Final Task for 2009

You have learnt a lot on Junior Wordvoodoo this year - and your writing has come on in leaps and bounds.

You have produced plenty of powerful poems and some special stories too - and, most importantly, you have been given lots of terrific tips by your moderators too.

Your final task of 2009 is another piece of prose fiction - but, this time, ALL of you are going to:

• follow all the rules you are set
• check your work carefully for spelling and punctuation errors
• show off what you can do by producing the very best writing you can

Instead of a title this time, I am going to give you your BEGINNING and your ENDING; your job is to write the rest in between.

Look back at Task 5 and Task 6 to remind yourself what makes a really good piece of prose fiction.

Look back at the comments you received (and the comments others received too) to remind yourself how your writing can be made even better.

Then you should be ready to plan, draft and, finally, write your finished piece. Your story MUST begin:

• I woke with a start as the car door slammed shut.

(Or, if you prefer the present tense, you could begin:

• I wake with a start as the car door slams shut.)

Your story MUST end:

• But something told me they were going to come for me eventually anyway.

(Or, if you chose to write in the present tense, you could end:

• But something tells me they are going to come for me eventually anyway.)

Also, if you would prefer to write in the 3rd person (i.e. HE/SHE woke with a start...), that is fine too.

Your story MUST be between 250 and 300 words in length (no more, no less).

Good luck! Now go write something AMAZING! :)

Your deadline is 6pm on Sunday 13th December.

Task 6: Another piece of prose fiction

There was some really good writing on Task 5...

...but there was also a lot of room for improvement for many of you (and, as you know, some pupils didn't post an attempt at all).

Therefore, the most sensible choice for Task 6 is obvious: you need to write ANOTHER piece of prose fiction, following the same rules and recommendations as Task 5 - just with a new title...and EVEN better writing!

Please make sure you follow these instructions VERY carefully, ensuring you complete EACH part:

1. Read again carefully through Task 5 itself. Click HERE to go straight there. Make sure you think carefully about what I said I was looking for.
2. Now read again your own attempt (if you did one) - and, most importantly, the comments you received. Make sure you are crystal clear what you did well, and what could have been done differently. How could you improve on it next time?
3. Next read ALL the other attempts at Task 5 - and, again, most importantly, ALL the comments they received. Try and get a clear picture of what suggestions the OTHER moderators were giving: how could the OTHER pupils have improved their writing too?
4. Once you have completed Steps 1-3, now you should be able to make a list - perhaps on a piece of paper - of all the things you need to remember when writing your Task 6: all the things you need to do to make your next piece of writing as AMAZING as possible.
5. Finally, choose one of the following titles and plan carefully what you are going to write this time. Once you have got some ideas, you can write a first draft of your story - again, around 200-300 words.
6. NOW you can check through your work to make sure it a) does EVERYTHING your moderators and I have asked for; and b) is totally accurate as well, in terms of spelling, punctuation and grammar. THEN you are ready to post it on the blog.

Your four titles from which to choose are:

• A Difficult Journey
• Up All Night
• The Locked Door
• A New Beginning

Your deadline is 6pm on Saturday 31st October. That means you've got 2 weeks for this one; but that DOESN'T mean you should leave it until the last minute!

Good luck!

englishguru

Task 5: Your first FICTION task

A student trying out their skills in a writing workshop at this summer's wordvoodoo 'residential'

For the next few tasks, we are going to take a break from poetry, and see what you can do instead with PROSE FICTION.

PROSE = any writing which is not a poem
FICTION = writing where the content is 'made up' or imagined (as opposed to Non Fiction, which is 'real life' or factual)

As usual, I will give you some guidelines - and some targets to aim for (see below). BUT the main purpose of Task 5 will be for us to see what you can do already.

So Task 5 is, if you like, a chance for you to show off what a GREAT story writer you are. Once we have seen what you are all good at - and what you all need to improve - I will use the next tasks to focus on some specific techniques.

In the meantime, here are some things you should bear in mind when writing your story for Task 5:

• You do not HAVE to start a story by 'setting the scene' (e.g. Once upon a time... OR There once lived... etc.). Some of the BEST stories throw us IMMEDIATELY into the action - perhaps in the middle of an event or a conversation.
• The best stories make us WANT to keep reading. They build up some TENSION and SUSPENSE so we are desperate to find out what happens next, and, above all, what is going to happen in the end. So keep us guessing a bit?
  
