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View Full Version : Be kind, even if you think this is rubbish.



Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 10:42
OK, here we go. This is an assignment I did for my writing for children course, I got an "A". It is a scene from "Making Good Decisions" and I had to write the one scene from the viewpoint of two characters.


Scene from Emma’s view point
“Hurry up.” Emma called impatiently back to her sister.
“I’m coming,” Sally replied.
Emma continued along the road, she was so fed up with her goody two shoes sister. Always doing everything right, the apple of everyone’s eye. She looked back, where was she? Oh for goodness sake, what was she doing? She turned back to see what “Super Sally” was up to now. Probably rescuing a hurt kitten or some other soppy thing like that.
As she got closer she saw something glint in the sunlight, “What’s that?” she asked and took it for a closer look.
“A key,” said Sally as she reached to take it back.
Emma wasn’t finished looking at it, “Wow , it’s gorgeous.” It would look great on a chain, especially with her new white top. The key had an intricate pattern with tiny gem stones set into engraved pictures of plants and birds.
“Wait, Emma. You can’t keep it.” whined her snivelling little sister.
“Finders keepers.” I had to have it, it would really set off my tan with the new shirt!
“But, I found it,” Sally said, “and it probably belongs to Mrs Vabka, it was in front of her gate.”
Nothing was going to spoil her plan for this key, she even had the perfect chain to put it on, “Oh, she won’t know.”
“Good morning girls.” The guttural voice of the old Russian lady sent a chill through Emma. She had been sitting on the verandah the whole time. Spying!
“Oh hi,” Emma took the key to the old lady, maybe it wasn’t hers and she would still be able to keep it. “We just found this key, it must be yours.” she handed it to her.
Emma watched in disgust as the old witch’s claw like hands rattled the cup and saucer to the table and then took the key from her hand, uhh, yuck.
“Ah, yes this is mine. Thank you.” Her wrinkled face creased into a mocking sneer. “It was good of you to return it to me.” The old bat knew that I wanted to keep it, it probably wasn’t even really hers.
“We’d better get going, we’ll be late for school,” Sally said. There she goes again, trying to make her look bad by being so nice and good.
“Come back for afternoon tea. You must have a reward.”
No way! She wasn’t going anywhere near the old crone, she had better things to do.
“That would be great, thanks Mrs Vabka,” said Sally.
Trust her to suck up, well she could go for ‘afternoon tea’ by herself thought Emma.



Scene from Sally’s view point.
“Hurry up.”
Sally looked her sister’s back-pack bouncing along, “I’m coming,” she called. Sally was sick of Emma, her older sister by two and a half minutes.
Then something caught her eye. Sally stopped in front of Mrs Vabka’s gate and searched for the shiny object. She peered into a crack in the concrete.
Twinkle. There it was.
Sally tried to pick it up, and as she touched it, it slid further into the crack. Carefully, she gripped it’s edge between her fingertips.
Ah! Got it.
Sally held a beautiful gold key in her hand. It had tiny coloured stones and pictures of birds and plants engraved into the gold.
“What’s that?” Emma demanded and snatched the key from Sally’s hand.
“A key,” said Sally. She reached to take it back.
Emma kept the key and walked away, “Wow, it’s gorgeous.”
“Wait, Emma. You can’t keep it.”
“Finders keepers.”
“But, but I found it,” stammered Sally, “ and it probably belongs to Mrs Vabka, it was in front of her gate.”
“Oh, she won’t know.”
“Good Morning girls.” Mrs Vabka’s accented voice called from her verandah.
“Oh hi.” Emma stepped through the gate and onto the old verandah. “We just found this key, it must be yours.” She handed it to the old lady.
Mrs Vabka placed her tea cup on a small table. Her shaky hands rattled the cup noisily in the saucer. She took the key in her clawed hand. “Ah, yes this is mine. Thank you.” She smiled at the girls, and then winked at Sally. “It was good of you to return it to me.”
“We’d better get going, we’ll be late for school,” Sally said, embarrassed. She knew that Mrs Vabka had heard them.
“Come back for afternoon tea. You must have a reward.”
“That would be great, thanks Mrs Vabka,” Sally said.

