Pikeland Writing Workshops, 2007
People I What I know K Keep Writing E enjoy it! Stop worrying about it!
Pike Indians. Hill…a tiny mountain. Pittsfield. Winter. Cold. 1 teepee. Sleet, hail, frozen buffalo. Whoa! “Wow! Really storming outside! What should we do?” “Hey! ..” “Somebody tell a story!” Good idea. Now sit down big mouth!
I’m a writer. I write lots of things… plays, poems, songs, stories… And I use the Pike way… Today I’m going to tell you about it.
P! 1st thing you need to become a storyteller….a writer… The answer is right here in front of me…. Him!... (talk to him)… People are the most interesting things in this room. Get to know them. Chances are, they’re a lot like you. Ask the teachers….? (Who covers us everything but your mouth?.. One large step before getting into bed? Ball Toss.--What were you most afraid of when you were little? ---Your favorite toy when you were little. --Name one person other than your Mom or Dad who you really admire. --If you could be anywhere in the world right now?
P! People! People are Interesting! People are awesome! Get to know people! Write about people! Anybody have a really weird Uncle? Anybody have a grandma who likes to squeeze your cheeks? Anybody have a dad who does really embarrassing things to you? (My Dad: sings to the music in WalMart.)
Probably the main reason I’m a writer is because I think people are really cool.. I always want to know about them.. For example, right now I’d love to know… (audience) A time you were really embarrassed… A Christmas Present you’ll always remember
What’s the next letter in Pike? I!
1st: My fifth-grade teacher…my first story.. I wrote anyway. About things like monsters and dragons and space ships. Not good.
Then I started to write about a different kind of thing. Like My grandpa who only had three fingers on one hand and would sing “Pop goes the Weasel” and thump me on the head The teacher liked it! My friends liked it! 2 donkeys… one bucked Aunt Lizzie into a tank full of water Same! Grandma… cutting chickens head off… backed her into a bush Same! First poem… Huh? What’d you do last night? I caught lightening bugs..fireflies.
The Boy with the Firefly Eyes To the boy with the firefly eyes we said, “Boy.. with the firefly eyes. You shore can, yes you shore can catch them fireflies whether on or off those lights would go that boy would catch them high or low to the ground don’t you know that boy was fast!” Now fire----flies… the strange little things, Don’t come out in the day But they come out at that peculiar time When the light’s just fadin’ away
And you won’t find that firefly bug in a mug or a rug or your grandpa’s jug or anywhere else it seems. And you gotta grab fast or the light won’t last and the firefly’ll get away clean.
Oh, none could match his speed, he grace, and the way he caught those things. And in the firefly catchers club he was the absolute King. They’d go up and up he’d go! Fly low? He’d hit his knees… They’d whirl, he’d whirl…. They’d flash, he’d dash.. As easy as you please.
The trick he found, was to sit on the ground and pretend he wasn’t there Then just when mister lightening bug would glow he’d jump up in the air. And I’ll bet you think he killed ‘em when they were tryin’ to glow.. I gotta confess, he hated the mess and he always let ‘em go.
But like all boys about his age, he soon grew up it seems, and now he writes about fireflies and other silly things.
I got it published in my school newspaper! 25 copies! Wow! Why? Because I found out that everybody liked catching fireflies! I wrote about the things I knew about.
! (repeat it!...) I----- Write what I know.
What’s the next letter?
K--------- Know your audience…. . You need somebody to read what you’ve written or to listen to it!
One day last week…frozen wiper blades.. ripped off. Bought. Put on. No audience needed. Stopped at McDonnalds this morning.. Bought coffee. No audience. Worked out fine. But last Friday I sat down to write this speech… Would it have been any fun to tell my story without an audience? Any fun to tell a story that no one ever hears or reads?
Get an audience. Tell your teacher you want to read your stuff everywhere.. for everybody.. Read for mom and dad. Read for Grandpa and Grandma. Read for your classmates. Read for your dog. Get your grandpa and grandma and dad and mom to tell you stories about when they were little.
A family in my town: Wednesday night: Storytelling night. A chair in the middle of the room. (Josh and Jeremy) When you write something you like, tell someone to sit down and listen to you read it. Tell your teacher you’d like to read it in class.
The last letter: Take it EEEEasy! Stop Worrying! Ease up! Don’t worry?! Watch this! Magic! I’m going to read your minds! I’m going to hear the little thoughts inside your head. PRETEND: I’m a teacher and this afternoon I give you a writing assignment for tomorrow. Wait! Wait! I can hear the thoughts! “Oh, it won’t be good enough..” “Oh, they’re all gonna laugh at me.” “Oh, I can’t spell.” “Oh, I don’t know where to put the commas.” “Oh, if it’s not perfect, I’ll just die!” “Oh, I might have to listen to some bald guy talk about writing.”
E stands for Ease up! Take it Easy! Enjoy it! Just write!
….. Stop writing like your afraid of making a mistake. Write because it’s fun and you like to do it! When you begin writing, don’t worry about making mistakes…just write. After you’ve written it the first time, then you can go back and make it better.
Last summer… new play: David: You and I. My computer keeps track of how many times I change it. I looked last night: 312 times. If I’d worried about getting it just right the first time, I’d never have gotten started.
How to Enjoy it? ……. Eat more ice cream. …….. Write barefoot. (One boy…head on ground, feet in air) ……..Wear your underwear backwards for an entire day. Only you will know but you’ll giggle every time you think about it. …….. Walk up to the biggest grouch you know and say, “I just want you to know that I feel great!” ……….Next time the person at McDonnald’s says “Have a nice day!” ask them why.
OPTIONAL: {…….Be careful who you’re trying to please when you write: HINEY THE MULE.}
Okay…spell it for me….
People I What I know Know your audience Take it EEEasy…stop worrying about how it’s going to sound.
To get you started…. “Brainstorming”
----A time when you were very scared. ---A smell..that every time you smell it, it makes you feel good --- The funniest member of your family --- The biggest mess you ever made --- The nicest thing somebody ever did for you ---The funniest thing that happened at school last week. ---
Improvs… Sound Circle Word Tennis That Darned Whistle Simul-Talk
December 5th 2nd Hour (9:19 - 10:04) - Mrs Frieden's Rm ( Seventh Grade) 3rd Hour (10:08 - 10:53)- Miss Nelson's Rm. (8th Grade) 4th Hour (10:57 - 11:42)- Mrs. Shireman's Rm (6th Grade) 5th Hour (11:46 - 12:31) - Lunch 6th Hour (12:35 - 1:20) - Mrs. Frieden's Rm (Sixth Grade) 7th Hour (1:24 - 2:09) - Mrs. Shireman's Rm (Seventh Grade) 8th Hour (2:12 - 2:58) - Mrs. Shireman's Rm (Seventh Grade) December 12th 2nd Hour (9:19 - 10:04) - Mrs. Ten Eyck's Rm (Seventh Grade) 3rd Hour (10:08 - 10:53)-Mrs. Ten Eyck's Rm. (Sixth Grade) 4th Hour (10:57 - 11:42)- Lunch or Break 5th Hour (11:46 - 12:31) - - Miss Nelson's Rm. (Eighth Grade) 6th Hour (12:35 - 1:20) - Lunch or Break 7th Hour (1:24 - 2:09)- Miss Nelson's Rm. (Eighth Grade) 8th Hour (2:12 - 2:58) - Mrs. Ten Eyck's Rm (7th Grade)