Joyce T. Strand's Blog, page 38

Writing Exercises for Family Entertainment: 5 of 6

[image error]This is the fifth in a series of articles to explore the theory that learning to write can be a form of family entertainment.

If you have been performing these exercises, by now you hopefully agree writing itself be fun and learning to write can provide an opportunity for family entertainment.

The goal of these exercises is to give you the opportunity to improve your writing skills while simultaneously having fun with your family. Clear and compelling writing is a key attribute in today's working world and it can also be an advantage in our personal lives for advocacy of our causes or even to reach out to loved ones. So take the time to evaluate if your family might enjoy the simple exercises outlined in these columns to improve your writing skills while you have fun with your family.

In the first exercise, the family described the act of cooking dinner. Each family member first described the cook, then used at least three action verbs to tell us how the cook actually made the dinner, and concluded with a description of the result—with the caveat that it was not intended as a way for teenagers to critique their parents' or sibling's cooking.

For the second exercise, we called on the artistic skills of family members. Each member of the family took turns writing and then reading a paragraph describing a room that none of the other family members had ever seen. They then spent ten minutes drawing that room.

For the third exercise, each family member wrote a paragraph describing something that each of them sees every day, and asked the other family members to identify it, with the objective to identify it as quickly as possible. In the fourth exercise, we assumed the family was on a trip and asked each member to write a paragraph describing something new that they were all seeing together for the first time.

Now it is time to focus on people—on character development. When we meet someone for the first time, we base our judgment of that person on a variety of observations. When we write, we want to portray the person to the reader so that the reader comprehends the character we intend. For this exercise, the end game is a little different. Our goal is to make the description as comprehensive as possible. Therefore, what we'll ask of our family members is to respond with two questions about something we could have added as part of our description of the person.

The person can be real or fictional, although it is usually easier to have someone in mind when writing about a person. Consider the following as you write your paragraph describing your person:

• Age: Toddler, school age, pre-teen teen-ager, adult, old, middle aged

• Size: Height, weight, thin, fat, round, giant, child-size

• Hair: color, short, long, curly, straight, thick, combed, unkempt, clean, dirty, greasy, bald

• Face: round, protruding eyes, thick lips, Roman nose

• Smell: sweaty, perfume, stale tobacco, sour, garlic,

• Clothing: stylish, haphazard, clean, dirty, sloppy, shiny, holes in shoes

• Movement: fast, stuttered, smooth, wide-stride, little steps, cautious

• Health: healthy, tan, covered by rash or bug bites, pale, shaking

• Speaking pattern: slow and careful, staccato, fast pattern, accented

When you have finished your paragraph describing your character, read it to your family and ask them what else you could add to help describe your person. There is no winner or loser with this exercise. You are simply trying to create a clear picture of a character.

We have now written about a person, an event, and places. But the world is not static. We communicate by talking to one another. The way to engage and involve the reader in a story is with dialogue. In the next exercise, we will practice writing dialogue.





Joyce T. Strand

Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series

Joycestrand.com

Jillian's Holiday Story – Part 2

My mother and I stood arm-in-arm at Fort Point in San Francisco oblivious to the wind. Even though I lived in San Francisco, I was in awe of this perspective of the Golden Gate bridge juxtaposed against nature's opening to San Francisco Bay. The view dwarfed the impact of the fort itself—a Gold Rush structure built in the 1850s to protect its citizens against attack.



The realization that my father had stood here and marveled at this sight filled me with undeniably fluctuating emotions that I re-experienced every year as we traveled to the location of his annual holiday clue. First, I was happy to stand where he had stood; then very sad that I grew up without him. Then I was buoyed with gratitude that he had the foresight to share himself annually with his Christmas clues so that I could know him even after his death.

I opened his message and my father's handwriting unsettled me when I comprehended that the man I never knew had been alive when he had written these words. As was our custom, I started to read it aloud so my mother could share it with me.

"I never cease to be amazed at the engineering associated with the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. I hope that you've had the opportunity to see it in the fog and on a beautiful clear day. It is unlikely it would be so outstanding without the opening that nature provides to connect the city to the Pacific Ocean. How did they ever figure out how to build it! I guess the harder the problem, the more outstanding the solution.

"Also, isn't the fort itself a testament to man's skills. Built just before the Civil War it is touted as one of the most perfect models of masonry in America. It is noteworthy that the engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge altered its design so that they could save this remarkable historical building.

