Transforming a painting onto words

One of the most famous paintings - Monet's Sunrise has been transformed by 3rd and 4th grade AES students into words. The young writers are on the right track to understand that painting, music or writing are just different ways for expressing something. They begin seeing that words are like a palatte with drops of paint - the more colors a painter has, the more interesting pictures he can create. And, parallel to that, the more words a writer knows, the greater his literary images. 

Monet's Sunrise in painting

Monet's Sunrise in words

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)

Becoming a Writer 2014/2015

Last year, both of the literary workshops: Merry, Scary, Fairy Tales and Her Majesty the Fantasy turned out to be successful. A group of students not only developed their literary skills through reading and writing, but also published their own literary work in form of a professional anthology.

This year, the literary workshops will continue and will focus on writing even more! So, if you feel like writing your own story, poem or play, come and join the club and ... become a writer!

Feel like writing? Join us!

THE 2014 AES LITERARY EVENT!

The publishing of the AES students’ short stories! 

We welcome you to have a peek inside the book!

The six short stories included in this anthology were written and illustrated by a group of AES students. These young authors worked on their first major literary endeavors throughout the period of several months in 2013/2014 school year. This book is a culmination of a long and rich process that included learning about literature and “making” it. We invite you to have a look inside. 

You may also find the hard copy of the book in the school library.

Anthology of short stories written by AES students
in the 2013/2014 school year

Short stories written by AES students

STUDENTS' STORIES ANTHOLOGY coming up soon!

The AES students' stories anthology is almost ready! Six AES students have worked hard throught several months to create the book. So, stories are written, illustrations drawn, editorial work is finished. Now, the anthology needs only to be designed graphically and printed out in as many copies as possible. Here are some of students' illustrations to give you a taste of the unique upcoming short stories collection: 

Illustration from the story by Ania Depta, 4th grade student

Illustration from the story by Gosia Pietrzak, 5th grade student

Discovering Chapter 21 in The Little Prince

Book Club participants work on creating a sketch based on Chapter 21 in The Little Prince, where little prince meets the wise fox and learns about friendship and love. The sketch will be filmed and shown to the wider AES audience.

Creating a plot for the sketch

Creating dialogues for the sketch

Creating dialogues for the sketch