Introduction to This Stone Soup Writing Activity “Once Upon a Time” is an example of a story written in unusual English. This work is by a six-year-old and is a good example of how young children express themselves differently from older children and adults. You will find lots of run-on sentences and dreamlike images flowing one into another. You will also see a lot of very short sentences, that are partly a sign that the author is very young, and partly a very effective method of story telling. You will see these techniques used by famous adult authors, as well as by some of the younger authors published in Stone Soup. It is also a useful practice for people working on poetry. Project: Adopting a Style For this project, create a narrator (the person who tells the story) who thinks in and speaks in an unusual English, in an unusual style. Think of a character—a infant, an older person, a visitor to your country whose first language is different, a person who is dreaming or confused for some reason, or someone living in an imaginary world of imaginary people and imaginary language. The fun of this project, and the challenge, is to find, invent and adopt the language of your character, use it to create your world and tell your story, and to make it understandable to your readers. So, imagine you aren’t you, whether you are a different age, or from a different time or place or planet, and that you think and speak an English different from your own in structure and wording. Who and what do you see? How do you describe it? And what is the story you have to tell? If it helps you to tell the story, illustrate it too. Once Upon a Time By Robin Elder, 6, Hopewell, New Jersey Illustrated by the author From the March/April 1986 issue of Stone Soup Once upon a time there was a little girl and a little boy. The little girl’s name was Judy. The little boy’s name was Michael. They lived in a old house. They played in the backyard. Their seesaw was made out of wood, their swingset was made out of wood, and their slide was made out of wood. They had a garden. The little boy went out to play and when he swung on the swings he saw a rainbow. It was just after a rainstorm when he went out to play. He went to his sister and his sister went outside. They both looked up at the sky. They saw the rainbow. They got their mother and father and then they were all standing outside looking at the rainbow. Then they heard a big boom. Their mother went into the kitchen, their father went into the bedroom, the little girl stayed outside, and the little boy went into the front yard. The mother found a broken window, the father found the faucet turned on, the little girl found the fence broken, and the little boy found an old man. The little boy went into the house and called the police. He said, “Somebody robbed our house.” And the police came and said, “Did you rob their house?” The old man said, “No, I am the plumber. I came to fix the sink. The fence got broken by the rain. The window got broken by the lightning. And they couldn’t turn off the sink, so I came just to fix the sink.” So the policeman said, “Where’s the rain and where’s the lightning? I need to arrest them.” But then the rain came and the lightning and everyone was safe and sound in the house but the policeman. He stayed outside and tried to catch the rain and lightning. When the rain and lightning stopped, there were two pretty rainbows and then it happened over and over. And then the little boy said, “Look at the rainbows.” Everybody looked. Everybody saw one rainbow for each of them. They all climbed their rainbows and slid down and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around until somebody stopped and then somebody else and somebody else and else and else and else and else. And there was a rainbow monster and a rainbow dragon and a rainbow bunny and a rainbow deer.
creative writing
Advice for Writers: Interviews with Rick Riordan
Reading is one of the best preparations for writing. We are fortunate that through the internet it is possible to keep in touch with living authors through their blogs, twitter feeds, and their websites. Many authors have also posted interviews on the internet. The editors of Stone Soup are building a series of pages of links and interviews with many of your favorite authors. Please add your feelings about this author in the comments below. How have you been influenced by the author’s writing? And if there are online resources that you think we should add to the page, then please let us know. Rick Riordan needs no introduction. A brilliant and prolific American writer, Rick has introduced millions of young readers to the power and magic of ancient Greek mythology through his wonderful Percy Jackson novels, Egyptian myth through The Kane Chronicles, and Norse mythology with Magnus Chase. Included here are Rick Riordan’s social media sites, interviews and talks with or by Rick Riordan, and some reference material on Greek mythology. Enjoy the videos. Follow Rick’s social media posts. Find inspiration for your own writing in his amazing books (lists towards the bottom of this post). Rick Riordan at the Wikepedia The official Rick Riordan Website His official Blog @Camphalfblood Twitter feed Rick Riordan’s Author Facebook Page Interviews This first clip is a wonderful, direct, engaging, brilliant and inspiring short video with three top tips for writers, encouraging young writers to “find the story that you are meant to tell.” Spoiler alert–the top tips are: 1. Read a lot. 2. Practice. You have to write every day. 3. You can’t give up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81iwOVdWfIY This clip talks about all of Rick’s book series, the power of mythology, and what makes for a good