"The 'point' is that when we work with nature and respect our history, the result is monumental. I hope that you live your life realizing the value of this convergence."

When I looked up from reading my father's message, I was pleased to see that my ex-husband, Chad, had joined us. He had been part of our annual treks since we had become engaged more than 10 years ago. We remained friends despite our divorce. He had been listening closely to my reading. Now he just peered at the view – the fort, the bridge, the opening to the Pacific. "I would have liked your father very much."

I nodded. I know I would have. Every year I learned more about my father. He seemed to match each experience with my age. The sites for my younger years were about having fun and laughing. As I grew older, the sites became more reflective and he highlighted values like giving to those in need (Shriners East West football game served to remind us).

I wondered what he would think of Chad's hats. My ex-husband likes to attend events in a variety of hats from bowler, to fedora, to Indiana Jones. He looked at me and winked, somehow sensing my thoughts and the suitable timing to lighten our mood. He pulled out his own version of a Santa hat. I laughed out loud as he put it on, pulling my mother out of her reverie to join in. The Santa hat was indeed red with white trim – but it had a wide brim, a flat top much like a top hat, and a six foot long tail with a white pom-pom at the end. I knew better than to ask where he had found it. Chad had quite a collection, and his sources were vast.

The three of us stood quietly — bound together by a remarkable man who had died more than 35 years ago. I am neither religious nor spiritual, but my father was with me now. "Merry Christmas, Dad."

To all my fans — Happy Holidays! May you find humor and fun in the New Year as we encourage each other to find solutions to so many difficult problems by applying our incredible human capabilities.

Writing Exercises for Family Entertainment: 4 of 6

Let's continue to explore the theory that learning to write can be a form of family entertainment.

If you have been performing these exercises, by now you should agree that not only can writing itself be fun, but learning to write can provide an opportunity for family entertainment. And it's not that difficult.

It bears repeating that in today's world of lightning-speed communication, writing continues to be a valuable way to reach out to one another. However, busy families seldom have time to speak to one another, much less take the time to learn how to write together. Nonetheless, it makes sense to hone your writing skills—even if you find writing to be a drudgery and avoid it, basking in the brevity of social media. So take the time to evaluate if your family might enjoy the simple exercises outlined in these columns to improve your writing skills while you have fun with your family.

In the first exercise, the family described the act of cooking dinner. Each family member first described the cook, then used at least three action verbs to tell us how the cook actually made the dinner, and concluded with a description of the result—with the caveat that it was not intended as a way for teenagers to critique their parents' or sibling's cooking.

For the second exercise, we called on the artistic skills of family members. Each member of the family took turns writing and then reading a paragraph describing a room that none of the other family members had ever seen. They then spent ten minutes drawing that room.

For the third exercise, each family member wrote a paragraph describing something that each of them sees every day, and asked the other family members to identify it, with the objective to identify it as quickly as possible.

For this exercise we are going to assume that the family is traveling—either in a car, a train, or plane. Before you start, choose your tool of writing. If you each want to have a computer and that's possible, then use the computer to write. However, a more likely writing implement might be just a small notebook with a pen. (It still works for writing.) It should be noted that if you are driving in a car, the driver is not to write anything and should focus on steering the car.

As you travel, identify something new that the family has never seen before, and each of you write a paragraph about it. If agreement on one item is a problem, the driver should resolve the argument, and assuming time allows, you can choose the loser's item for the next sentence. The idea is to write a paragraph about each new thing and then review them at the end of the trip as a memento.

Remember to describe:

• Physical characteristics: size, color, old or new, clean or dirty, moving or stable, liquid or solid, animal, bird

• Environment: light or dark, smell, water, humid

• Parts of the whole: furniture, porch, stones in the water, fences, grass, bugs

• Conclude with how you felt when you saw it: happy, sad, concerned, nervous, hopeful, content, wanting more

When you arrive at your destination—or even while you stop for dinner at a restaurant on your way—read your descriptions to each other. Hopefully you will also have time to gather them into some kind of file for safekeeping.

We have spent the first few exercises describing places or things. Our next exercise will focus on character development.

Joyce T. Strand, Ph.D.

Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series

Joycestrand.com

Jillian's Holiday Story: Part 1

My mother handed me an envelope with the number "36" (for my age) in my father's handwriting. I was relieved to see that she looked eager, as often she was sad this time of year.

