A writer's imagination

A writer's imagination has to go beyond what most people see. It has to exceed the mundane reality taken for granted. A writer needs to perceive more than just a 'fat man,' 'a cone,' 'a beautiful woman,' 'a seashell,' 'a leaf'... Instead, a writer should ask him or herself: What does a leaf remind me of? What can I compare it to in order to describe it best to my readers?

Therefore, in the AES Becoming a Writer club students practice sharpening their sensual perception of objects, people, surroundings… This is what they have recently noticed: 

What do these objects remind you of?

Students looked at the above objects carefully through a magnifying glass. A dry leaf became a saucepan and a boat, a seashell - a band shell and a fingernail, a cone - a fat Christmas tree and a flower. This is what writers see!

Vivian Maier's photograph (detail)

The man, however, is not simply an obese man, but "an obese man who looked at me as if he wasn't prepared to be photographed" - isn't that a much more interesting way of showing him to readers? 

Johannes Vermeer's painting (detail)

And this lady became "a girl whose lit face looks like the lighter part of a rape peach."

Creating a character

Creating a character, bringing it to life, imagining it from head to toe... isn't that fascinating? And all of this can by done merely by playing around with words! In Becoming a Writer for 3rd and 4th grades we are currently working on shaping fascinating literary personas. We not only describe them, but endow them with dilemmas, biggest wishes, darkest secrets... We make them real.

Have a look at how we have animated this lifeless and dull figure: 

 

At first, the above lady meant nothing to us. We were indifferent towards her until - as a group - we've made her alive... We gave her a name, a character, a dilemma... We turned her into a real human being. This is how:

Sindy Dead seems like an ordinary woman. She is pretty, but not breathtaking. She is good, nice and calm, but prefers to keep to herself. One thing is for sure, no one would ever suspect that Sindy Dead’s job is to bury dead people! No one could also guess that now, for the first time, she herself wishes to be dead. Why? Well, she has lost somebody whom she loves very much. He was an actor. Now, she wishes she could join him in heaven, but it’s not that simple... Sindy has a family and friends who love her. She cannot abandon them. Therefore, will Sindy decide to kill herself or will she learn how to stay alive with a tremendous wound in her heart?

Painting images with words

Just yesterday a great word-based image has been created by one of the young AES writers. Instead of simply saying "a fat woman" the student described her to us. He painted her image with words:

Can you see her? Can you see the fat woman?

Learning to write a description

In the AES "Becoming a Writer" club more and more students come to realize what creative writing is all about. They begin understanding that creative writing is not only about writing but also about... being creative! What does being creative in case of writers mean? What type of sensitivity do writers need to nourish in order to develop literary works? 

Well, what we are currently working on is creating images with words. Creating images with words? Yes, for example - how, using words, would you illustrate an old woman? Well, instead of saying "an old woman" you could say, "a grey, hunched figure in a kerchief on her head." What about creating an image of how it is to be a tall person? We could say "while most of us see others' faces, a tall person sees head tops." This is why, in order to create such imagery, writers need to be good observers and pay attention to details around them. It's the details, nuances, imponderabilia... that help creating original sentences. 

Two creative writing clubs at the AES!

Since the middle of September two creative writing clubs have been on the road at the AES. And where does this road lead? Of course, to the final publication that will appear in June 2015! The publication will hold stories and poems of those students who won't get off in the meanwhile, those who will continue writing throughout this school year. So far, both of the clubs are going very well. Students learn about what it means to write and consider deep thoughts like, 

"Hmm, would I want to be a professional writer in the future?" 

First creative writing sample of a 3rd grade student (September 2014)

Character's description of a 6th grade student (September 2014)