3 What about the fireworks? You might think you know what they're like, but lift your head and really look at the
colors and find patterns in the displays. At my last fireworks, 10-
it looks like when you're using a powder puff!
4 Interview a family member about a story from their childhood. Compare it one of your stories. For example, if
it is a camping story, or the first time at a museum story, go out and have the same experience and then write a
comparison.
5 Find a house in your neighborhood, or one you ride by, that you know nothing about. Perhaps it has a feature
you've always wondered about, like an old window made of stained glass, or a round room, or a rusty swing set
out front that you've never seen anyone use. Maybe a few windows are boarded up. Perhaps there's a giant
swimming pool in the backyard and they always have people over. Write a story about the house and the people
you imagine that live there.
6 Find a photograph of your mom or dad when they were young. Put it next to a photo of yourself. Write details
about what your faces look like; describe smiles and wrinkles and dimples and skin, how you look alike, and how
you differ.
Be a Writer
Writing can come from everyday experiences and
the people around you, mixed with your own
imagination. It does not have to be a "separate"
thing; in fact, writing is all about telling the stories
of life. As a writer, it is up to you to stop and notice
those stories.
Some Ideas:
1 Walk around your yard or the local park. Find an object. Use all of your five
senses to describe the object, like a flower or a single blade of grass or a
spiderweb. It may be something as simple as a stone that catches your eye, but hold
it in your hand. Feel it. Let it catch the light. Get it wet. Describe it as if you were
telling someone who has never seen a stone what a stone is like.
2 Take part in a regular event in your life, but imagine you are there to describe it
to someone who has never experienced it. Can you find a way to tell someone from
another culture what a Christmas tree is all about? Did you ever think about how
different it is to have a tree in your living room in the midst of winter? Describe what
it's like to have pine needles in your socks all month.
Great job!
