Something magical happens when the wind blows through a wind chime. A moment before the arrival of that invisible wisp of breath, all is still. The wind chime is motionless and silent. No one would guess that its pendulous form contains the possibility of music. And then, a breeze. A dance. A sudden flurry of […]
Ticket to Write, Part 3: Dancing Gargoyles and Gruesome Armadillos
If you’ve been following me on this word adventure with your kids, congratulations! So far you’ve gathered a treasure chest of vibrant vocabulary and “painted” pictures with words. Susan Wooldridge’s book Poemcrazy, the original inspiration for the word tickets, includes many wonderful suggestions for using these tickets and having fun with language (especially in […]
Ticket to Write, Part 2: Painting with Words
If you read my last post, “A Crush on Words,” you’ve hopefully been inspired to create a treasure trove of word tickets with your family. If you haven’t yet, get thee a roll of raffle tickets and a stack of magazines, and start word-hunting! (For more encouragement, read Poemcrazy by Susan Wooldridge: http://susanwooldridge.com/books/) One of […]
Ticket to Write, Part 1: A Crush on Words
You could say that my husband and I fell in love with each other over words. Within a few weeks of meeting, I recited to him and his writing group my poem about the mysterious Grimple Snooklesplat, and he shared with me his rather frighteningly eccentric podcast about the Budge-Nuzzard. I impressed him by casually […]
Metaphors, Double Vision, and the Gruesome Pit of Grossness (a writing adventure for your family)
Jennifer Trafton is the author of The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, a wonderful tale about a girl named Persimmony Smudge (you love it already, I know). It’s a Smith family favorite and we are eager/impatient for her follow up! Jennifer is also a popular creative writing teacher for children, the vocation from which […]