“The time has come,”the Walrus said, “to talk of many things...”
(Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass)
I. Happy New Year to you all! As you are aware I have been conspicuously absent from our
blog for a time. It seems Santa had a special surprise for me and gave me a new
hip. Surgery went well and I am sneaking back onto my computer a little more
every day. I hope all of you had wonderful holidays and are off to productive
and exciting new beginnings in 2013. Least you think I missed the New Year’s
Eve festivities; I shared a can of squirt cheese, some crackers, and a glass of
punch with the wonderful staff at CrowneHealth
Care. I was the lucky one because I got to have a pain pill with mine.
II. Crowne Health Care on Navco took excellent care of me and got me
back on my feet. A big shout out to all of you!
III. Congratulations to cj on her new book! The cover is perfect and the story is excellent. I
had the privilege of being in her critique group and watched the development of
Deadly Star. I saw how hard she worked to carve out the perfect
sentences with the perfect words. Be sure and get your copy when they are hot
off the presses and enjoy this contemporary thriller. It is truly a page
turner.
IV. Barefoot Writing Academy was born last year and is the name of my creative writing school for
adults and children over eight. I’m accepting registrations for spring classes.
Here is a brief description of each.
Creative Writing in Fiction (Adults age
18 & up) Excellent class for beginners and those who want to learn more
about the craft of writing. This creative writing class explores the genres of
fiction and the conventions that define them. Students read a mix of classic
and contemporary work. Key
concepts addressed include characterization, point of view, setting, dialogue,
and narrative to build a story arc. Saturday 2:00 – 4:00. Six weeks. March
9, 2013 – April 13, 2013. $150.00
includes registration fee, class fees, class materials, and textbook. Class size is not limited but requires at
least five for the class to make. Shoes are optional.
Connect the Thoughts (5 – 8
grades) Can a lion share a cupcake with an astronaut? As an author, you have
the power to decide. Students explore writing as it relates to entertainment.
Storyboards are introduced to create stories for animated movies and
television, situation comedies, and books. Through writing, students create
characters, go on great adventures, and envision surprise story lines along the
way. Classes work together to explore the functions of writing and build their
writing skills. Wednesday. 3:30
–4:30. Begins March 6 2013 – April 24.
The Happy Dance (8 – 12 grades) This class strengthens writing
skills to improve overall academic performance. Through word games, a review of the basic elements of
the English language is completed. Students immediately put their knowledge to
work building written reports and stories from nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs of their choosing. Key concepts to create successful written projects help students express themselves clearly through
strengthened writing skills and critical thinking. In a no-pressure
environment, they work both independently and in collaborative projects to have
fun and learn the functions of words leading to success in school. Wednesday 4:45 –5:45. Begins March 6, 2013 –
April 24.
Explore the Possibilities (8– 12 grades).
Flash fiction and other writing exercises stimulate writing maturity and
appropriate word usage while developing team-building skills. Questions to
stimulate critical thinking and creativity lead discussions: What superpowers
would you like to have? Then what? What do you want to do after you graduate
from high school? How? What qualities make a good friend? Why? Key concepts in
creative writing are addressed: action, characterization, dialogue, and
narrative. Wednesday
6:15 –7:15. Begins March 6 2013 – April 24.
Class size is
limited to ten students and requires at least five for the class to make. Shoes are optional.
Discounts
for multiple classes and siblings. Contact me at mahalachurch@gmail.com
to register.
V. Stuff and
Nonsense Contest The MAC Contest was such a success in 2012
that I’ve decided to continue with a 2013 contest but with some changes. You
can read the guidelines at the left of the screen, but the major changes are
the new name – Stuff and Nonsense ( I love all things Anglophile),
submissions up to 500 words every month, and prose only. I’m really not
comfortable judging poetry. For you poets, this gives you the opportunity to
test your prowess at prose. I will continue to give you required words or
phrases to incorporate into your work. As you can see from my spring classes,
I’m celebrating Dr. Seuss this year, so to that end, every month will celebrate
some of his work.
VI. Thanks to cj for
holding down the fort while I was busy learning to count leg lifts and popping
wheelies on my walker!
Mahala
