In Charlotte's Web, the fantasy world of the talking animals exists alongside the
workaday world of a ... wizards are exactly like humans and may lead perfectly
ordinary, humdrum lives, except that they can do magic ..... White, E.B..
Charlotte's ...
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013
Writing Exercise #1: “What if?”
Some of the best-‐loved books are those that create a new world, sometimes existing right alongside the world we know. In Charlotte’s Web, the fantasy world of the talking animals exists alongside the workaday world of a Maine farm. The character of Fern is our bridge between the two worlds. In The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the fantasy world is the only one the book presents. We meet hobbits, who like to live quietly and eat well; dwarves who love treasure above all; and other characters who have their own strong likes and dislikes. In either case, it’s important that the world you’re creating be true to itself, obey its own rules. In Charlotte’s Web, the rule is that the animals behave exactly like regular animals except that they talk among themselves. The only one who communicates with humans is Charlotte, and even she has to copy the words in her web from a newspaper scavenged by the rat. Often, a fantasy world springs from a single idea. In the Harry Potter books, that single idea is that wizards are exactly like humans and may lead perfectly ordinary, humdrum lives, except that they can do magic and they have to keep that a secret. So there’s a Ministry of Magic, boarding schools, spectator sports, transportation issues, rich people, poor people, even racism. In a “what if” workshop, take a single idea and decide how it would change the world. What if we had paws instead of hands? Wheels instead of feet? What if we could fly? Encourage students to be specific and down-‐to-‐earth: How would you get to school, and how would you open the door when you got there? Would there be stairs? In gym class, what are the rules for basketball? At home, what would the kitchen be like and how would you cook dinner? No detail is too small to make a world come alive, but you also should address the big picture: How do people create food, support themselves, govern themselves? Don’t forget to figure out how everyday items evolved. If we had paws, maybe we would have special sticks that enabled us to punch the keys on a cell phone. But if nobody had ever seen a finger, would we have developed keyboards at all? At the end of the workshop, encourage students to think about a real-‐life gizmo that they take for granted: The gas pedal on a car, for example. Why was it designed that way? Why don’t we steer with our feet and control the speed with our thumbs? In addition to gaining insights into an author’s process, this workshop opens discussion of how a society develops and how technology evolves. Courtesy of Ellen Booraem ∙ www.ellenbooraem.com ∙
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Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013
Writing Exercise #2: Lightning Round Quick exercises to get writers’ brains moving
Materials needed: A collection of photos of people no one knows, cut out of newspapers, magazines, clothing catalogues, whatever. 1. Skin Deep—Chose a fantasy situation (zombie invasion, haunting, fairy infestation in the refrigerator, whatever the class agrees on). Have each student pick a photo of an unknown person and study it—this person is the Main Character. Students write a quick scene showing how MC reacts to the situation. Try it first person, then third person. 2. Point of View—Writing in MC’s voice, describe the same supernatural creature from two perspectives: A. if SC is good and helpful, and B. if SC is evil and ill-‐meaning. The idea is that the same SC will be described positively if good, negatively if bad. 3. Ten—Students write down ten things (for instance: a color, a number, a feeling, a fault, a virtue, a social issue, an illness, a food, a piece of clothing, and an animal). Each writes the opening scene of MC’s story, incorporating all those things. 4. Alphabetical dialogue—Each student writes a portion of the alphabet down one side of a page and makes up a line of dialogue that begins with each letter. The dialogue is a conversation between MC and SC. 5. Hello, Watch Out—Each students comes up with three lines of dialogue. One is a greeting. One is a warning. One is a parting. Each student writes a scene (or a dialogue) incorporating those three lines. MC is in the scene; SC will be present or talked about. 6. 1-‐10 or 10-‐1—Students ten lines of dialogue in which the first line is one word, the second line is two words, the third line is three words...and so on. Then try it backwards. This is a dialogue between MC and SC, or between MC and best friend discussing the supernatural situation. 7. Exposition — Each student writes down five pieces of introductory information critical to a story. (For example: Joe and Marie have been captured by goblins, they’ve been friends since grade school and they have a secret crush on each other.) They try to weave those facts into an opening scene or dialogue without the dreaded InfoDump. 8. Where to next?—Looking for story ideas? Have students write down an opening speech, then a sentence or two providing context. (For example: “Do you want to take this with you, Ms. Smith?” Ethel is going home from the mental health institute after a six-‐month stay. ) Have them do this ten times in three minutes, without pausing to think. 9. Flash Cards—Make several piles of flash cards. Make one pile each for: main character names, supernatural situations, times (the Renaissance or Tuesday at 5 p.m.), places, weather, secondary character names, huge human feelings … whatever you can think of. Have students draw a card from each pile and use those facts in a scene. Courtesy of Ellen Booraem ∙ www.ellenbooraem.com ∙
