs-j62CCWYYfqJOUsbzIcjnVxIEubVR2Yn1L-6l5Tsx-Ze1IceFigG7Vi7hv3NIiyQ/w312-h400/scream.jpg" width="312" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Edvard Munch</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFVOcQuBmy2Np7LIXG50W_e8lp-uLCdMbJACHmrgFL22HWXOZTPc4Qov8ibboCM0yBOxZNINssHquC6pn9I4z9QYNItJ8zWvFAZ7YFrEzcyklFd6cWop4c4qqH3V1LReKpBMtD5S6g7LGOfX_zSV2FRYO4sGhEgFGCV18lQ-yFR-hgZAsE5XORbGlVw/s700/the-fitting-1989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="700" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFVOcQuBmy2Np7LIXG50W_e8lp-uLCdMbJACHmrgFL22HWXOZTPc4Qov8ibboCM0yBOxZNINssHquC6pn9I4z9QYNItJ8zWvFAZ7YFrEzcyklFd6cWop4c4qqH3V1LReKpBMtD5S6g7LGOfX_zSV2FRYO4sGhEgFGCV18lQ-yFR-hgZAsE5XORbGlVw/w400-h294/the-fitting-1989.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Fitting, by Paula Rego</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><b>OR</b>, if none of these takes your fancy, write a piece entitled 'Something that happened on holiday'!<br /></span><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-30870944698083343772022-06-22T11:15:00.000+01:002022-06-22T11:15:01.069+01:00Titles<p> These are titles of books that members of the group have read recently. Choose one, and write a story suggested by it.</p><p>The Whispers</p><p>Marriage of Opposites</p><p>Bleak House</p><p>When will something good happen?</p><p>Coffin Road</p><p>Ingenious Pain</p><p>The Secret Garden</p><p>Behind the scenes at the museum</p><p>The Magic Circle</p><p>And a pretty picture, just for fun.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hUJDPqdzo0vOwBMchveVLJAt4j7CgxSysiJCWxjZKD0OEDoKj_b_kAEhgJQiv3d135NUfdW1k-72aO21OEHYm2ccsQUCvGu32-JolF9iZX8npYgxKdtQMh9tSCG-EliJAcpuhvjXOSic7Qnp6JZmdum0anj5EOAaaCl9Ikt1JOkBcguB83wAobJJbA/s1317/IMG_1974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1317" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hUJDPqdzo0vOwBMchveVLJAt4j7CgxSysiJCWxjZKD0OEDoKj_b_kAEhgJQiv3d135NUfdW1k-72aO21OEHYm2ccsQUCvGu32-JolF9iZX8npYgxKdtQMh9tSCG-EliJAcpuhvjXOSic7Qnp6JZmdum0anj5EOAaaCl9Ikt1JOkBcguB83wAobJJbA/w400-h195/IMG_1974.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-75515658610410317762022-05-20T13:01:00.002+01:002022-05-20T13:01:54.086+01:00Something to cheer us up...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuPOOzIrTHy5SNR79YPvd3mImmMDmhO_I6yTh49YVaM4knz6M7Ld9jzn58FwqluAMI2e0J3v2GnnjFr_TCNSaNQ5pvPLu1plDYQcelZQYqJXyBwLbXqHJR_zb_JZaxofIhnJBSsPeoFKHiHIufmXvmmUJg7WXsvws1_pYlyLvQcU9hQSdczoHd-7t5Q/s259/Happiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuPOOzIrTHy5SNR79YPvd3mImmMDmhO_I6yTh49YVaM4knz6M7Ld9jzn58FwqluAMI2e0J3v2GnnjFr_TCNSaNQ5pvPLu1plDYQcelZQYqJXyBwLbXqHJR_zb_JZaxofIhnJBSsPeoFKHiHIufmXvmmUJg7WXsvws1_pYlyLvQcU9hQSdczoHd-7t5Q/s1600/Happiness.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We were chatting in the last session about how relentlessly grim the news is at the moment - and Jude made a very heartfelt request for a task that would cheer us up rather than make us more miserable. This seemed eminently sensible - so here we go!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>During the week, look out for <i>positive </i>news stories - local, national or international. Come armed with at least one to share with us all.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Think about a <b>place </b>that made you feel happy, and write about it. Remember about using all the senses - hearing, smell, taste and touch - or at least a couple besides the visual. Might be useful to find a photograph to remind you, if you have one, but that's not essential.</li></ul><p></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-52186694009532028592022-05-12T21:26:00.002+01:002022-05-12T21:26:32.008+01:00Characters and emotions<p> So this week's task - first, make up a character. We did it in class by answering these questions:</p><p>Choose a first name</p><p>Then a second name</p><p>Character's favourite piece of clothing</p><p>Their job</p><p>Secret fear</p><p>Secret ambition/desire</p><p>(In class, we then described the room/house this character lives in - but you don't need to do that.)