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Post by Terra Fire on May 17, 2005 11:10:42 GMT -5
I know this really has nothing to do with fanfiction, but I really need help. For my final Sr. project in my kiddy lit. class, I have to write a book for children (ages 7-8), but I have no idea what they would like to read. So, if anyone is close to children in that age group, can you please help me? It would really be helpful, I can't think of anything! I'm not used to writing for children. I have to draw pictures and everything too.
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~VGT~
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Post by cesmith on May 19, 2005 15:32:23 GMT -5
I talked to some of the kids in our after school program. Most of them liked stories about animals, both real and imaginary. Dragons were favoried by the boys. Most agreed they liked stories where the animals acted like people. Hope this helps.
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Post by Terra Fire on May 20, 2005 10:26:03 GMT -5
Yea, that's what I was thinking about. Animals. The plot I came up with was "How the zebra lost his stripes". I got the idea from my tag picture. It's about a young zebra with beautiful stripes, and goes around the zoo saying that he's the most beautiful and makes fun af all the other zebras. Then one day, his stripes fall off and all the other zebras make fun of him. Then one night, some kind of animal comes and gives him back his stripes if hie promices to be nicer to the other zebras.
Though, I don't know if this is a good plot. My teacher says that it's good plot for children of that age. I asked my sisters, and they didn't give me a comment. They're going on 10 and 12, and don't really like reading all too much. I'm the only one in my family who likes to read and write, so it doesn't help me all too much to ask them.
Well, anyway, thanks for the help, and maybe can you tell me if that's a good plot for children?
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~VGT~
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Post by kanshu on May 20, 2005 10:30:39 GMT -5
I think the idea is good. You could add in an element along the line of 'Beauty and the Beast', that the Zebra first has to show proper behaviour before it gets back the stripes... Maybe that it does a lot of good for quite awhile, and still doesn't get the stripes back, and then when it has almost given up, it gets the stripes back. Of course, that would probably be way too long to write anyway.
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Post by cesmith on May 20, 2005 16:02:47 GMT -5
I like the idea too. It's always nice to have a gentle moral in the story. Kids this age need all the help they can get to be nice to each other. You could do the idea that for each good deed, or word of kindness the zebra does/says, he will be rewarded with a stripe. Good luck with your project.
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Post by Terra Fire on May 24, 2005 8:07:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the help guys, but can I ask for another favor? I wrote the story but I don't know how good it is for children. I'm not good at writing children stories. So can someone read this over and tell me if it's alright for children?
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How the Zebra Lost His Stripes
There once was a young zebra with beautiful stripes. He showed his stripes off to all the other zebras, and said that he was better then the rest of them.
“My stripes are better then yours,” he said to all the other zebras in the zoo. They all put their heads down in shame; they thought that they weren’t beautiful at all.
Then one day, as the young zebra was making all the others feel bad, his stripes started to fall off. They fell right on the ground and disappeared.
Now, all the other zebras were making fun of him and saying that they were better then him, because they had stripes and he didn’t have any at all.
“We have stripes and you don’t,” the other zebras mocked, as the sad, strip less zebra laid down in the corner away from the others.
That night, when all the zebras were sleeping, a flying alligator fairy flew down and woke the young zebra.
“Young zebra, why have you lost your stripes?” she asked with a kind voice.
“I was making fun of the other zebras and my stripes fall off,” the young zebra said sadly.
“Have you learned your lesson?” the alligator fairy asked.
“Yes, I shouldn’t make fun of others because they don’t look like me,” the young zebra said.
“Then I shall give you your stripes back, if you promise to be nice to the others from now on.”<br> “I promise,” the young zebra pleaded. The alligator fairy waved her wand and the young zebra’s stripes came back.
The next morning, the young zebra awoke and started playing with the other zebras. He never said that he was more beautiful then the others ever again.
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Post by Blood_Debt on May 24, 2005 8:38:22 GMT -5
Uh - well, I find it a little strange that an alligator is the fairy godmother, as they are always the 'bad' animals that chew up the others (Just So Stories, etc.) Perhaps another mammal that is more 'cuddly' would be more suitable. Just my two point five cents.
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Post by kanshu on May 24, 2005 8:45:08 GMT -5
Both sentence say the same... Mmm... So the message is: It's okay if others make fun of you because of the way you look, but it's not okay if you make fun of others? How comes the Zebra makes the connection between the stripes and his behaviour? Thoughts: The story if very straight forward, but extremly cut off in the descriptive element. Explain a bit about the alligator fairy (cute idea, btw), and I'm certain that some of kids will wonder if it hurt when the stripes fell off. The other thing is the emotions you use. For example: While you write that the zebra's sad, it's not clear why is it sad. Because it lost its stripes? Because it was mocked? Think about the message you want to get across, i.e. if you want to take real life things as accidents or illness into account (which I guess would make a 'mirror' for the lost beauty). Basically, I'd say, write with your heart on your sleeve. Children tend to feel strongly for the protagonists, especially if you can make them like the zebra (something that connects the zebra to the kids, maybe?). Outside of those small things, I think it's a good story.
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Post by Terra Fire on May 24, 2005 10:55:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the help OptiMoose, I really need it. Thanks for pointing that out for me. See, I can't really get in the head of a child. So I can't assume that they know what's going on. I have to say everything out forward, is what you're trying to say? I think that I have to elaborate more on the zebra losing his stripes and why.
Though, it's the time issue here that I have to worry about. Including this, I have three major projects that are all due on 05/26. If I don't get them in, I don't graduate. The thing is I can't keep going back and editing it, even if I don't like how it comes out. I still don't like this, but I have no choice.
Well, anyway. Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.
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~VGT~
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Post by narrizan on Jun 18, 2005 22:17:43 GMT -5
hey I've just read this story to my six year old and she liked it...she said it's a bit like "the sneetches" story by dr seuss...there you go a kid's point of view...and kids are honest....so you did good.
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