tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post6460498262386262950..comments2024-01-28T21:33:18.654-08:00Comments on VANESSA GEBBIE'S BLOG: A bit about teaching...Vanessa Gebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-20865733224077633152012-10-30T03:19:33.028-07:002012-10-30T03:19:33.028-07:00HI Rachel - lovely to know Short Circuit is workin...HI Rachel - lovely to know Short Circuit is working well! Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-11806662708889266342012-10-30T01:50:26.386-07:002012-10-30T01:50:26.386-07:00Brilliant game. I often flick through Short Circui...Brilliant game. I often flick through Short Circuit when I want to give my brain a zap before a short story session, too. But to see the stories forming where none were expected - that's wonderful.Rachel Fentonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10046917627054462214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-75849128459353595962012-10-29T06:58:20.949-07:002012-10-29T06:58:20.949-07:00Ooh, I've never played that. Sounds great! Tha...Ooh, I've never played that. Sounds great! Thanks for explaining.Sophie Playlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14937622260333202138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-11610056159066232252012-10-28T01:51:13.433-07:002012-10-28T01:51:13.433-07:00Thanks for visiting Cat - it's certainly fun d...Thanks for visiting Cat - it's certainly fun doing this stuff, and it seems the students get a lot from it. Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-48648943048820517222012-10-27T14:51:27.746-07:002012-10-27T14:51:27.746-07:00There should be more teaching like this!There should be more teaching like this!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-70824514905524326392012-10-27T12:49:08.851-07:002012-10-27T12:49:08.851-07:00Great stuff Dan - I'd love to know how it goes...Great stuff Dan - I'd love to know how it goes. :)Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-61365248432020645472012-10-27T09:28:40.166-07:002012-10-27T09:28:40.166-07:00You can't argue with positive responses like t...You can't argue with positive responses like that. Sounds like just the sort of thing I would have loved as an undergraduate. Will give that Word Cricket a go with my adult class when we tackle the creative writing aspect of their GCSE course. dan powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14131553102349479513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-30642349024873350492012-10-26T02:47:18.064-07:002012-10-26T02:47:18.064-07:00Hi Sophie - its a game I use to start every writin...Hi Sophie - its a game I use to start every writing session I take. A terrific ice-breaker. I tell the participants they will NOT have to share what they write. <br /><br />Have a list of 10/15 words ready - anything.. maybe some sensory words in among the mix. and a starter phrase. Something to 'open' thoughts and ideas -Something like: "The door opened and..." or "It happened like this..." or "When the tide turned..." .<br /><br />Tell the participants you will be giving them the opening phrase, and when you do you'd like them to write it down and not stop... just write as fast as they can - anything that comes to mind. And that every minute, you will be chucking a word into the air. They have to catch it, like a fielder catches a ball - and incorporate it into what they are writing. <br /><br />So every minute (or whatever) you say a word from your list clearly. <br /><br />when you are half way through, tell them,<br /><br />when you have three/two/one word(s) left, tell them. <br /><br />When you've finished the words, they will be writing like mad and wont stop, even though you aren't telling them to. <br /><br />I usually let them scribble for a couple of minutes, then suggest gently that they bring it to a close, make bullet point notes if the story was taking off and they want to remember something.<br /><br />At Ipswich this time, I asked for a show of hands if anyone had a story - no matter how rough - a story with a shape, a beginning, middle and end...out of 23 students, we had 19 stories.<br /><br />The point is - if I'd asked them to spend ten minutes and write a short story - they wouldn't have been able. This way, they find out that its just in us to make stories. <br /><br />you can also do this in writing groups, for fun - its a great way to unlock ideas!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-68978044764538655332012-10-25T22:55:15.545-07:002012-10-25T22:55:15.545-07:00Sounds like a great workshop! But... What is word ...Sounds like a great workshop! But... What is word cricket?Sophie Playlehttp://www.sophieplayle.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-49344568953944441872012-10-25T15:43:17.726-07:002012-10-25T15:43:17.726-07:00There is so much fear about - possibly reinforced ...There is so much fear about - possibly reinforced by people who guard their territory fiercely. 'You cant write about 'x' - thats nothing to do with you..' <br /><br />Oh yes it is! <br /><br />Vanessa Gebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09088301040602803489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598558136160705007.post-49240895345824963612012-10-25T12:13:18.417-07:002012-10-25T12:13:18.417-07:00How wonderful, this is so great to hear! I would h...How wonderful, this is so great to hear! I would have been thrilled to be one of your students. On a similar note, I gave a talk (and played word cricket with) creative writing undergrads at Bath Spa Uni today, and I always mention my science faculty residency and how science is a great fount of inspiration rarely tapped by fiction writers. One of the students asked a question during the Q&A: "Is it okay to take inspiration from anywhere, including science and history?" Of course, I said yes - anything, from anywhere! But it is interesting that he hadn't perhaps thought he was "allowed" to do this. Your workshop demonstrates this point so so clearly, I might even have thought I wasn't "allowed" to take inspiration from this piece of recent and tragic news, but of course we can, as fiction writers. No holds barred. We have to be free, otherwise that is censorship, and often we do it to ourselves. Tania Hershmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781460794034586895noreply@blogger.com