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Maureen Bush

Updated: Feb 26, 2022

Last Wednesday, I spent the day talking about writing, after they read Feather Brain, and workshopping writing with grade 3/4 kids at Chinook Park School.


I talked about structure and coached them through planning a story beginning, middle and end.


The kids were marvelously imaginative, but it was hard for many of them to work through the full story plan.


Some had trouble understanding generally. Some got it generally but got stuck on certain details. Some understood the assignment but had trouble making their story work.


One girl had a thorough plan that was all telling, no showing. Finally I talked to all the kids about imagining the story like a movie, watching it play out scene by scene.


Another had the wrong character as her main character. It took a while to find the way to explain it so she could understand. She seemed a little offended, but when she came back later with a revised plan she’d solved the problem beautifully.


I think this should have been a 2-week workshop. This is their first introduction to writing fiction this year, and the teachers will use the workshop as a jumping off point, but it feels unfinished to me. I introduced a tough topic without being able to see it through.


Next time…


Maureen

Maureen Bush

Updated: Feb 26, 2022

I wasn’t sure I was a writer anymore, for a little while, as I go through some deep internal changes.


But I seem to be coming back to it, as the garden greens up in this earliest of springs.


A winter retreat followed by a spring resurgence.


Maureen


Maureen Bush

Updated: Feb 26, 2022

Today, I walked on water and was blinded by the light.


Well, okay, I walked on ice. On snow over ice, on frozen Lake Minnewanka. It was crisp and clear and blindingly bright, as the sun reflected off the snow.


Our plan has been to escape to the mountains once a week. We were derailed for the last month by colds and Christmas and bad weather. Today we could, so we made a dash for it. Our intended 20 minute drive to Bragg Creek became a 1 1/2 hour trip to Banff, when we realized how beautiful it was. Sunny, warm, clear roads.


The day was exquisite, and I feel recharged. I really do feel like I was walking on water. Canadian style.


Maureen



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