December: "Winter"

DECEMBER: WINTER
THIS MONTH'S THEME IS "WINTER".



The December WINTER theme may inspire a variety of writing topics including:
Christmas: The Nativity story, Holly, Christmas trees, Poinsettias, presents, Carol singing, Father Christmas, elves, Lap Land, North Pole, Rudolph, baubles, tinsel, family gatherings, parties, Christmas cake/pudding, turkey dinner, roast chestnuts............Winter sports/activities: skiing, snowboarding, ice-hockey, ice skating, sledging, snow ball fights, making snowmen, splashing in puddles..........Weather/Settings/Descriptions: Snow, ice, rain, frost, fog, stormy nights, short days and long nights, muddy boots, wet clothes, winter landscapes (eg. Tree boughs heavy with snow & frost covered ground), the effects of wintery settings, winter colours (red, green, gold, silver, blue & white) and winter clothing (scarfs, gloves, mittens, coats, hats, boots, woolly jumpers), open fires...........................
I'M SURE YOU CAN THINK OF MANY MORE IDEAS!
CHECK OUT THE BLOG POSTS (BELOW), RECOMMENDED READING (RIGHT) AND OUR OTHER PAGES FOR INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION (LINKS ON RIGHT).

WINTER

Winter is a season that can conjure up images such as: log fires; snow; short days and long dark nights; hibernation; woolly jumpers; Christmas; cold hands and feet; frost covered surroundings; stormy weather and muddy boots. (You can find more ideas in the list above).

Winter is a season that invites writing full of detailed descriptions and atmospheric settings. The wintry weather can transform surroundings or places. For instance a spooky castle looks scarier in the stormy cold dark than it would in the bright warm sunshine. Similarly, a snow covered landscape can offer a nostalgic Christmas setting.

Try writing within a wintry setting. Consider how your characters, plot and action may be affected by the weather and long nights.

What do you like about winter? What do you dislike about winter? For instance you may like the fact Christmas is in winter and perhaps you like snuggling in front of a warm fire. However, you may dislike painfully cold fingers, shorter days and wet socks!

Certain activities are winter based such as sledging, skiing and snowball fights. You could write about winter activities and sports you or a fictional character enjoys/dislikes. Maybe an adventure or an accident happens whilst skiing.

If you celebrate Christmas then there is a multitude of things happening at this time of year: parties, carol singing, school Nativity play, Christmas fetes, church visits, crafts, present shopping/wrapping, decorating the house and tree.

In addition to writing stories, poems and jokes - you could write a review of a book that uses this winter theme or compose your own Christmas song. Your writing could take a variety of forms - the choice is yours!

We look forward to reading your "winter" writing.

NOVEMBER: "HISTORY, MYTHS & LEGENDS"

'HISTORY, MYTHS AND LEGENDS'!


'History, Myths and Legends' is a wide theme that offers opportunity and inspiration to write about many different people, creatures, places, objects and events.

Examples are: PEOPLE: King Arthur, Robin Hood, Merlin, Queens & Kings (eg. Queen Victoria or Henry VIII), Florence Nightingale, Hercules, Aphrodite, Christopher Columbus, Romans, Tudors, Vikings, Guy Fawkes, Saints (eg. St Piran or Joan of Ark), Sporting Heroes, Musicians (eg. Mozart or the Beatles), Fairy tale characters, Inventors, Astronauts, Pirates, Miners, Aztecs, Egyptians, Cave men/women.......... CREATURES: Dragons, Elves, Fairies, Trolls, Medusa, Dinosaurs, Goblins, Griffins, Unicorns, Mermaids, Loch Ness Monster........ PLACES: Castles, Camelot, Stonehenge, Tower of London, Helman Tor, Churches, Cathedrals, Atlantis, Lanhydrock House, Fairyland, Space, Time machine, Sherwood Forest, Avalon, Caves, Pirate Ships, Long boats, Mine shafts, Pyramids.........OBJECTS: Portraits of famous people, Crown Jewels, Stone Celtic Crosses, Stained Glass Windows, Treasure chests, Diaries, Books, Dinosaur bones, Excalibur............EVENTS/TIMES: World Wars 1 and 2, Remembrance Sunday, Ice Age, Prehistoric, Discovery of America, Titanic disaster, Great Fire of London, First Man on the Moon, Space Exploration, Inventions, first aeroplane flight, Royal Coronations, Bonfire Night......................AND I am sure you can think of many more .................................
CHECK OUT THE BLOG POST (BELOW), RECOMMENDED READING (RIGHT) AND OUR OTHER PAGES FOR INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION (LINKS ON RIGHT).

