Tell a whopper....

Here's a great exercise to get some creative juices flowing. Tell lies. Yes, I said it...tell lies. Whoppers in fact. You can tell really big whoppers about fishing trips, the weather, eating, singing....ANYTHING at all. Your whoppers can be really fun to write. Kids love whoppers. Adult writers often start their stories with whoppers.

Why not write a few whoppers now and see what happens. Here, I'll give you some starter sentences. See what you come up with!

Today is hotter than....
She was so slow that....
My mother likes to ......
I made more money than you would ever dream of just by.....
It's hard to believe that my old friend.....
Yesterday I saw a duck.....

Teachers, you can adjust these starter sentences for your students. If your students are young, do this exercise orally. Once again, you'll begin to create that love of language. Words will tumble. Laughter will follow.

Parents, this is a great activity for a long car trip. Think up a few sentences in advance to get your car game rolling.

Writers, see how far you can get into a story just by starting out with your very own whopper. Have fun!

My first Award

My sister-in-law and blog designer gave me this award! She deserves the award more than me, but I'm thrilled nonetheless!

Her award inspires me to write more. It makes me think of something else too. There's nothing more fun and challenging for writers (young and old)than to enter contests.

Adult writers can find all kinds of contests everywhere. Contests can be found online. They can be found in magazines and newspapers. If you see a contest that interests you, go for it! It's not about winning or losing, it's about having fun while you write. If you happen to win, it's a great publishing credit. If you don't, it's a good experience...especially if you write for the simple joy of writing.

Writing contests are a great way for teachers to inspire their students. Nothing is more fun than a writing contest in the classroom. Keep it simple. Have word list contests...remember those lists we talked about? Announce a contest to find the most creative words on your student's lists. No pressure...just fun. Every child in your class will strive to add just one more word to that list that describes cold or winter. Every child in your class can have a winning word.

Parents, you can use the same kinds of contests at home. Make them easy. Make them simple. Your child will begin to feel the success and joy that coincides with a playful love of language and words.
Ready? Set? Go! Tell me about the contests you've entered or created. I really want to know!

Oh, by the way, I'm going to figure out how to pass this award on. I've seen some fabulous blogs in the few weeks that I've been blogging!