Perspective

The dictionary defines perspective as, "A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view." In other words, it's all about how you look at things.

I took a photo of these awesome Douglas firs at Camp Yeomalt Park near my house. I happened to look up, and saw how the perspective of the trees was different from what I was used to. Although I'd walked past these trees dozens of times, I saw them in a new way. I had a new point of view.

Having a new perspective on an object that you see everyday can help your writing. It helps because you're learning how to really see, not simply walk past an object (or tree) because--ho, hum--it's part of your background.

Try this exercise on perspective. Find an object in your house that you see nearly everyday. Now change your perspective of it. If it's your refrigerator, lie on the floor and look up at it. If it's your baby photo, tip it upside down. If it's your toothbrush, hold it by the wrong end. If it's your kitchen clock on the wall, pull up a chair next to it (with an adult's permission) and look at it from an inch away.

What new things can you notice about everyday objects? That's the fresh perspective, or point of view, we want to bring to our writing.

Have fun looking at objects. And don't forget to look up at the trees.

Write a Magazine Poem

A very fun way to write a poem is to use magazines. Here's what you do:

First, find one or two magazines (make sure everyone is done reading them first).

Second, get a pair of scissors (ask an adult for help if you need it).

Third, flip through the pages of the magazines, and cut sentences out at random.

Okay, now you should have a pile of cut-out sentences or phrases. The more the better!

On a sheet of paper or in your writing journal, try arranging your sentences. Pick out the ones you like--the words, a phrase, or the meaning. Recycle the ones you don't like. Can you see a theme? Does one of the sentences make a good title? Is your poem silly or serious? Is it nonsensical? Does it rhyme? (It doesn't have to!)

After you arrange the cut-out sentences to form a poem you like, glue them onto the paper. Congratulations! You have written a magazine poem!

A Rose Is A Rose...

I teach a class for adults called "Creativity for Writers." In this class, I encourage my students to have a "creativity date" each week.

What is a creativity date? It's one half hour you spend by yourself, either writing, drawing, listening to music, or doing something else creative. It's important that you do your creativity date by yourself. Why? When we're with our family and friends, we enjoy talking to them and goofing around. Nothing wrong with that. But when we're by ourselves and open to ideas, that's when the creative bug is most likely to bite.

Last week I went on a creativity date by myself. I biked to a neighborhood pond with my notebook. It's my creativity notebook, which has big white pages and no lines. I also brought a box of colored pencils.

I saw this flower and decided to draw it. I looked at the flower carefully and put in as much detail as I could. When I finished, I thought I had included a lot of detail. Then I took a photo of the flower. When I saw the photo, I was shocked. I missed a lot of details, like the little dots on the leaves and the way the sun hit the red petals.

If you have access to a camera, try this. Choose something to draw and look at it carefully. After drawing it, take a photo and compare the photo to your drawing. Did you miss anything? Try drawing it again, only this time include the details you missed.

Drawing and taking photos are great ways for writers to learn to look carefully!

The Numbers Game

This writing exercise is adapted from the book Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun, by Carla Sondheim, published by Quarry Books.

What does writing have to do with drawing? Everything! Whether we write or draw (or both), we're expressing our creativity. Many drawing exercises can be used for writing. "The Numbers Game" is one of them. This one you can do with a friend.

Ask a friend to take a sheet of paper and fold it in half lengthwise. On the left side of the paper, ask your friend to list 10 animals down the page and number them 1 to 10. On the right side of the paper, ask your friend to list 10 objects and number them 1 to 10. Don't let your friend show you what he or she has written.

For example:

On the left:

1. giraffe
2. buffalo
3. mosquito
4. seagull
5. beetle
6. gorilla
7. panda
8. rat
9. raccoon
10. coyote

On the right:

1. star
2. scissors
3. rainbow
4. flag
5. broccoli
6. bus
7. mirror
8. computer
9. stapler
10. pizza

Without looking at the list your friend made, pick two numbers from 1 to 10. Now (finally!) you get to look at the list. What two objects did you pick?

Let's say you picked 6 and 9: a gorilla and a stapler. Write a story about a gorilla and a stapler. Maybe a gorilla goes out shopping for bananas, but comes home with a stapler. What is a gorilla going to do with a stapler?? What if you picked 5 and 10? A beetle and a pizza. 1 and 7? A giraffe and a mirror.

Before you write your story, switch roles with your friend. Just as your friend did, take a sheet of paper, make two lists, and ask your friend to pick two numbers. When you have both chosen an animal and an object, sit down together and each write your own story. Have fun being as creative as you can!

When you're done, read your stories out loud to each other.

For extra fun, combine your two animals and your two objects, and write a story together. Maybe it will be a gorilla, a stapler, an ox, and an umbrella. Write a story together with those four things in it.

If you want, illustrate your story after you are finished. See? Drawing and writing go together!

Longneckosaurus

Would you like to name your very own dinosaur? How about Longneckosaurus? Tinysaurus? Gigantasaurus? Pinkysaurus? Popcornsaurus?

I discovered these dinosaurs when I was out walking one day in Seattle. (OK, they're made out of wood, but they're still very cool.) A yard was filled with fun dinosaurs in all shapes and sizes, and that got my imagination going.

What's happening in this scene? It looks like one of the dinosaurs is being eaten! Or maybe it's a dinosaur cookie. Is this a family? Or a bunch of friends?

Try writing a story about these dinosaurs. The best part is, YOU get to name each one.

Titles

Some writers don't think of a title for their story until after they've written it. Other writers start with a title.

Most likely, you're like me when it comes to titles: sometimes it appears right away, before you start writing. Other times no title seems right, no matter how hard you think. Or the title is hiding somewhere in the story and needs to be coaxed out.

Sometimes you want to write a story but need an idea. A fun exercise is to start with a title. Try one of these:

• Five Fuzzy French Fries
• The Extra Sock
• Mouse Mischief
• How a Porcupine Takes a Bath
• The Missing Fireplace
• The Freaked-Out Baseball
• The Day Things Turned Green
• The Monkey With Bad Manners

Have fun writing your story, and don't forget to write the title in big letters at the top of your page!

Cats and Dogs and Gerbils and Other Pets

This is my cat Max. One day he decided to take a nap on the deck, and I loved the way he stretched out in the sun.

Do you have a cat? A dog? A gerbil, goldfish, or armadillo? Write about something funny your pet did--or didn't do. Maybe your pet sleeps all day. You can write about your pet's dreams.

Maybe you don't have a pet. When I was growing up, I always wanted a dog. I used to think up names for the dog that would sleep in my bed. If you wish you had a pet, write about the animal you've always wanted. Maybe you really DON'T want a pet. Write about why. Animals are all different, and so are we!