Help Needed w/Assignment 5b (

[yaya]

Jan,

     Thank you for a very thorough answer.  I think I understand, but just to be clear, I'd like to go over it a little.  K?
     In Assignment 5b, I will be writing from inside the young person's head.  By doing that, though, I'm not supposed to say that I (the child) feel sad about the lost basketball game.  Instead, I'm supposed to express my feelings through my actions, right?
     Or, do I have that all wrong and what I'm actually supposed to do is 'Be' the child and become that personality?  I can see that the difference would be in 'Knowing what the child is like', in the first instance and 'Completely being the character', in the second instance.
     Then, in Assignment 6, if I come back and am a different child, but I write a fully believable and lovable, hateable, wanna' knock his head against a wall or completely share my life with her in it, that is what the lesson is seeking?  Or, if I am the same child that I wrote about in Assignment 5b, but I still present this completely human person whom the instructor can fully accept is real, then that is the purpose of the assignment?

Joany

[yaya]

Joany,

It took me a while to do lesson 5.  Mostly, it's because I'm not around kids a lot and when I was, I forgot to observe them for the assignment.  Once I did it, I think it turned out well.  

Dani

Dani,

     Thank you.  You have not frightened me about Lesson 5.  Actually, I just wanted to understand it better and that seemed like a fun way to approach it.  ""  In fact, it takes me awhile to do each of the assignments and I pretty much figured that everyone was the same way.  heh, heh

     It is difficult when you are not around young people and your purpose is to write for young people.  I'm sure that your assignment turned out well, as you have shown the ability and talent for expressing yourself very capably.  I have no doubts that you were able to fulfill the instructions without a hitch.  And actually, I'm so thankful that you asked this question 'cause I have seen reference to Assignment 5b, before, but until your question, I didn't know how to create an inquiry that would bring more information.  Thank you, again, for posting the question.  I feel a sense of fear in each of the lessons as I get closer to my turn to do them, but that's just me.  "Fear of failure."  Big, BIG fear, apparently.  But NOT so much that I have chosen NOT to take this path.  ""  I just close my eyes and *plow* right in, hopeful that I won't come out looking like a complete idiot.  haha.  Just kidding.  I accept that I'll sometimes look like an idiot, but I'll get over it, given a couple hundred years or so.  tee, hee

Joany

[Dani]

Thanks Joany!

My 5a was my great niece opening her Christmas gift, a bike and helmet, I'd bought her.  I observed her timidly approach the big gift bag, then run back to her Grandpa, my brother.  It took several attempts, but curiosity got her to keep trying.  Then I observed her attempting to ride for the first time. She's almost three.  She was timid, but curious.  She speaks fairly well and I was able to use dialogue as well.

Her first verbal reaction after getting the bag open was:  "I want my hat."  I had it looped over the handlebars and Grandma (my sister-in-law) had to help her remove it.

5b was her going to a playground for the first time.  It was first person.

Lesson 6 was her first day of school.  She was afraid to go because she didn't realize, until that morning, she'd have to stay at kindergarten without Grandpa.  She eventually works through her fear because of her curiousity.

Joany, just relax.  You'll do fine. 

[Dani]

No, I hadn't thought of keeping a book of the stories I write about her.  Yes, I'm aware of your panic attacks. 

[Dani]

     I'm sure she would love them.

     I don't think they are really panic attacks and I'm sure that at some point, my confidence will grow enough that I won't get so stressed-out over submissions, anymore.  Were you ever overly-stressed by submissions?

Joany

Nope. 

[determined]

I’m currently working on assignment five…finally finished up four! (Four was hard for me) Anyway, I know in 5b I’m supposed to put myself in my character’s head and become my character, but am I supposed to give my interpretation in 5a from a child’s perspective? I observed a six-year-old that comes to play with my son, but I wrote 5a exactly from my perspective. Should I have written it from another six-year-olds perspective? I know I’m not supposed to make anything up or write what I think that child is feeling. I wrote exactly what I saw occurring, spicing up dialogue and moment to moment action, but it’s from an adult’s perspective…is that okay?

[determined]

Oh, good. Thank you, Jan! 

[Angelia Almos]

For Walmart, some of the best places are the arcade some have. Hang out near it like you are waiting for someone. Or slowly (very slowly) roll your cart through the toy and game system isles. No one has to know that you aren't looking to buy something for your own kid.

For the skating, check out the beginner lessons. I know our ice arena has those and there are always new kids coming to try it out for the first time in the beginner lessons. You might see some kids you don't know yet.

Good luck,
Angelia