There you go, that is a small example of my earlier writing attempts.

Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 10:46
I am going to my friends now to hide, so I don't sit here waiting to see what anyone says. I am a bit anxious and need some chocolate.
Will check in later.

krieve
15-Aug-06, 10:54
Lolabelle, You do certainly have a talent for writing !

Kingetter
15-Aug-06, 10:55
Thanks for that. Yes, being in/of two minds takes on new meaning with your pieces. What gave you the idea for the story? Based on some sort of personal experience?

Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 12:30
Hi, I'm back.
The story was written specifically for a church kids camp. My brother inlaw had to give a talk to the kids and the topic was "Making Good Decisions", he thought that rather than just read some scriptures to the kids and talk about that, he would read them one of my stories. So I wrote the story from Sally's viewpoint and he read it to them. Apparently there wasn't a sound out of any of them for the whole 10minute story. (I also had a timeframe) So that is how it came about. Completely made up and not a bit of reality in there. When I had an assignment to do the two viewpoints, I wanted to write from Emma's side as I like the naughty ones better personally. But I couldn't use her for the required story. The next year I wrote another one with the two girls, but from Emma's perspective. It was called "Doing your Best is Best" Totally different. Again it went over well with the kids.

pultneytooner
15-Aug-06, 13:11
I don't know if it's just me but as I read the story I got images coming into my head of what the characters looked like, nice story by the way.:)

katarina
15-Aug-06, 13:16
don't hide. that was good! You do have talent - keep it up. If I'm looking for something to constructively criticize, You did change from third person to first person a couple of times which threw me a bit.

katarina
15-Aug-06, 13:18
By the way, I'm dying to know what happened next - which is always good!

Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 13:25
The changing from second to first person was actually supposed to be her thoughts. In the course I was told not to say "he thought" or "she thought" too much. But maybe it needed it. Got an "A" anyway.
Thanks for your generous comments. I just sent you the first chapter, warts and all. Aahhhh, I am scared to tell you the truth. So many friends and family are very supportive, but I worry that it gives me a false confidence. But regardless I really love writing and I like the story that I am trying to tell. I just dont want it to be incorrect.

katarina
15-Aug-06, 13:28
I thought it might be her thoughts, but I felt that wasn't clear. Well done anyway!

Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 13:31
Looking back over it I see what you mean. It isn't always that clear. I just posted it without having a good look as it was a bit like taking medicine. Just do it and get it over. LOL[lol]

cuddlepop
15-Aug-06, 13:34
That was good.Somehow you managed to conjure up a picture in my head of what was happening.The way you've used your lanuage enabled the scene to come alive without being over descriptive.Pat on the back!
We wait with baited breath....:D

pultneytooner
15-Aug-06, 13:38
That was good.Somehow you managed to conjure up a picture in my head of what was happening.The way you've used your lanuage enabled the scene to come alive without being over descriptive.Pat on the back!
We wait with baited breath....:D
That's what I meant but you've put it more eloquently....:D

gleeber
15-Aug-06, 18:29
That's quite clever. There was a lot in that little bit. How the girls felt towards eachother, how they felt about Mrs Vabka and how Mrs Vabka handled the situation. I dont believe for one minute it was totally made up. The scenario was made up but the relationships were real. Nice one.

Big Jean
15-Aug-06, 19:09
Well done Lolabelle ! I can picture the girls, and the key, and it does leave you wondering what happens next . You have a talent for writing which you must keep up .

Woolie
15-Aug-06, 20:28
That was really good wish i could write like that you have a real talent keep it up your to good to keep it hiden away.;)

cuddlepop
15-Aug-06, 20:33
Shhh she's gone to bed .
Mustn't disturbe.Maybe when Lolabella wakes we'll get more.:lol:

Tiger Jones
15-Aug-06, 20:37
An interesting piece. I like the way the same little scene is played out through different eyes especially when the characters are twins.