• Although stories are NOT poetry, that doesn't mean they shouldn't be 'poetic'. We all use techniques like metaphors, similes, alliteration etc. in our poems - but the best stories use these techniques too.
• People have been writing stories for centuries - for millennia even. So the challenge for all modern storywriters like you and me is still to manage to be different. Whether it is in WHAT happens or HOW you describe it, how will you make sure you are ORIGINAL?
• Finally, just like poems, the best stories are the end result of lots of drafts. They are the final, finished product: the BEST you can do, with no errors (careless or otherwise) and showing yourself off to the max!

Now this is a lot to remember:

• An amazing OPENING
• TENSION and SUSPENSE
• POETIC language (see above)
  
• ORIGINALITY
• a 'POLISHED' final draft

Let's just see what you can do. :)

Your story should be between 200 and 300 words (this is just a guide; PLEASE don't count each word as you go!)

Please choose from ONE of the following titles:

1. A Wrong Turn
2. An Unusual Visitor
3. A Waiting Game
4. A Strange Adventure

Good luck!

Your deadline is 6pm on Sunday 20th September. However, especially because some of you will be celebrating EID on Sunday, do NOT leave this task until the last minute!

Task 4: My example

When I was young the snow fell every year
And summers sweltered, scorching each July.
A hug from mum could swallow up my fear;
And happiness was lemon meringue pie.

Now I am old the seasons hide their face:
We have to flee abroad for snow or sun.
I cannot stifle fear with an embrace -
(But lemon meringue pie is still quite fun!)

Task 4: Now and then - a HOLIDAY task

WELL DONE on your Haikus - what an amazing collection of poetry you have produced between you! I could not be more PROUD of what you have achieved - and I hope you, your schools and your families are equally proud of you too. :)

Now it's almost time for the next Junior Wordvoodoo task.

First, a word or two on the difference between RULES and STYLE...

In all your wordvoodoo tasks, there will be a handful of RULES which I expect you to follow. These are IMPORTANT and are there for a REASON - and you MUST follow them all.

But that is not where the FUN happens. The JOY of wordvoodoo is in what you might call STYLE. Whilst following the rules, what can you do with LANGUAGE to have the most POWERFUL effect on your READER?

Following the RULES shows that you have read the task properly and followed the instructions carefully. Giving your poem some STYLE shows that you are a true poet, a creative mind which likes to have fun with words - not only their meanings but also the way they sound.

In Tasks 1-3, you have been learning a number of skills. You have LEARNT how to:

1. Create and use fun and original SIMILES.
2. Build and develop exciting and fresh METAPHORS.
3. Play and experiment with the number of SYLLABLES in a line.
4. Escape and avoid the RHYME TRAP.

...and much, much more.

These are ESSENTIAL poetic skills - and one of the best ways to make sure you don't forget them is to carry on using them! Which is what you will be doing with Task 4...

Task 4: The RULES

1. Write a poem which COMPARES what you used to be like with what you are like now.
2. Your poem should consist of TWO STANZAS (or verses) - and each stanza should be FOUR LINES long.
   
3. Your FIRST stanza should be about what you used to be like, and should begin: "When I was young..."
   
4. Your SECOND stanza should be about what you are like now, and should begin: "Now I am nine..." (or "Now I am eight..." or "Now I am ten...")
5. Every line of your poem should be exactly 10 SYLLABLES long.
6. Your poem should RHYME as follows: Lines 1 and 3; Lines 2 and 4; Lines 5 and 7; and Lines 6 and 8. (And make sure you avoid the RHYME TRAP!)

Task 4: The STYLE

Want to make your poem out of this world? Head for MARS:

• M is for METAPHORS: the king of poetic techniques, an original and effective metaphor or two can mean the difference between ordinary and EXTRAORDINARY poetry.
• A is for ALLITERATION: the best poetry blows our mind because of the way it SOUNDS, and alliteration is one of the most efficient ways to play around with the sound of your poem.
• R is for RHYTHM: read your poem out loud - can you feel the rhythm of each line? Some of the best poems almost sound like there is a beat tapping within them.
• S is for SYNONYMS: the wider your vocabulary, the better your chances of finding the RIGHT word for the emotion or idea you are trying to get across. So don't settle for the first word that comes into your head: use a thesaurus and find a more effective synonym instead.

There you go: MARS. The place to go for the best Junior Wordvoodoo poetry.

* * * * * *

Right...

You know the RULES - so please make sure you follow them all.

You know how to give your poem some STYLE - so don't hold back.

Finally, remember this is a FOUR WEEK task - so there is no hurry to rush something on to the page. Take your time - draft and redraft - and only post when you believe you have produced the very BEST poem of which you are capable.