</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">Homework</span></b></p><p>Use your character in a story. The other main element is a particular EMOTION, such as pity, love, fear, jealousy, anger - as the main driver for your story, the thing that sets the action off.</p><p>Or, if you'd like a change from stories, write about a time in your own life when one of these emotions was dominant.</p><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-52682317984559385672022-05-07T14:58:00.002+01:002022-05-07T14:58:54.628+01:00Starting with a title<p> Choose a book title that you like - it can be one you've read, or you could just skim the titles on Amazon or another book shop site and choose one from there.</p><p>Now write a short story, to go with this title.</p><p>For instance: <i>Hard Times, The Darling Buds of May, The Lost Girl, Still Life, Glass Houses...</i></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-89816586696051544162022-04-30T12:02:00.005+01:002022-04-30T12:02:54.993+01:00Everything but the eyes...<p> (NB: this exercise is taken from http//www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-activities.html)</p><p>Many of us are visually oriented. We forget that others may respond equally well to a sense of smell or hearing. Describe a place of importance to you using sensory details of taste, smell, hearing or touch - anything except the visual.</p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484789294979773740.post-41360210872654529792022-02-17T08:00:00.001+00:002022-02-17T08:00:00.180+00:00Houses<p>1. Choose a house. It can be one you've known, or you can choose one from a picture. Describe it - imagine what kind of person might live in it. What do you think it would be like to live there? It's going to be the setting for a story. See pictures below for some examples.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrVPwhnWdwJRJD7gJk5jDbmnv7DopRRI-voaKLR6u5SnownUv0-l6ueBJWe00dJJo3UONrw2sdkFeEQXaHGiBqpChzIzfsXp1VtH2lyGpKYfAciHT4U30kFg5rH9-3AGKhPoFRnpeJg0xJro2oVsfamyWLdupkFtflgM6baHsMjBDQXPuReOupYHAVwQ=s976" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrVPwhnWdwJRJD7gJk5jDbmnv7DopRRI-voaKLR6u5SnownUv0-l6ueBJWe00dJJo3UONrw2sdkFeEQXaHGiBqpChzIzfsXp1VtH2lyGpKYfAciHT4U30kFg5rH9-3AGKhPoFRnpeJg0xJro2oVsfamyWLdupkFtflgM6baHsMjBDQXPuReOupYHAVwQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6WB72s1Ok7KZZjOfk0pGBt7DZyL2vEVkhXGV0omNjkNBumsROAGHNOApa1ScHnTn2KmapljWExiESoURXM5qT9kacQpHIBK-aEx79ZgA68swEHX0ZPM7KSBMlxOJ8FUA9_XF6kDoYuURFKEKvZ-2n01mWTJpMQw1j7V5DT6bOZbE_Z1XU0_KEc7OpyQ=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6WB72s1Ok7KZZjOfk0pGBt7DZyL2vEVkhXGV0omNjkNBumsROAGHNOApa1ScHnTn2KmapljWExiESoURXM5qT9kacQpHIBK-aEx79ZgA68swEHX0ZPM7KSBMlxOJ8FUA9_XF6kDoYuURFKEKvZ-2n01mWTJpMQw1j7V5DT6bOZbE_Z1XU0_KEc7OpyQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8ZyKicyzKKhbE4umrYuVBBOyKH8MtwTBQTsVFGz8499O1NcWmpuDLd0XPEa_axY2twt3fjToMt8V4DVRLDAZG0OGZhkLLy02ZO-fcak7GWbejc-8Srtnb--9kk-fQFqghlsYNRV4-IfMDyLza1LDXw34PECn2RiVo6I0WZLytd0iiMfaTQd9xLumB6g=s852" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8ZyKicyzKKhbE4umrYuVBBOyKH8MtwTBQTsVFGz8499O1NcWmpuDLd0XPEa_axY2twt3fjToMt8V4DVRLDAZG0OGZhkLLy02ZO-fcak7GWbejc-8Srtnb--9kk-fQFqghlsYNRV4-IfMDyLza1LDXw34PECn2RiVo6I0WZLytd0iiMfaTQd9xLumB6g=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVns_qAxueVPutDeELx-9kzOzFf6ocZlCb0Dtrq8fxoNQp-y8f7CibSXAYZN-WJjMxJPz65-NgxsrUl7nN3bvrEOWvULjW9QNMIqYNjdQW8fmeUfGEH5BllHsWLQOM-q-bVJ8W1VmeyA6AehIAD-zPC6pkib3SMMpbQCSxDf6DtLHOJALVzr9qZlprRw=s980" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="980" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVns_qAxueVPutDeELx-9kzOzFf6ocZlCb0Dtrq8fxoNQp-y8f7CibSXAYZN-WJjMxJPz65-NgxsrUl7nN3bvrEOWvULjW9QNMIqYNjdQW8fmeUfGEH5BllHsWLQOM-q-bVJ8W1VmeyA6AehIAD-zPC6pkib3SMMpbQCSxDf6DtLHOJALVzr9qZlprRw=w400-h399" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>2. You have quite a while before the next lesson, so I would urge you to use it to do some covert observation - in a cafe, on the street, anywhere. Pick on a person and observe them; describe them, search for clues so you can imagine what their lives are like. (But be discreet!) Don't stop at one - make a habit of it! Carry a notebook, so that (obviously) you can make notes.</p><p><br /></p>Sue Purkisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com0