I'd like to read about Mrs Vabka's view of events too but I guess some of the story should be left to the imagination ;)

percy toboggan
15-Aug-06, 21:15
Well constructed and well formulated fiction. I consider myself a pretty good writer but you have imagination. Enough to make me dislike Emma with a passion. 'Old bat'? 'Old Crone ' ?well done. I like the sound of Sally and Mrs. Vabka. Emma can go fall in the canal for me but then I never did suffer little (rhymes with flits). I hope my little grand-daughter turns out a Sally..... See what you've done. You sucked me into your little story.
Well done.

p.s. wouldn't Emma have kept the key and burgled Mrs. Vabka in the middle of the night?

Lolabelle
15-Aug-06, 22:09
p.s. wouldn't Emma have kept the key and burgled Mrs. Vabka in the middle of the night?[/quote]

Ah, guess what you will have to read the rest. I will post it and put you all out of your misery.

And thank you so much, everyone. I am overjoyed that you all like it, and I feel a bit humbled too. (Not too much though.)
Thanks for reading and truly being so supportive. I will work out the glitches in my Caithness story. I really think it deserves it.:D

Tiger Jones
15-Aug-06, 22:14
p.s. wouldn't Emma have kept the key and burgled Mrs. Vabka in the middle of the night?I don't think Emma would do that. She may seem bad but I think just she's selfish and has a chip on her shoulder but will grow out of it ;)

percy toboggan
15-Aug-06, 22:21
I don't think Emma would do that. She may seem bad but I think just she's selfish and has a chip on her shoulder but will grow out of it ;)

I've not been selfish since I was eleven ! and never burgled anyone, but always had a chip on my shoulder . They grow with you in my experience. I'd quite miss mine.

Tiger Jones
15-Aug-06, 22:30
I've not been selfish since I was eleven ! and never burgled anyone, but always had a chip on my shoulder . They grow with you in my experience. I'd quite miss mine.I see. Has your chip always harboured the same subject of anger or does a facet become added with each new rage?

Cedric Farthsbottom III
15-Aug-06, 23:25
Cheers Lolabelle.Yir story is life itself.Theres always two sides to it.:D

connieb19
15-Aug-06, 23:25
Great piece Lollabelle, I'm dying to find out what happens next though.:D

percy toboggan
16-Aug-06, 19:43
I see. Has your chip always harboured the same subject of anger or does a facet become added with each new rage?

In my experience 'chips' are more about subdued resentment than anger. I'm usually on a long , slow fuse in the anger stakes. I don't rage often, though I've been known to rant. How 'bout you? I didm't see Emma as a 'chip on the shoulder type' anyway. Just a rude kid. It's unlikely these two would be twin siblings in retrospect. Certainly in my experience of twins. They are just too young to be so chalk and cheese.But what do I know?

Kingetter
16-Aug-06, 19:46
And, from my experience, sometimes quite a difference between 'twins' and 'identical twins'.

Tiger Jones
16-Aug-06, 20:03
In my experience 'chips' are more about subdued resentment than anger. I'm usually on a long , slow fuse in the anger stakes. I don't rage often, though I've been known to rant. How 'bout you? I'm actually quite similar to your good self. I sometimes wish I did let the anger out more readily as it would calm me down that much faster. Can't help my nature though. Is that what shrinks are for? ;)


I didm't see Emma as a 'chip on the shoulder type' anyway. Just a rude kid. It's unlikely these two would be twin siblings in retrospect. Certainly in my experience of twins. They are just too young to be so chalk and cheese.But what do I know?I'm with Kingetter regarding identical and non-identical twins. I was at secondary school with a pair of non-identicals. One had ginger hair and one had light blond. One was boisterous and outgoing, the other quiet and studious. Both good guys though.