The deadline for this task is 6pm on Saturday 15th August.

Good luck - and watch out for my own attempt in a little while...

englishguru

Task 3: A Haiku a day...

Well done on your excellent work for Task 2. Very impressive!

Please read this week's task very carefully, so that you do EXACTLY what I ask you to do...

A syllable is a part of a word pronounced separately. Sometimes, you can count the syllables in a word by clapping your hands each time you make a new syllable. For example, the word "syllable" has 3 syllables: syl-la-ble.

HAIKU (pronounced "hi-koo") is a traditional form of Japanese poetry - but it can work well in the English language too. A haiku consists of only 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables; the second line has 7; and the third line has 5.

Here is an example of a haiku:

The Frog

Green and speckled legs
Hop on logs and lily pads,
Splash in cool water.

See how the poem obeys the syllable rules I mentioned earlier.

Here is another way to remember the 'syllable rule' for Haikus:

I am first with five,
Then seven in the middle;
Five again to end.

Have a look at some haikus written by some other children from around the country by clicking here. See if you can work out which of them has actually followed the rules correctly. Are there any you think are particularly good?

Writing a bad, boring, hurried haiku is EASY. But writing a GOOD haiku is very difficult indeed.

Read this haiku by the wonderful poet, Roger McGough:

The only problem
with haiku is that you just
get started and then...

Not as easy at it seems, is it?

How about this one though?

When I write haiku
I feel like a bird soaring
On high looking down.

Want to write a really good haiku - one that blows your moderators' minds??? Here are some tips:

1. Have fun with language - especially the way it sounds. For example, some alliteration is great! Read your haiku aloud as you write it. Do you like the way it sounds?
   
2. Think HARD about the words you use; don't use the first words that come into your head. Be original - and experiment with new words, or new ways of using the ones you already know.
   
3. Use the shortness of haiku to concentrate on what the topic is actually all about - kind of like holding a poetic magnifying glass to the topic. What are its most important qualities? What does it really mean to you? Think hard about this before you start writing.
   
4. Expert haiku writers often have a slight change after Line 2. It might be just a change of 'mood' (e.g. happy to sad); a change of 'tone' (e.g. positive to negative); or even a change of pace (e.g. fast to slow)
   

OK. Are you 100% clear now on what makes a really good haiku? Do you understand all of the rules? And, more importantly, what turns an OK haiku into an AMAZING one?

Good. :)

Here is your task for this week then:

You need to write 7 haikus. You could choose to draft one each day, or do them all in one go. But, either way, please make sure you upload them as ONE post, all together.

Your haikus should be on the following 7 topics (which can also be their titles):

1. Our Planet
   
2. Growing Up
3. War
4. Summer
5. Family
6. School
7. Fear

Right: NOW read through this task again several times. ONLY when you COMPLETELY understand ALL of it should you even THINK about starting to plan your writing; and ONLY when you have PLANNED your writing in DETAIL should you even BEGIN to draft your poems; and ONLY when you have DRAFTED and RE-DRAFTED your poems SEVERAL times should you settle on your FINAL version; and ONLY when you have settled on your FINAL versions should you POST your task.

In other words... TAKE YOUR TIME!!!

Good luck.

The deadline for this task is 6pm on Saturday 11th July 2009.

The Reader of this Poem (An example)

The reader of this poem
Is as old as a leaning oak
Wiser than a learned owl
Funnier than your favourite joke

As tired as a weary sloth
More complex than a code
Stranger than a foreign tongue
As grumpy as a toad

As shy as every hiding snail
More stubborn than a teenage girl
As selfish as a preening cat
As precious as a pearl

The reader of this poem
Is opposites rolled into one
He's never sure quite what he is
He's finished - and he's just begun.

Task 2: A Simile Poem

Task 2 is in TWO PARTS - so please make sure you complete both of them!

Part One

In order to show your moderators each fortnight that you are definitely learning from and taking on board their comments, I would like each task from now on to begin with a REDRAFT of the previous task.

This week, therefore, I would like you to read:

• your own Task 1 metaphor poem again several times;
• your moderators' comments again several times (and ask them to explain them further if you don't know what they mean);
• every other Task 1 poem by the other pupils (and their comments too).

Then I would like you to REDRAFT your own poem. (You should do so as a NEW POST - and your title can be the same as before, but with the word "redraft" in brackets after it.) Redrafting is when you REWRITE a piece of writing to IMPROVE it - getting rid of bits that didn't work so well; changing bits that weren't quite right; and developing bits that could have gone further.

