Summer, Plot, and Meat

Author visits during the summer months tend to take on a whole new spin.

This week, I'm talking with girls at the Abbott House here in Mitchell.  It's kind of funny -- The last time I was in this building was back when it was Eugene Fields Elementary School.  I remember speaking to second graders about writing, even though I'd never published a book.  Little did I know that I'd be returning with eight.

Anyway, my presentation was much looser than my usual "school visit talk."   Afterwards, I had a chance to talk with the teacher to see how I could tweak it.  She clued me in that a lot of the kids were still struggling with definitions of nouns and verbs.  

"However," I said.  "They all know 'story.'"

I guess that's what I'm trying to communicate to the girls. Story is character.  Story is problem.  What does the character love?  What does the character want?  What are the obstacles that must be fought and/or overcome?

Unfortunately, my classroom exercise produced a generic, shallow plot.   However, as the girls started writing, I walked around the room to see how they were handling the concept of "problem."

One girl quietly revealed her story's problem, challenge, and beginnings of resolution.   I said, "Yes! That is the meat of your story."

"The meat?" she said.  "I like that word."

I like it, too. 

Story.  Character.  Meat.   Now I have something to chew on...

Tornado June

Here I am, still living three-quarters of a mile west from the paved road.  The air is heavy & we're supposed to get severe thunderstorms later in the day. 

June seems to be tornado month in South Dakota.  If we had a finished basement, it wouldn't be so bad.  However, ours is a pit underneath our kitchen (junk) closet, only reached by heaving open the trap door.  Things have to be pretty ugly outside before we descend.

I'll never forget taking my three kids down there when they were 3 months, 23 months, and 4 years old.  Somehow, I managed to nurse the baby, calm the 4-year-old, and keep the 23-month-old from eating mouse droppings - all at the same time!

There's nothing like chaos to keep your mind off bad weather....