From: "Fable, Thy name is Legion" Subject: EXERCISE: Christmas Bells Comments: To: Go and write again! Just a short list of notions that you might use to avoid growing morose around the inlaws, outlaws, and other grotesques of the season... 1. Who are these people? Imagine you are writing a character sketch for your old chum tink, and provide enough details to make these people come to life. Don't forget, tink doesn't know them even if you do! 2. The perfect gift... Imagine that through the magic of the season, a box containing exactly the right gift for each person has been hidden amongst the others. What is in there--and what does it do to the person? (You may use stockings, life situations, concrete emotions, and other personifications as needed, but make sure it is exactly the perfect gift, something straight out of the fables and myths if needed)... Think about writing this up, too! 3. The guest who didn't come. In certain traditions, an empty chair is left for another guest. Let your imagination go, and tell us about the guest(s) who didn't come to the party--but should have! If you prefer, you may do the variation of having that guest walk in! 4. The Alien Anthropologist. Having landed her saucer in the back woods, she observes the strange rites being participated in. What does she make of the backslapping, handshaking, destruction of decorated paper, and other little oddities? What does she report to her students about the curious natives? 5. Details, details, details... sing a song, make a snow angel, watch that old movie--but do it with your writing eyes open! again, you want to write a description of this little piece with all the senses open (how does a song smell? what do you hear when you are singing at full offkey? did you taste something when you sat your bare buns down in the snow? what precisely is the sparkle in the child's eyes when they come down at 5:30 a.m. Christmas morning--and the shuffle in your feet? What is the Obi Wan Cafe doing in the beginning of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"?) 6. (extra credit!) Tell your family about writing! Ask them what writers they like, books they remember, poetry that they really love...you may be surprised at the responses!!! You can even do a reading, or a round robin, or...help a kid write something, and see the world through their eyes... so I expect to see writing... and have a great vacation! tink