story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcTiQEVIo0 Using humor to tell a story, communicate with readers, and break the darkness of difficult stories. An interview on Minnesota Public Radio in which Rick Riordan appreciates the snarkiness of the middle schooler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQmOfLM-wk Another interview in which Riordan talks about leaving room for the reader’s imagination – making space for the reader to inhabit the story, and the danger of epilogues. And, does a movie take over from the book, and inhibit that imagination? Find out whether Rick has actually watched any of the Percy Jackson movies… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbIh5mO2MsE Links to Books on the Greek Myths If you want to get deeper into the Greek myths, then we reccomend the following books. As introductory books we cannot recommend enough D’Aulaires’ volumes: D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths We also loved all of Roger Lancelyn Green’s retellings of the myths when we were growing up: Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics) Tales of the Greek Heroes (Puffin Classics) Myths of the Norsemen (Puffin Classics) For Older Readers and Adults, in addition to D’Aulaires, these are classic works on the Greek and Roman myths: Robert Graves, The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition Edith Hamilton, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes Bulfinch’s Greek and Roman Mythology: The Age of Fable Rick Riordan’s Books (an incomplete list) Of course you can purchase any and all of Rick Riordan’s books as single volumes. Here we are giving you quick links to the boxed set versions. You can find all of Rick Riordan’s books, as well as news from the author, at his Amazon author page. Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set The Heroes of Olympus Paperback 3-Book Boxed Set The Kane Chronicles Boxed set Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Hardcover Boxed Set There are also companion guides to the myths, produced to go with the books: The Demigod Files (A Percy Jackson and the Olympians Guide) Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods From the Kane Chronicles Brooklyn House Magician’s Manual (An Official Rick Riordan Companion Book): Your Guide to Egyptian Gods & Creatures, Glyphs & Spells, and More For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (An Official Rick Riordan Companion Book): Your Introduction to Deities, Mythical Beings… And if you haven’t tried any of Rick Riordan’s books yet, and still aren’t sure, you can download a free sample for kindle : Rick Riordan Presents Free Sampler Have you read and loved any of Rick Riordan’s books? Write a review and submit it to Stone Soup!
Complex relationships and why expectations matter
It’s a funny thing. If your friends, parents, and teachers expect you to accomplish something great, you very likely will. Not only do you want to please the people you care about, but their support helps you believe in yourself. And when you believe in yourself, you feel good, you have extra energy, and you can do your best. On the flip side, if others’ expectations of you are low, there’s a chance you will fall short, just as they predicted. The Biggest Win, by 12-year-old Caelen McQuilkin, is the featured story from our May/June 2016 issue. It’s a story about a friendship, but it also reveals something about the power of expectations. Rachel, the narrator, is best friends with Janina. Rachel is a soccer star, and Janina is good at art. They enjoy hiking together. In Rachel’s mind, this arrangement is perfect. “Opposites attract,” says Rachel. When Janina announces that she wants to sign up for the soccer team, Rachel is shocked. Not only does she think that Janina is not good at soccer, but she’s also afraid their friendship will never be the same. At first Rachel lies and encourages Janina to sign up. This makes Janina happy and even more eager to sign up. Then Rachel’s true feelings come out. She starts avoiding Janina, and worse. The other girls on the team say mean things about Janina’s soccer playing behind her back. Instead of standing up for her friend or helping her improve, Rachel joins in the negativity (although, to her credit, she feels guilty). Janina senses the negativity and, sure enough, she continues to play poorly. Luckily, Coach sees what’s happening and tries to steer the team in a better direction. She asks them to think about the concept of ohana (family) and apply it to their behavior as a team. Instead of keeping the ball away from Janina, why not give her a chance? If they are kind and expect more of her, maybe she will rise to meet their expectations. It takes a while, but finally the concept of ohana begins to sink in. It’s the championship game. Coach wants Janina to do a throw-in. One girl objects, but Rachel sides with Janina. The throw-in is perfect! As Rachel kicks the ball to the goal, her friendship with Janina flashes before her eyes. She realizes she has finally done the right thing. Janina just needed her best friend to believe in her. The friendship–and the game–have been saved. Friendships are complicated. A good friend is supportive and helpful, even if she’s uncomfortable with a new direction the friendship is taking. Think about your own life. Did a close friend ever step outside the box you thought she belonged in? Did you support her, even if it meant you had to change your own thinking? Was there a period where the two of you fell out of sync, then eventually got your rhythm back? Did you see the power of expectations? A complex relationship is at the core of The Biggest Win. Your own experiences can form the core of your own great story. Give it a try! You can do it!
