Books -- reading and writing.
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And whatever connections I can make between these chapters of my life.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Wax Lips!

I love what the brilliant Joyce Sweeney helped me understand about writing with recurring images-- moving a story along using plot devices, motifs, threads.  They can be running jokes, memories, sounds. They don't really have to symbolize a thing. They can just be fun or give readers a sense of what's happening, a literary device. In Joyce's Plot and Structure workshop, we even created arcs for these devices.

A little Sweeney wisdom from my workshop notes:
This is not a first drafty thing! Rather, it's an opportunity for layering.
Make sure it doesn't become an irritant. ie Do not overdo!

In my notes, I found this quote. It sounds like Joyce, so I'm giving her credit:
"Take your soul and turn it into craft."

Whenever I read a novel, especially a kids' book, if an event or an object shows up where you might not expect it, and then shows up again, it makes me smile. I tried to do that with the box and the game of Junk Poker the two sisters in my novel, GLORY BE, play together.

Now I have a lot of fun talking to kids about my JUNK POKER box. 
Showing them my treasures.



I love it when I surprise kids--and occasionally a very young teacher!-- with something they've never seen.

Like a skate key.



(Kids always think it's a bottle opener...)


Another item of interest are my WAX LIPS. Remember those?

If not, let me refresh your memory.



(Thanks to my great friend, Julie, who posed at a gathering of her friends. Just for me, of course.)

So pull out your skates, find yourself some bright red lips, maybe deal a hand of whatever card game you play, think about your plots, but not to much, and have a great weekend everybody!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

GREAT BLOG!
& hysterical photo!

Eileen in Atlanta
(one who remembers those wax lips
and the fun that went with them)

Joyce Moyer Hostetter said...

This sort of thing is powerful! And yes, it is easy to overdo.

Wax lips? I can still taste them.

Augusta Scattergood said...

I think we actually chewed on those things. Seems gross now. But it's fun sharing and showing when you've got a bunch of kids listening!

Augusta Scattergood said...

I think we actually chewed on those things. Seems gross now. But it's fun sharing and showing when you've got a bunch of kids listening!

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