"HISTORY, MYTHS & LEGENDS" is a theme with massive potential for inspirational writing. READ the examples ABOVE of people, creatures, places, objects and events to get you started.

We have thousands of years of history to gain ideas from. History is full of battles, wars, famous people, kings, queens, legends, heroes and villains.

There are hundreds of Myths and Legends full of stories about creatures such as dragons or mermaids and of heroes such as King Arthur or Florence Nightingale.

Castles, dungeons, prisons, churches and other ancient sites provide excellent backdrops for adventure, mystery, learning and action. Accounts of the Romans, Vikings and Egyptians offer descriptions full colour and action.

There are many ancient historical or mythical objects that can inspire writing such as King Arthur's sword 'Excalibur' and the Crown Jewels locked up safely in London. Similarly, stories are full of hunts for treasure chest and objects with magical powers.

You could write about your favourite time or person in History. Or you could write about your own personal history. Perhaps you could travel back in your own time machine.

If you like mythical creatures, legends or fairy tales then you could write your own story, reinvent an old story or write a review of a well known tale. Another idea would be to create your own creature, hero or monster.

What type of writing?? ANY!! For example: fiction (your own made up creation) or factual; poems; songs; stories; ;book reviews; plays or scripts; TV, film or theatre reviews; diary entries; personal accounts and character creations.

Send your writing to bodminbookworm@aol.com remembering to include your name, age, class and school. If you need any further help check out the 'HIT' 'Information' and 'Extra' pages.

OCTOBER - "ALL THINGS SCARY"

The theme for October is 'All Things Scary'.

Below are questions and ideas to help inspire you:
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What do you find scary and why? Write and tell us.
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What does the character in your story find frightening?
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What scary event has happened to you? Write about your real life experience.
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Where have you visited that has terrified you? Describe the place and why it was frightening.
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What spooky books have you read or films have you watched? Have you been to the theatre or heard some music that was a little scary? Perhaps you could write us a review and tell us what you liked/disliked about them.
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Try writing a factual report. For example: information on spiders/sharks/school bullies; or perhaps details of a visit to somewhere a bit spooky like Bodmin Jail.
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In many stories characters have a phobia or fear that they must overcome in order to succeed in their quest. For instance Indiana Jones must overcome his fear of snakes because his adventures take him into old tombs & jungles that are naturally filled with creepy crawlies and snakes. Try writing a story where your character has to overcome their fear of something. Or tell us how you have faced one of your own fears.
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Try creating/designing a scary monster or character, considering: What does your character look like? What makes your character frightening? Are they a mean and nasty character? What does your character do? What does your character eat? ...........
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I am sure you can think of lots more ideas and things to write. Please share your ideas and writing by emailing them to bodminbookworm@aol.com .

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NEW ON ....HIT - Hint. Inspiration.Tips.

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Check out the HIT (Hints Inspiration Tips) page where poet/writer/teacher Moira Andrew has shared one of her poems to help inspire us with our Holiday and All Things Scary writing themes.

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SEPTEMBER - HOLIDAYS

SEPTEMBER 2008 – ‘HOLIDAYS’

Holidays offer a setting for: adventure; forming new friendships; travel; mystery; discovery; new experiences and fun!
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Of course holidays don’t always go to plan! Mishaps can include: lost luggage; swapped/wrong luggage; missing transport and breakdowns; family arguments; sibling rivalry; dangerous animals and hideous locations.
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When writing about a holiday (your own, fictional or fantasy) consider the following (answer questions either as yourself or as your fictional character):

· Which holiday is your favourite, and why? Which holiday did you dislike?
· What would be your dream or fantasy holiday? Where would you like to go? What would you like to do?
· Which foods remind you of holidays? What are your favourite holiday foods? What holiday food did you dislike?
· Holiday music – what music reminds you of your holidays? What music did you listen to? What music did you dance/sing to?
· Who did you meet on your holidays? Who did you meet that was interesting, strange or unusual? What friendships have you made on holiday?
· Where did you visit? What excursions did you go on? Which museums, historic sites or theme parks did you visit?
· Who was on holiday with you? Who would you like to go on holiday with?
· How did you get to your destination? What mode of transport did you use? Was it a long, short or eventful travel experience?
· What activities do you like to do on holiday?

Send your ‘Holiday’ themed writing to bodminbookworm@aol.com.

Visit the Bodmin Bookworm Information and HIT site for guidelines and inspiration.