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Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013
Writing Exercise #3: Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it! In The Multiplying Menace, Maggie Malloy’s magical powers are first revealed on her fifth birthday when she innocently blows out her birthday cake candles and follows her mother’s instructions to “make a wish.” “I wish I had a monkey like the one in Barty Bananas Saves the Circus.” What Maggie wished for—a funny chimp who saves the day in a beloved story, and what she got—a screeching, teeth baring, cake flinging monkey, calls to mind the proverb: Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Imagine closing your own eyes and making a wish as you blow out the candles on your own birthday cake. What did you wish for? How might the magic that grants wishes twist your hopes and dreams into something unexpected or even scary? Did you wish for a famous movie star to appear? Was he happy to be whisked away to your kitchen? How might a million dollars turn out to be the opposite of a blessing? And how will you solve the problems brought about by your wish? Courtesy of Amanda Marrone ∙ www.amandamarrone.com
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Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013
Writing Exercise #4: Look who’s talking? Finding your author’s voice and exploring character voice. Supplies: Pencil/pen, paper, copies of a cartoon or picture showing two characters Each author has their own ‘voice’ or special way of writing. One author might spend a lot of time describing a scene or character; another might like to write in short, snappy sentences. Examine the picture and write a short piece from both characters point of view to describe what is going on. When students are done, have volunteers all read from one of the character’s point of view. Have students talk about the different author voices they hear and have them think what makes each author’s approach unique. Now have other students volunteer to read from the second character’s point of view. Students can again discuss how different the author voices are, but how the second character’s point of view can bring something totally different from the situation. Extension: Have students choose a scene from a single point of view book that contains another character. Have them rewrite the scene from the other character’s point of view. Picture Book examples of an author writing the same ‘events’ from multiple points of views: I am the Dog, I am the Cat by Donald Hall and Barry Moser Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
Courtesy of Amanda Marrone ∙ www.amandamarrone.com
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Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013
Reading List: real-‐world issues in mid-‐grade fantasy
Alexander, William Goblin Secrets Race relations; class warfare; societal form and function Almond, David Skellig Helplessness when faced with a family illness Appelt, Kathi The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp The Underneath Being bullied; loss of a loved one Applegate, Katherine The One and Only Ivan Compassion for others; persistence and determination in the face of adversity; keeping promises; the power of art to change lives; our responsibility to animals Babbitt, Natalie Tuck Everlasting 19th century small town life; moral issues of responsibility; consequences of death *Bauer, A.C.E. Come Fall Life in foster care; Asperger’s Syndrome; bullying; sibling rivalry; cultural differences among peers Gil Marsh Death of a friend; life of a runaway No Castles Here Inner-‐city poverty; homophobia; bullying; adult mentors for children; pre-‐industrial Europe; Civil War; Underground Railroad; multiple cultures 5
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 Bellairs, John The House with a Clock in its Walls and other Gothic mysteries Small-‐town life; responsibility and morals; death; bullying; body issues; out-‐of-‐the-‐ ordinary friendships Blackmore, Megan Frazer The Water Castle Science; scientific history *Booream, Ellen The Unnameables Colonial America; societal evolution; the “use” of art; how we get our names; coming-‐of-‐age Small Persons with Wings Self-‐discovery; bullying; addiction; art history; French; Latin; Charlemagne; the court of the Sun King Texting the Underworld Attitudes toward death; multicultural themes; facing your fears; “hero’s tale” Bow, Erin Plain Kate Feeling alone in the world; being bullied Bray, Libba The Gemma Doyle Trilogy Historical facts, customs, and social conditions *Broach, Elise Masterpiece Magic in an ordinary world; talking animals; friendship; mystery; art history Shakespeare’s Secret Adjusting to a new school; Shakespeare; mystery; the expectations of others; British history 6