Every Christmas since I was 16 my mother and I performed this ritual. My father died before I was born—killed in the Vietnam War—at the very end just as the American troops were withdrawing.

On his last visit home, my father was ecstatic about becoming a dad. My mother said they talked incessantly about what they would do together as a family. Sadly, he anticipated his death. Happily for me, he prepared 30 envelopes for his unborn child to acquaint his offspring with him – just in case. Inside each envelope were two letters – one with a clue that I was to open a week before Christmas and a second I was not to open until I actually solved the clue and was physically at the clue's location.

From the beginning, I marveled how he could have possibly anticipated how much I enjoy solving puzzles.

The first Christmas is still the most memorable—perhaps because it was the first. Given that I was a busy teenager, my mother scheduled an hour of my time one night about a week before Christmas. We spent the hour discussing my father. Not that we hadn't done so before, but it turns out that my father really liked Christmas.

My mother talked slowly at first, the pain of loss still showing after 16 years. However, as she started to remember, she grew more eager. "Your father grew up in a small rural town in California. His family was very poor, but somehow they turned the holidays into a time of magic. He wanted to assure the same happy time for you as a way to get to know him. Oh, he was so special, Jillian." My mother bit her lip hard – one of her many tricks to keep from crying.

When she handed me that first envelope, she slowly shook her head, and I could tell the lip-biting had failed to stop the tears. "Your father asked me to give you one of these envelopes every year. He said that there is a clue in each of them for you to explore. When you do, you will learn something new about him, and get to know who he was."

As befitting a 16-year-old, the first clue directed me to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The clue said, "Go to the place where you can have fun at the beach, go for rides on the boardwalk, and still have the Cocoanut Grove to explore." When I figured it out, we drove a few hours and devoted a day at the Boardwalk. The other note in that envelope helped to connect me to him in a way I could not have imagined: "Having fun is an important part of life. And this is a unique place to forget your everyday problems and just laugh and have a great time. I wish I could be there with you, but know that I, too, have been at this Boardwalk and laughed and had a great time."

I smiled as I remembered the clue for my 21st Christmas, "Rosebud." He had written that if I were a fan of "Citizen Kane," I would know immediately where to go. We enjoyed exploring the Hearst Castle. My father had gone there as a youth and daydreamed about what it must have been like to attend one of Marion Davies' famous Hollywood parties.

I eagerly opened this year's envelope. I wanted to know where to travel this year to explore one of my father's most cherished places. I read the clue slowly. Even though all clues referred to sites only in California, it wasn't as obvious as previous ones. "The point of this location is the convergence of a majestic view of nature heightened by the magnificent structures of man."

I looked at my mother, puzzled. "I think I'm going to need some help with this one. I'll check with some friends and let you know as soon as I solve it."

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Writing Exercises for Family Entertainment: 3 of 6

Let's continue to explore the theory that learning to write can be a form of family entertainment.

As I stated previously, writing can be fun and even therapeutic. Not only can writing itself be fun, but learning to write can provide an opportunity for family entertainment. And it's not that difficult.

It bears repeating that in today's world of lightning-speed communication, writing continues to be a valuable way to reach out to one another. However, busy families seldom have time to speak to one another, much less take the time to learn how to write together. Nonetheless, it makes sense to hone your writing skills—even if you find writing a drudgery and avoid it, basking in the brevity of social media. So take the time to evaluate if your family might enjoy the simple exercises outlined in these columns to improve your writing skills while you have fun with your family.

In the first exercise, the family described the act of cooking dinner. Each family member first described the cook, then used at least three action verbs to tell us how the cook actually made the dinner, and concluded with a description of the result—with the caveat that it was not intended as a way for teenagers to critique their parents' or sibling's cooking.

For the second exercise, we called on the artistic skills of family members. Each member of the family took turns writing and then reading a paragraph describing a room that none of the other family members had ever seen. They then spent ten minutes drawing that room.

For this current exercise, we are going to write a paragraph describing something that each member of the family sees every day, and ask the other family members to identify it. It can be a room, a sign, a specific tree, a park, a road, a place, a water tower, a bridge, a restaurant – anything that your family sees regularly. Each family member should prepare a paragraph, and then at a family gathering, read the entire paragraph. The other members have five minutes to guess what it is, but the quicker the identification, the better the description. Time how long the identification takes. The winner is the one who takes the least time to be identified.

