Doors open inwards to enclosed spaces and outwards into wild city streets, quiet country lanes or even undiscovered worlds. There may be tiny doors in the skirting board or amongst the roots of trees, doors into the mountainside and heavily barred and bolted doors that guard the entrance to a fortress. Doors can take us … Continue reading Door
Tag: character
Pencil case
Here’s another way to create a character that might develop into a story. Jonathon Miller, the director, said that sometimes a prop, and a direction to handle or hold it in a particular way, could help an actor get a better sense of the character they were playing. The example he gave was a handbag, … Continue reading Pencil case
If the glove fits
Actors, when taking on a new role, often choose an item of clothing to help them get into character. Most commonly, they choose footwear. When they put on a pair of clumsy, outsize boots, comfortable carpet slippers or a pair of stilettos, their posture changes immediately. Their shoes affect the way they move about and … Continue reading If the glove fits
Pop-up!
By popular demand, here’s another making writing project courtesy of the inventive and imaginative Paul Johnson. This one is inspired by his book, Pop-up Paper Engineering.It is a lovely project that can inspire nursery children and provide older children to create and write about a character. I have chosen Red Riding Hood for this demonstration, but … Continue reading Pop-up!
Another kind of list
We’re back to lists today and we are thinking about characters at the same time. Ann Berthoff writes: ‘Lists are composed; they don’t just happen.’ Composing a list involves organising names and sometimes actions according to some purpose. The act of list writing can even be a way of discovering purpose. One thing can lead … Continue reading Another kind of list
The Smell of …..
Smell is hard to describe. When we mention a smell, we usually just use the name of the thing that is giving off that smell – lavender, coffee, banana, even, chip shop. Smell is brilliantly evocative. I smell coal tar soap and think of my father; sterilised milk, that is my Great Aunt Addie. Smell … Continue reading The Smell of …..
Questions for a character
I wonder whether you made a list of names yesterday? If you did, choose one to be the name of a character you will write about. If you didn’t, and even if you did, make up a name now -even make up a list to choose from. Once you have your character’s name sit down … Continue reading Questions for a character
Whose pockets?
Today we challenge you to create one, two, three, or even more characters. We have photographs of the things we found when three characters turned out their pockets and bags. Who can they be? Look closely at the photographs and see what clues you can find. Who would carry such things with them and what … Continue reading Whose pockets?
Writing Box 