Writing Challenge #5--The Strange and Unusual

WRITING CHALLENGE #5 

Write about the most unusual place you've ever been or the strangest thing you've ever seen.

Last summer, as many of you know, we drove from Idaho to Wisconsin.  In addition to the usual stops, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, and Mount Rushmore, we also found a few places off the beaten path.  

We saw a bison lying right next to the the boardwalk and a sign saying stay on the path (trust me, we did). 

We saw the Jolly Green Giant, all 60 feet of him.  

This Lincoln Memorial, which is Lincoln's head on a pile of rocks. 

 My favorite place on the whole trip was the Field of Dreams in Iowa.  You really do drive for miles through cornfields until you reach a baseball field.  It's where they filmed the movie (one of my all-time favorites), and you can actually play on the field.

The strangest thing we saw on our trip was definitely the mold graveyard.  When they make giant signs like ice cream cones or statues to sit out front, they use giant molds.  When they are finished, this company just throws the molds out in a field.  There were thousands of them.  Some were put together and standing; others were lying in pieces.  This place was both fascinating and creepy, especially my mouse friend here.

You don't have to go far to find the unusual.  This fishy fellow is a resident at the Boise Aquarium.  He cracked me up with his huge teeth!

I can't wait to see what you have found!

Writing Challenge #4--Photo Prompt

Thank you to all of those who have been playing along.  I'm sorry I haven't responded to your individual stories.  I will try to do that this week. 

WRITING CHALLENGE #4

For this week we are going to use photos to inspire our writing.  Choose one of the following and create a story around it. 

FYI, I do not know where that particular zipper is, but I found this artist who is creating giant zippers and "unzipping the world."  You can see her work here: http://justsomething.co/this-japanese-artist-is-literally-unzipping-the-world/

Writing Challenge #3--Taste of Summer

As much as I enjoy spending the school year with all of you (and I do!), I love summer break.  There's just something so wonderful about having days with absolutely nothing planned, as well as those fun vacations and new adventures.  I love all the possibilities! 

WRITING CHALLENGE #3 

What says summer to you? This week is your challenge is to describe summer. This can be done as a poem, as a narrative description of your favorite vacation or a typical summer, or a fictional story describing the perfect summer. The choice is yours.

Don't be afraid to have fun.  This is my summer to-do list.  I had fun being creative and doodling. I know my artistic ability isn't stellar, but it makes me happy :)

I was looking through some photos of past summers that inspired a summer poem.  

Summer Is..

Relaxation

A break from stress

Hours to read and write and enjoy

Time with family and friends

Activities

Biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, and

Sports—most days, all summer 

In the heat

Travel

To places both familiar and new

Road trips together

Adventure awaits

Celebrations

Some every day and others substantial

A birthday or afternoon ice cream just because

Savor each moment

Days 

Are long but they feel so brief

There just aren’t enough minutes to soak it up

Before it all ends

 

One Screenwriter's Creative Process

I saw this today.  What a fabulous description of the creative process!

Creative Spark: Stephen Schiff
Screenwriter Stephen Schiff ("Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps," "True Crime") takes viewers inside his creative process in an exploration of where he gets his ideas.
Posted by The Academy on Monday, May 18, 2015

      I just finished Jennifer A. Nielson's Mark of the Thief.  Wow, what a great read!  Historical fiction, mixed with a little fantasy, equals an action packed book with lots of twists.  The book takes place in ancient Rome. Nic, a slave boy, finds Julius Caesar's bulla, and receives it's magic. So begins Nic's new life.  Most of Rome is after the bulla. Some are trying to kill him and others are offering help (and maybe also trying to kill him). Nic is trying to figure out who he can trust and how he can escape. This story is a whole new way to look at ancient Rome, it's gods, and of course, the gladiator ring.  I highly recommend this book :) 

Boundless and Maximum Ride

 I've read two books so far this summer I want to recommend.  The first is The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel.  We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Oppel here in Boise a while back.  He talked all about his writing process and the stories behind his stories.

This book was a fun adventure.  Historically, it tells the story of the coast to coast railroad in Canada, but the story has some great fantastical elements.  The main character, Will, is on the maiden crossing of the Boundless, a seven mile long train.  Will's life is in danger, and he must survive the journey.  With run-ins with a few Sasquatch, some circus performers, and no shortage of villains, this book is exciting, and hard to put down.  I highly recommend it!

The other book I just finished is the ninth book in the Maximum Ride series, Maximum Ride Forever.  I was a little surprised at the publication of this book, because James Patterson said the eighth book was the final book in the series. This series is about a group (flock) of kids who were experimented on and their DNA was mixed with avian DNA, so they all have wings and the ability to fly, among other powers.  There is a lot of action and danger, as they seem to run into trouble and people who want to kill them in every book.  This one is a little different because it takes place after the world has been destroyed.  Max and her flock have to figure out what happened, who is left, and how to survive.  It wasn't my favorite of the series, but it was a fun read, especially if you're a Maximum Ride fan.

Right now I'm reading Mark of the Thief.  I am loving it so far, and I'll be back with a review in a day or two.  

Start with a Character--Writing Challenge #2

I hope you're enjoying your summer so far. We've been kind of lazy, but that's nice, too. Thanks to those who played along last week.  I loved reading your stories!

WRITING CHALLENGE #2

For this week's challenge, you are starting with a character. Choose one or more of the below characters and create a story around him or her.