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Words and pictures can work together to communicate more
powerfully than either alone.
William Albert Allard American Photogrpaher
Creative Concepts
5
What do you
do when your brain becomes oatmeal, your fingers become lead, and you watch the
cursor on your monitor blink endlessly without moving even one millimeter? Brew
another cup of coffee? Vacuum the rugs? Take the dog out for a walk? Pray for
inspiration?
“I wasn’t
born to vacuum rugs,” writes Elizabeth Guy, poet, storyteller, and co-author of
Reflect and Write. “That’s why,
when my brain turns to stone while I struggle for new ideas, I use photographs
for inspiration.”
A New Photo Every
Week
Whether
you’re a teacher, a student, an aspiring writer, a professional writer, or a
poet, you’ll discover that the photos and ideas posted here during the coming
weeks will help you overcome the dreaded “writer’s block,” while at the same
time inspiring you to create new and exciting works of prose and poetry.
Sometimes
direct quotations will accompany the photos. At other times, suggested first
lines will serve as motivation for writing. Occasionally, specific suggestions
will present challenges. From time to time, keywords will stimulate ideas.
For more
information about using photos to inspire writing, click on these links: www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/kellner/,
as well as http://ebowmanguy.blogspot.com.
Please
note: feel free to download the photos for your personal use as inspiration;
for use in classrooms or workshops; or for use in your blog with credit to Hank
Kellner and a link to hankpix-englisheducation.blogspot.com. For commercial use
please contact the author for rates.
The Amazing Adventures of Avenger Woman
This photo is supposed to show a brand new super
heroine named Avenger Woman, but it's really a photo of a section of a mural in
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Of course, you could use almost any other
similar photo if you if you want to have some fun while encouraging your
students to create fanciful compositions.
Not as well known as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, or
Cat- woman, Avenger Woman is said to be a descendant of the Aztec god
Quitzelpickelpetal. By day she is an English teacher at a high school, where
she is known as Ms. Consuela Hernandez. By night, she fights crime all over the
world, and even in outer space.
Avenger Woman's last
amazing adventure took place at a mall in Anytown, USA, where she thwarted an
attempt by the evil Doctor No-No-No to kill everyone at the mall by releasing
poison gas into it. Using her unique ability to discern what others are
thinking, Avenger Woman was able to enter the mind of her opponent and, disarm
him, and cause him to freeze in place until the police arrived.
After conducting a discussion based on superheroes
and super heroines, you could ask your students or peers to write descriptions
of Avenger Woman in which they depict the clothing she wears when she is a
teacher as contrasted to the clothing she wears as a super heroine. Students
may also discuss Avenger Woman's physical abilities, as well as any other
extraordinary super powers she has. Alternatively, aspiring writers may choose
to create original super heroines or superheroes about whom to write.
Keywords: extraordinary, superhero, champion, heroine
Suggested Opening Lines: My math teacher was
so timid the kids in my class called her Ms. Powderpuff–behind her back, of
course. Many years passed before I discovered that…
Coming Next Week
A World Without Color
And Don’t Miss…
English
teacher Mara Dukats and writer-photographer Cynthia Staples’ poems
“White and White” and “The Absence of Color.” They’re in Part Four of my
twelve-part series USING PHOTOS TO INSPIRE WRITING at http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/hank-kellner/using-poems-and-photos-to-inspire-writing-part-4/
and Anna J. Small’s writing assignment in "Viewing and Writing about Photos from Around the World"
Also, read more
about Reflect and Write in the SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL http://www.slj.com/2013/03/curriculum-connections/meeting-the-ccss-through-poetry-professional-shelf/
Two Books That Will Help to Inspire Writing
Reflect
and Write contains more than 300 poems and photos; keywords; quotations;
either “Inspiration” or “Challenge” prompts; a “Themes to Explore” section; a
“Twelve Ways to Inspire Your Students” section; a special “Internet Resources”
section, and more. This collection will help stimulate discussion that will
trigger meaningful writing at many levels.
Includes CD with photos and poems from the book.
Reflect and
Write: 300 Poems and Photos to Inspire Writing by Hank Kellner
and Elizabeth Guy , ISBN 978-1-61821-023-4, Prufrock Press, 2013, 153 pages,
$24.95. See more and order at http://www.prufrock.com/Reflect-and-Write-P1752.aspx.
Write What You See: 99 Photos
to Inspire Writing is a collection of photographs and writing prompts
designed to inspire writing. In addition to the many photos and ideas it
presents, this collection includes a section that cites “Ten Ways to Use
Reflect and Write” as well as a second section titled “How Some Teachers Use
Photos to Inspire Writing” An added bonus is a CD with photos and writing prompts.
Write What You See: 99 Photos to
Inspire Writing by Hank Kellner, Prufrock Press, 2009, ISBN
978-1-877673-83-2, 118 pages, includes CD, $24.95. See more and order at http://www.prufrock.com/Write-What-You-See-P791.aspx.
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