I was sitting at my desk trying to decide on a writing activity when it came to me from downstairs in the kitchen. My husband did it again. He baked stinking fish. I can't think of another smell that I hate more. My lungs feel like they're being coated with cod liver oil every time I inhale. My nasal passages are swelling shut. My eyes are clouding over and I feel like a lizard with double eyelids. Just the thought of the scales that once covered that dastardly fish in the oven makes me want to toss my cookies (or at the very least, cringe). If he doesn't get a fan in the window soon, I might have to heave...or leave.
Did my words paint a picture for you? Writers, since I'm getting sicker by the minute, I think you should take over.
Write a sentence or two in response to a strong oder (good or bad). Please share!
Teachers and parents, peel an onion or cut an orange and let your kids take a whiff. Ask them to use their senses to describe what they smell. Now would be a good time for you to go into graphic detail. Let the drama of the moment dazzle your young writers! Please tell us how your kids describe their experience.
7 comments:
What an interesting and unique blog! My oldest son (6 yrs.) has just started writing his own short stories. I am very excited that he has taken such an interest in writing! We are planning to switch to homeschooling after this school year is over, so I am very open to learning about some new writing activities that I can practice with him. :)
Guess your not intrested in the fact that we had salomon for supper last night!
Canned peaches...
I love to open canned peaches. From the second the can opener pierces the skin of the can the sweet odor of the peaches start to filter through the cloud of the day and into my brain. The heavy but light sweet peachy odor will crawl up my nostrils and work through my body and as I exhale I let out the cankerous build up of odors of the day. Sometimes I will just stand there with the lid peeled up and just breathe. Breathe in and breathe out.
Second to that is the smell of Blueberry cobler baking. Ohhhhh but that is for another day!
Really? You don't like fish??
Neither does my Hubby!
Ok...for the assignment...
As I tiptoe around the curved boundaries of my garden, the delicate perfume of Sweet Peas winds its petite tendrils around my aura; climbing slowly, penetrating every pore of my spirit. I linger for moments, forever. My fingertips gently caress the aromatic pink, blue and red petals releasing an abundance of butterfly kisses to flutter within my heart.
Jan, I just love the exercises you post.
As for the fish - well, I can smell it all the way over here.
:-)
The aromatic odor of the ocean's opulent bounty oppresses Jan's olfactory openings and causes ominous opprobium to be heaped upon her once-adored Oceanus.
You liked that, did you? Wellllll, I did have to use the dictionary, and too bad I don't have a thesaurus here at home! I LOOOOOVE dictionaries - do you?
What a great site! You offer a really concrete and interesting way for people to come up with topics and build on the powerful sensory experience. As an educator, I really appreciate that!
Your request for others to share writing exercises that spark and ignite creativity in kids - here's mine :)
Think It Ink It Publishing (www.thinkitinkitpublishing.com). Think It Ink It Publishing is a creative writing publishing business for children from the ages of 4-12. Our company provides professionally illustrated wordless picture books for children to write the story and become authors! Think It Ink It Publishing is a literacy tool that teaches children to access and express themselves through words in any language. Like your ideas (kind of) it takes away the intimidation of a blank page and offers a topic/story starter. Inside are suggested vocabulary ideas as well at Creative Writing Tips.
I thought you and your readers whether they be teachers or parents or homeschoolers...might be interested.
Thanks for your great blog and all of your ideas!!
Post a Comment