Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Slice of Life - Teachers Write!

    I love participating in Slice of Life, started by Two Writing Teachers and writing a story, reflection, or musing at least once a week.




     It is also time for Teachers Write! founded by Kate Messner.  Nora Raleigh Baskin hosted our Quick Write Tuesday today.  You can read her prompt and post here. This was my writing for today:

     I stood as still as I could. Sweat plastered down my fuzzy blonde curls to my neck. I cradled my Pekin duck in the crook of my arm just right – just how I learned, with my fingers threading through her legs, webbed feet dangling contentedly. She was making that crooning quacking noise. Not the full out quack of distress or happiness. Just little sweet noises, her beak barely open. She was cooperating. The judge made one more pass down the line, looking us each over. The taller boy just to my left, his Adam’s apple sticking out prominently from his skinny neck, jeans and boots dusty. A girl about my height to my right, her ponytail looking perfect and her smile radiant. She was holding a Rhode Island Red, and it was looking majestic. I sighed. Would she win? The boy to my left was having a little trouble. His rooster was getting a little restless, so he was shifting his arms, subtly, but unfortunately for him, noticeably. My hands were starting to tremble. It was taking this judge a long time to make a decision on Champion Showmanship. The trophy with the chicken on top was something I coveted for a long time. For this particular show, we had to demonstrate that we could hold any type of poultry effectively, without feathers flying and loud protesting from the chicken, duck, or goose. I had done the best I ever had before. I got this! I had years of experience, and I was tired of coming in 2nd or 3rd and just getting a ribbon. I wanted that trophy! The judge stepped back, took one last look up and down the line, and nodded to the announcer. She came up with the gleaming gold trophy, and he wrote down his choices and handed them to her. I was in a full out sweat now. Surely, at 12 years old, I deserved this. I worked hard. But…that girl and her perfect poultry beside me….
 
”Congratulations! The Champion Showmanship trophy goes to…” 
 
     I think this is my third year of participating in Teachers Write! and highly recommend it.  The writing exercises, community feedback and encouragement, and the practice you get outweighs the trepidation you may feel at making your writing public.  Consider jumping in if you haven't already!

10 comments:

  1. Holly!!! WHO WON?!?! I love the line, "The trophy with the chicken on top was something I coveted for a long time." Hahaha!! There were so many unexpected elements in this piece...I LOVED it! So happy to be Teacher Writing with you! :)

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  2. No, don't leave us hanging...
    I think in my next Blessen book she is going to show her hen. I made need a consultation.
    I also combined Teachers Write with my SOL today. I've decided I have to write first, then read. Otherwise, I will not write.

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  3. Arghhh...who won??!! This read like a picture book, Holly - you did such a wonderful job of getting into the head of that 12 year old.

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  4. EEK! Who won? You built up the suspense so well!

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  5. You all made me smile. She (I) won! :-) Margaret- if I ever write a middle grade book, it will be based off the country experiences I had. Those years of showing poultry in 4-H were so much fun. Tara - a picture book is something I'd love to write, too! :-) I love picture books so much. Michelle - it seems ridiculous now to have wanted that chicken trophy, but boy did I! :-)

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    1. Yay! Take out "If I ever write..." and change it to "When I write..." Did you join the writing groups through Two Writing Teachers? If not, or even if you do have a group, would you consider working together?

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    2. I haven't joined that. And YES, I'd love to work together!!

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  6. What! You didn't finish. I think a beautiful picture book about this is surely in the works. When I visited a farm with students last year, one of the biggest pleasures for them was learning how to catch & hold a chicken, calming it. Your description is great, Holly, built to the suspenseful end (turn the page).

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  7. Beautiful piece! I've never held a chicken and not sure I want to, but I respect any one who can! My 4-H experiences include sewing and baking chocolate chip cookies. There's a slice for a future Tuesday! I was a city 4-Her. No farm animals for me.

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  8. Holly, I love the way you wove the story together and then the reader hanging. A first rate cliff hanger. Great job!

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