What Would You Read to a Dog?

Dogs and cats are going places they’ve never gone before. They’re visiting children in daycare, older people in assisted-living facilities, and patients in hospitals.

Love on a Leash is an organization that is filled with therapy pets—pets that are specially trained by their owners to make people happy, reduce stress, and help educate people about the benefits of owning pets.

One fun thing these dogs and cats do is go to school so children can read to them. Children who have trouble reading out loud or who are shy enjoy reading to a dog or cat that will sit there and listen to them.

Show, Don’t Tell: Emotions in Stories

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

One of the first rules story writers learn is this: Show, don’t tell.

What does that mean? Check out the following examples to see what I mean.

Show It

When you write a story, try not to tell your readers what your character is feeling, like this:

Jeremy was angry.

Instead, show your character in action, like this:

Storywriting: Put Your Character into Hot Water, Part 2

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

In a recent tutorial, you practiced plunging your character into hot water with two powerful methods many writers use. You can find that prompt here.

This week you’ll examine three more methods of getting your main character deep into a story. As Stanley Elkin reveals, “I would never write about someone who is not at the end of his rope.”

Storywriting: Put Your Character into Hot Water, Part 1

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

You have an idea for a story but don’t know how to get it going. Or you would like to write a story but are out of ideas.

When you write a story, you have to throw a lot of things at your main character, things he or she would rather not have to deal with. In this prompt, you’ll learn two proven methods to get ideas and plunge your character into hot water. In this prompt, you’ll explore three more.

Dialog Does Not Have to Be Boring

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Have you ever read really boring dialog in a book? You know, like this:

    “Jane,” said Tarzan, “have you ever noticed how much the monkeys love me?”
     “Yes, Tarzan, I noticed it,” said Jane. “In fact, one is climbing on you right now.”
     Tarzan scratched his head. “He’s pulling on my ear. Isn’t that cute?”
     Jane smiled up at the little scamp. She raised her hand to pet his furry back. “You know, Tarzan, I think he’s my favorite one. What should we call him?”
     “I know!” said Tarzan. “Let’s call him Scamp!”
     “Why, Tarzan! That’s just the name I was thinking of!” said Jane.

Yuk! How boring. But why? Why is that dialog boring?

Advertising Jingles

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Allan G. Odell saved his company from ruin and made it quite popular.

How did he do it?

In the 1920s, a new shaving product was born called Burma-Shave. It was different from other shaving creams because, now, men didn’t have to lather up some cream or soap with a brush and apply it to their faces for a shave. They simply used this new cream that came in a tube. But the product did not catch on. The company was in trouble.

Then along came Allan Odell with a brilliant marketing scheme.

Writing in Summer?

SHARON’S BLOG

It’s summer. A sweet breeze of relief flows through the family tree and tickles the leaves. You hear a child giggle.

But you’ve worked hard on this year’s writing classes, and you want to make sure that your children’s writing skills don’t completely deteriorate during summer vacation. What can you do?

Summer is fun, and your children’s summertime writing activities can be fun for them and for you as well. Otherwise, it’s not really summer!

The most important feature of writing in summer is

Trees: Be Specific When You Describe

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Let’s talk about trees.

Something interesting just happened to you. Right now. This moment.

When you read “trees,” an image of a tree or trees popped into your head. What was it?

When you write to describe something, you want to be specific. You DON’T want to write like this:

What Famous Person Would You Like to Interact With?

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

So you’re driving your taxi, and someone hails you from the sidewalk. In comes a man you eventually recognize, and you get so excited that you shout a phrase from one of his movies to him.

He laughs and joins in the fun. You drop him off, but that is not the end of the story.

Later, he sends you tickets to his latest Broadway show, and you go and even get to meet with him after the show in his dressing room!

You can read the whole, fun story about the taxi driver “Mr. Ferrari” and the famous actor

Gender-Neutral Language in Writing

SHARON’S BLOG

Here’s a free grammar lesson for your teens from The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School, 2nd Edition. It’s on gender-neutral language in writing—and it has the answers at the end! Keep reading to see this valuable lesson. Enjoy!

Incidentally, the subject of gender-neutral language is not related to the transgender movement or any biological issues.