As part of the description, the author should describe:

• Physical characteristics: size, color, weight, color, shape, height, movable or permanent

• Environment: smell, light or dark, clean or dirty, bright, dark

• Parts of the whole: furniture, paper, wires, wood, water

Of course, you and your family may not always be at home. Next, let's explore having fun writing if you're on a trip together.

Joyce T. Strand, Ph.D.

Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series

Joycestrand.com

Writing Exercises for Family Entertainment: 2 of 6

Let's continue to explore the theory that learning to write can be a form of family entertainment.

As I stated in my first entry (below), writing can be fun and even therapeutic. Not only can writing itself be fun, but learning to write can provide an opportunity for family entertainment. And it's not that difficult.

It bears repeating that in today's world of lightning-speed communication, we still all need to write to communicate. Beyond the cryptic tweat and text, we draft an e-mail in search of a job, a carefully composed apology to make up for a mistake, or a message at work to help do your job. Most important, communicating with one another continues to be the base of a relationship. Writing can be a valuable way to reach out to one another.

So it makes sense to hone your writing skills.

At the same time, in this accelerated world, family members are each pre-occupied with their individual activities –Mom and Dad with their jobs and with maintaining a comfortable dwelling for the family, and kids with school, sports, band, debate club, and, of course, their chores. Sometimes we have time to read a book, but seldom do we have time to practice our writing skills. Frequently we find writing to be a drudgery and avoid it, basking in the brevity of social media.

The first exercise we explored involved a family description of cooking dinner. Each family member first described the cook, then used at least three action verbs to tell us how the cook actually made the dinner, and concluded with a description of the result—with the caveat that it was not intended to be a way for teenagers to critique their parents' or sibling cooking.

For this next exercise, we are going to call on the artistic skills of each family member. One member of the family is in charge of writing a paragraph describing a room that none of the other members has seen—perhaps a room at school, at the mall, or in a library. The writer will describe:

• the physical characteristics of the room: its size, the colors of its walls, is it light or dark, whether it's organized or sloppy with things lying all about

• the furnishings: stove, number of chairs, pictures on the wall, tables

• the environment: is it hot or cold, humid, musty, clean or dusty

The originator of the paragraph describing this room will read the paragraph to the gathered family members who will then within ten minutes draw the room as described. To you artists, drawing hot or cold might be challenging. Perhaps there's a large thermometer in the room, which registers 40 degrees. You can take creative license so long as you faithfully draw what the author is describing.

Each other member of the family takes a turn writing a paragraph and reading it to the remaining family members. These family gatherings can be as along or as short as you want, but the idea is to give each family member the opportunity to write a paragraph that describes a room. The art work will help the authors to understand how successfully they have used their words to communicate.

In the next exercise, we'll work on describing a specific thing and compare how other members of the family write about it.

Joyce T. Strand, Ph.D.

Author of the Jillian Hillcrest Mystery Series

Joycestrand.com

Million for a Morgue

Have you heard about the fundraising contest underway at Scotland's University of Dundee? By donating a pound (about $1.60) you can vote for one of your ten favorite crime writers. They'll name their state-of-the-art new morgue and research facility after the writer who gets the most votes. The new facility will be the first in the UK to use the Thiel embalming method that provides better embalming to preserve dead bodies enabling more effective research.

The participating scientists are Kathy Reichs, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Harlan Coben, Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Jeffrey Deaver, Jeff Lindsay, Stuart MacBride and Peter James. If you're interested in more information or in voting, aka, donating, go to

http://www.millionforamorgue.com/

Steve Jobs — PR Pro

There is little doubt that Steve Jobs drove today's — and probably tomorrow's — use of computers, phones, the internet, digital photos and music, and the combination thereof. He transformed the use of electronic communications from belonging to the technologist to being an integral part of our everyday lives. He didn't invent the computer — but he (and a lot friends) sure made it easy to use. He didn't invent the cell phone — but what fun is the I-phone and all its apps. Nor did he invent digital photos or music — but how easy it is today to download and print photos and play music.

From my perspective as a non-savvy IT person, he made all of these gadgets easy — and fun — to use. Using the term "simple and easy user interface" to define his contribution seems so understated when I consider his contribution to my own personal life and my career as a PR professional. When he started Apple, it wasn't obvious that everyday people would ever want to use a computer. Rather the consensus was just the opposite. Computers were for technical people who knew what to do with them. He turned that consensus upside down –by offering easy access to the heretofore restricted computers and by fomenting a new mindset.