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 Dahl, Roald James And The Giant Peach Abandonment; abuse; overcoming fear; friendship *DeKeyser, Stacy The Brixen Witch Discovering your unique talents; magic set in an ordinary world; superstition; community life Fagan, Deva The Magical Misadventures Of Prunella Bogthistle Racism (understated); acceptance; self-‐discovery *Foley, Elizabeth Remarkable Friendship; the expectations of others; secrets; community life Gaiman, Neil Coraline Loneliness; making friends; life of a writer Hood, Ann The Treasure Chest series Historical facts, customs, and social conditions Ibbotson, Eva The Star of Kazan 19th-‐century Vienna; false hope; deception Jenkins, Emily Toys Go Out Friendship; overcoming inhibitions and fears; loyalty 7
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 Jones, Diana Wynne The Ogre Downstairs Blended families; magical chemistry set Law, Ingrid Savvy Helplessness when faced with a family illness L’Engle, Madeline An Acceptable Time historical facts, customs, and social conditions Levine, Gail Carson Ella Enchanted Friendship; jealousy; literal vs. implied meanings of words *Marrone, Amanda The Magic Repair Shop books: The Multiplying Menace The Shape-‐Shifter’s Curse Master of Mirrors Attending a new school; living with a relative; making friends; bullying; trying to fit into a fish-‐out-‐of-‐water scenario; solving complex problems without the help from an adult
Murphy, Jill The Worst Witch series Finding your place in school; bullying; adult mentors; navigating frienships; discovering your unique talents Martin, Ann and Laura Godwin The Doll People Opening yourself to new adventures; going beyond your comfort zone 8
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 *Nelson, N.A. Bringing the Boy Home Wanting to impress a parent, not feeling good enough Nesbit, Anne The Cabinet of Earths Paris; families; moral values Nielsen, Jennifer A. The False Prince Feeling alone in the world Norton, Mary The Borrowers series Magic set in an ordinary world; prejudice; overcoming differences; making sense of the world Osborne, Mary Pope The Magic Tree House series Historical facts, customs, and social conditions *Paquette, A.J. Nowhere Girl Being street-‐smart; coming of age; acceptance; resourcefulness Paradox Facing and overcoming fear; memories; forgiveness Rules for Ghosting Resourcefulness; reconciliation; memories; sacrifice; family 9
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 Pratchett, Terry The Tiffany Aching series: The Wee Free Men A Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight Overcoming the expectations of others to follow your own path; discovering your unique talents Riordan, Rick The Lightning Thief Feeling different, stupid, like an outcast Sachar, Louis Holes Juvenile incarceration; friendship; cultural differences among peers; literacy Schlitz, Laura Amy Splendors and Glooms Victorian England; children overcoming torment of powerful adults Selden, George The Cricket in Times Square Friendship; loyalty; different concepts of home Spinelli, Jerry The Library Card Shoplifting; migrant workers; loneliness; friendship; literacy Stead, Rebecca When You Reach Me Historical facts, customs, and social conditions; magic set in an ordinary world 10
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 Stroud, Jonathan The Bartimaeus series: The Amulet of Samarkand The Golem’s Eye Ptolemy’s Gate The Ring of Solomon Overcoming the expectations of others to follow your own path; integrity; loyalty Townley, Roderick The Great Good Thing Doing the right thing; bravery vs. prudence; fear of change; learning to ask for help; choices and consequences *Turetsky, Bianca The Time-‐Traveling Fashionista on Board the Titanic The Time-‐Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette The Time-‐Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile Historical facts, customs, and social conditions White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web Magic set in an ordinary world; loneliness; friendship; the power of words; sacrifice; death Stuart Little Magic set in an ordinary world; learning not to judge others; not being constrained by size or others’ expectations; true love Zusak,Markus The Book Thief Nazi Germany; the Holocaust; World War II; literacy; art; music.
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Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World author panel AASL 2013 *Author panelists: A.C.E. Bauer acebauer.com Ellen Booraem ellenbooraem.com Elise Broach elisebroach.com Stacy DeKeyser stacydekeyser.com Lizzie K. Foley (moderator) lizziekfoley.com Amanda Marrone amandamarrone.com Nina Nelson ninanelsonbooks.com Ammi-‐Joan Paquette ajpaquette.com Bianca Turetsky timetravelingfashionista.com
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