Some of you might choose to start from scratch, and attempt a totally new Metaphor Poem - especially those of you who didn't manage to follow the rules first time around. Others of you - especially those of you who have managed most or all of the rules already - might just want to tinker with what you wrote, changing it here and there to improve it in line with what your moderators said. This is SO important. Without this redrafting, it will be HARD to ensure you continue to improve; and EASY to end up learning very little from each task.

Part Two

Last week we worked on metaphors. This week we will work on similes.

A simile is another way of describing something - but this time, you do so by saying it is LIKE something else. Anything which compares something to something else (usually using the words "like" or "as") is a simile.

Why not click here, here or here to try out some exercises which will help you to learn even more about using similes in an interesting and effective way.

Now have a look at this wonderful poem by Roger McGough. It is full of similes!

The Writer of this Poem

The writer of this poem
Is taller than a tree
As keen as the North wind
As handsome as can be

As bold as a boxing-glove
As sharp as a nib
As strong as scaffolding
As tricky as a fib

As smooth as a lolly-ice
As quick as a lick
As clean as a chemist-shop
As clever as a tick

The writer of this poem
Never ceases to amaze
He’s one in a million billion
(or so the poem says!)

Roger McGough

Your task this week is to write your own poem entitled, "The Reader of this Poem". And I would like you to follow these rules:

1. Like McGough's poem, your poem should have FOUR STANZAS (stanza is the proper word for 'verse'); each stanza should have four lines. N.B. Your lines should be a similar length, just to ensure the poem 'flows' properly.
   
2. Each stanza should rhyme Line 2 with Line 4; Lines 1 and 3 do not need to rhyme. N.B. Make sure you avoid the rhyme trap!
3. Your first stanza should begin: "The reader of this poem..."; then the rest of the 1st stanza and the whole of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas should consist of a different simile on each line.
4. Your final stanza should also begin: "The reader of this poem..." - but you can finish it off how you like. Have fun doing so (but make sure it is still four lines of similar length, and that it also rhymes like the others).
   

And remember:

• Your similes can begin with LIKE or AS (or even ___ER THAN) - or a mixture of all three.
• Your similes should be as original and unique as possible.
• Your similes should aim to be both simple (so they make sense) but also complex (so they contain a deeper meaning).

Have fun - and good luck!!! Your deadline is 6pm on Saturday 27th June.

Remember: if you are stuck, have a look at my own attempt which I shall post shortly. And if you are STILL stuck, ask your teacher or parent to explain the task to you again (just make sure that your poem itself is ALL your own work!).

englishguru

Well done on Task 1!

Well done on such fantastic writing for Task 1.

Your metaphor poems were wonderful - and full of such creativity and originality I often couldn't believe they were written by such young writers. Congratulations!

The best poems were those which followed EVERY rule I set in the task itself, but ALSO managed to take some risks with language and rhyme too. Like all the best art (poetry, music, paintings...), the most wonderful work often comes out of the STRUGGLE to wrestle with rules and guidelines without ending up being ordinary as a result.

You MUST read your moderators' comments carefully. They are FULL of useful nuggets of advice and guidance which will help make your writing even better every time you post. You might also want to read the comments written about some of the other pupils' work; in fact, if you are REALLY keen, you would do well to read EVERY other post AND its comments - as this way you are likely to make massive progress and improvements yourself EVERY fortnight.

You are also welcome to respond to your moderators' comments with a comment of your own. Perhaps you would like to thank them for what they wrote; or explain something they didn't understand? Maybe you could ask them to expand on one of their suggestions; or give you some more examples of how you could do things differently? Whatever you do, your moderators would, I am sure, be delighted to discuss your work with you further - and the comments tool is the perfect way for this to happen.

Now on to Task 2...

My World

My world is a labyrinth
It's easy to get lost.
My world is a lawn in winter
Glazed with glassy frost.
My world is a juggernaut
Hurtling down the road.
And at times my world is dynamite
Waiting to explode.

Task 1: Metaphor Poem

To complete this task, you will first need to visit one of the most wonderful sites on the web: The Children's Poetry Archive.

It is an amazing website where you can read - and even listen to - some of the best poetry around for children of all ages, and is well worth a visit. Click here to go to the site.

You will also need to understand what a METAPHOR is. Unlike a SIMILE (which is when you describe something by saying it is LIKE something else), a METAPHOR is a way of describing something by saying that it IS something else.

To help you some more, here are some metaphors about the wordvoodoo blog:

• The blog is an ocean of words
• It is a maze with magic at the centre
• It is a blank page waiting to be written on.