As a PR professional, I applaud his attention to and use of public relations in his quest to change the mindset of how people considered computers. Most memorable was the award-winning and famous 1984 ad. Lest we forget, a lot of pre-publicity led by Steve Jobs (and hundreds of PR agencies who claim credit) occurred to enable that ad to have its impact. And certainly he and Apple continued to proselytize the value of computers to our everyday lives using the fundamentals of public relations. He created the big picture and filled it in pixel by pixel.

Granted Steve Jobs wasn't the only one who contributed to this advent of novice users of highly technical gadgets. Nor was he perfect. Unquestionably he had help at Apple to develop the user interfaces and integrate the media — the technology is vast. Yet I salute his vision and leadership and appreciate his use of public relations to convince us everyday people that we could use a computer, access the internet, download apps for our phone, and do so much more — simply and easily.

Oh, and thanks for the Genius Bar, too!

Local Newspapers Not Valued – Temporary Shift?

I just saw the results of a survey of 2,251 U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center that said most adults would not miss their local daily newspapers if they went away. Most of them get their local news from TV.

To my journalist friends I say: this is appalling, but I believe it's correctable. Local newspapers– whether received electronically or on our doorsteps– keep us informed about the events, businesses, government activities most relevant to our daily lives. Although I agree that breaking news comes to us faster from our television or internet news services, there are many stories that the local journalist can cover so much better.

For example,the local journalist can provide information and insight into the output of local meetings of city governing bodies to assure open meetings and an informed constituency. Or, where are new businesses or shopping centers being located? Or, what about the pay of city officials? Or, who are the local heroes who make a difference in our lives?

My recommendation to local newspapers is to be sure your articles are available both electronically and on paper. Also, consider offering other services that newspapers are in an ideal position to provide — links to local services, restaurants, amusements, theaters — all in one place.

As a news junkie, I look for multiple sources for information about my community and the state of California. TV news coverage is just not enough for local news. There is definitely a place for the local newspaper — we just have to figure out where it fits in the new era of fast, electronic communication.

Writing Tip

Writing Exercises for Family Entertainment:  1 of 6

Have you ever thought about writing as a form of family entertainment?

Writing can be fun and even therapeutic.  Not only can writing itself be fun,  but learning to write can provide an opportunity for family entertainment.  And it's not that difficult.

In today's world of lightning-speed communication, we still all need to write to communicate.   Beyond the cryptic tweat and text, we write an e-mail to search for a job, carefully compose an apology to make up for a mistake, or send a message at work to help do our job.  Communicating with one another continues to be the base of a relationship.  Writing can be a valuable tool to build that base.  So it makes sense to hone our writing skills.

At the same time, in this accelerated world, family members are preoccupied with their individual activities –Mom and Dad with their jobs and with maintaining a comfortable dwelling for the family, and kids with school, sports, band, debate club, and, of course, their chores.  Sometimes we have time to read a book, but seldom do we have time to practice our writing skills.  Frequently we find writing to be a drudgery and avoid it, basking in the brevity of social media.

So let's try a simple first exercise to polish our writing skills and have fun with the family.  To start, decide which writing implement you can share—a laptop computer or even a large piece of paper pasted on the wall with felt-tip pens for everyone.

Each member of the family – except the cook – is to describe how the cook makes dinner.  You can divide the items among each family member or everyone can describe the entire event.

First, don't forget to tell us about the cook: in a hurry, enjoying or hating the task, quick movements, procrastinating, using every pan and dish in the kitchen, cleaning as part of cooking or creating a huge mess
Then use at least 3 different action verbs to tell us how the cook actually prepares our dinner.  Does he/she slide a pan onto the stove?  Attack the microwave door to insert a frozen dinner? Pierce the cellophane package?  Pounce on the potatoes?
Finally describe the result.  I must remind the teenagers especially who are participating that this is a writing exercise, not an opportunity to critique your parents' or your sibling's cooking skills.

When you complete the exercise, read it aloud either while you are sitting around the table eating the meal, or at the next opportunity when you get together.

This is a simple exercise that can be repeated.  Keep paper and pen nearby the kitchen in case someone wants to do it again.  Other members might see your writing and choose to contribute.

For our next exercise, let's combine the exercise of writing descriptions with the output of actually drawing pictures from the description.  You don't have to be an artist to enjoy.