Reminder of the Friends of Benalla Library Writing Competition - closes 31 July
Icebreaker - Brainstorming of possibilities for the Writing Competition
- A look at the topics which best suit memoirs...
- 2-minute personal brainstorm on paper
- Sharing of ideas/possibilities in threes with a brief report back to class
1. You are handed a letter with your name on it. When you open it, you can’t believe your eyes…
2. It started out as an ordinary day but then…
3. Working at the zoo, you discover a cage door has been left open …
4. There’s a house at the end of the street hidden behind tall dark trees. No one has (had) been brave enough to enter, until now…
5. I woke up to find my favourite book characters in my bedroom…
6. Your pet is in charge of you for a day…
7. “Don’t look down,” I told myself. But then …
8. A young apprentice discovers an ancient key that opens doors to different dimensions…
9. A small village in the mountains vanishes overnight leaving a survivor who can’t remember what happened…
2. It started out as an ordinary day but then…
3. Working at the zoo, you discover a cage door has been left open …
4. There’s a house at the end of the street hidden behind tall dark trees. No one has (had) been brave enough to enter, until now…
5. I woke up to find my favourite book characters in my bedroom…
6. Your pet is in charge of you for a day…
7. “Don’t look down,” I told myself. But then …
8. A young apprentice discovers an ancient key that opens doors to different dimensions…
9. A small village in the mountains vanishes overnight leaving a survivor who can’t remember what happened…
Insights ... 'Private/Public Sharing'
1. - Personal reflection - "I nearly handed scammers my identity by including a document that is now deleted in my story"
2. - Reflections from Raff Epstein and Jane Fisher on “Life and Other Catastrophes” on the 10th anniversary of the program on ABC 774
* generosity and willingness of listeners(writers) to share,
* the power of the stories to allow others to think about their own experiences in new ways
* gain new insights form hearing about others experiences
Jane - "If it’s important to you, it’s often relevant to others"
Raff - "People’s lives are amazing"
2. - Reflections from Raff Epstein and Jane Fisher on “Life and Other Catastrophes” on the 10th anniversary of the program on ABC 774
* generosity and willingness of listeners(writers) to share,
* the power of the stories to allow others to think about their own experiences in new ways
* gain new insights form hearing about others experiences
Jane - "If it’s important to you, it’s often relevant to others"
Raff - "People’s lives are amazing"
Coming up on Monday 17 August - 'Anxiety and Change'
‘Fish Out of Water’ suggested for new/newer class members, or those who haven’t written on them in the past.
Have you had a unique experience when you were a 'fish out of water'? A time when you:
· Felt totally out of your element
· Felt like an outsider
· Were a foreigner traveling or living in a new country
· Were a rookie on the new job
· Were in another unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation
Share your experience in 500 words.
‘Taking the plunge’ - for members who have already written about the previous story
Write about a time when you found yourself stepping beyond what felt safe or familiar. This may have been by choice, through encouragement from someone else, or through necessity. Reflect on why this was significant at that point in your life and how it changed the way you see yourself. .. (Finding it hard to get started?… Here’s a sentence to use or edit which might help…. “ I hesitated before saying yes, knowing that what lay ahead would test me in ways I hadn’t anticipated … “)
Of course, you can choose either!
Have you had a unique experience when you were a 'fish out of water'? A time when you:
· Felt totally out of your element
· Felt like an outsider
· Were a foreigner traveling or living in a new country
· Were a rookie on the new job
· Were in another unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation
Share your experience in 500 words.
‘Taking the plunge’ - for members who have already written about the previous story
Write about a time when you found yourself stepping beyond what felt safe or familiar. This may have been by choice, through encouragement from someone else, or through necessity. Reflect on why this was significant at that point in your life and how it changed the way you see yourself. .. (Finding it hard to get started?… Here’s a sentence to use or edit which might help…. “ I hesitated before saying yes, knowing that what lay ahead would test me in ways I hadn’t anticipated … “)
Of course, you can choose either!
Bev Lee, Anne Stewart and Graham Jensen