Confusing? If you need some help, try some of the following:

• Ask your parents or your teacher to explain it for you
• Download the two excellent worksheets on this page
• Look at these examples from a Primary School in Suffolk
• Try out this 'Metaphor Quiz'

If you STILL need some help understanding what a metaphor is and how to use it, just email me.

For your task this week, you will need to look closely at a poem called Time by Valerie Bloom. Click here to read the poem. Why not have a listen to the poet reading the poem aloud too?
I love this poem for a number of reasons:

1. Like some of the best poetry around, this poem is BOTH simple AND complicated. The language is simple and easy to understand - but what the poem is saying (about life, getting old, and the passage of time) is really serious and complex.
2. I also love the way that Valerie Bloom uses such wonderful METAPHORS - and I love the way they are so original. When you write metaphors, the most important thing is to try and create ones that nobody has used before. The best writing is FRESH writing.
3. Lastly, I love the way she uses rhyme. Her second, fourth, sixth and eighth lines all rhyme - but at no point does it seem like she is trying to FORCE them to do so. I talk to students a lot about THE RHYME TRAP: this is when a poet uses a word even if it doesn't make sense or isn't what they wanted to say - just because it rhymes. Valerie Bloom doesn't do this.

YOUR FIRST TASK on Junior Wordvoodoo will be to write your own METAPHOR POEM. And there are a few rules you must follow:

1. You must decide on a title for your poem from the following choices: home; the sun; happiness; my world; or grown-ups.
2. Your poem must be 8 LINES LONG. And, like in Valerie Bloom's poem, they should all be a similar length.
3. You should then think of 4 metaphors for your chosen topic, each of which, like in Valerie Bloom's poem, should last for 2 lines.
4. Your 2nd and 4th lines should rhyme with each other; and your 6th and 8th lines should also rhyme. If you need some help with finding rhymes, click here. Just make sure you avoid that RHYME TRAP!
   

Also, as with EVERY wordvoodoo task, you need to try to:

• be as ORIGINAL as possible, saying things in new and fresh and interesting ways
• have FUN with language, taking risks with the words and phrases you use.

Shortly, I will post my own attempt at this task, just so that you can see what I am looking for. Then you have a week in which to plan, draft, write and post your own poem.

All poems MUST be posted by 6pm on Saturday 13th June 2009.

Good luck!

Welcome to Junior Wordvoodoo

Welcome to Junior Wordvoodoo!

Your journey towards amazing story and poetry writing starts here...

But, before we start, a few rules for the blog:

1. Everything you do on the blog MUST be your own work. This is the NUMBER 1 rule. Although it might be tempting to get help with the tasks - from your teacher, your parents, your friends - you MUST resist that temptation.

2. ALWAYS check your work thoroughly before you post it. Lots of children write and redraft their work in Microsoft Word first. Then, when they are completely happy that it is the BEST they can do AND has no careless mistakes - they copy and paste into BLOGGER. Why don't you do the same?

3. NEVER miss the deadline for each task. The blog can only work if EVERY child posts their work on time - and even missing the deadline by a day or two spoils the blog for EVERYONE else.

Please make sure you obey all of these rules - and we should all get along fine.

Now, how do you go about posting on the blog? Here are some simple instructions:

1. Go to www.blogger.com










2. Login with the email and password you used when you set up your BLOGGER account. This should take you to your DASHBOARD.










3. On your dashboard, there should be a list of all the blogs to which you belong. Underneath where it says 'Junior Wordvoodoo', click on the blue box which says NEW POST.










It is in this new window that you post your task. But make sure you remember:

• TITLE: Make sure you give each piece of work a title. This would either be the title of the poem or story you write.
• TOOLBAR: At the top of the window, there is a 'toolbar' which can help you 'format' your text. However, I would prefer you NOT to play around with the size and colour of what you write on the blog. So keep the layout simple please.
• LABELS: At the bottom of the window, there is a box called 'Labels for this post'. In here, you should write your BLOGGER ID (that is the name you created for yourself when you set up your account). Then, after a comma, write the Task number. For example: poemwriter, Task 1
• PUBLISH POST: When you are completely happy with your post, press PUBLISH POST and it will appear on the blog for everyone to see. If you want to save it first and come back to it, just click SAVE NOW - and it will still be there for you next time you log in.

I hope this gives you all the information you need to make your first post - now you just need to read the first TASK and give it your best shot.

If any of you have any questions at all, just EMAIL me and I will always reply very quickly.

Mr Savage