Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Coming soon

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be creating a series of videos about writing! Why? For a lot of different reasons but primarily because it will be fun!

The first video will be a legend my students are familiar with. For the last seven years, they have been able to participate in a story-telling adventure with "The Legend of Devil's Racetrack Road." (This road runs through the eastern portion of my county.) The video will be titled "The Legend of Devil's Racetrack, Part I." What I've never told my students I'll reveal to you now:

I made it up.

Yes, for seven years I have fooled Cub Scouts, Webelos, Girl Scouts, and countless third graders with this tale of "old". Seven years ago I was taking my son to Webelos camp, and I knew I needed a new legend to tell at the campfire. I had been "elected" official tale-master when he started scouts, and the boys had a few favorites I told every camping trip. But what could I do differently, I wondered...and then I turned onto Devil's Racetrack Road. Hmmm. Inspiration struck and the legend was born!

The funniest part is the number of students who tell me they have "read" the legend in a book, or the ones who swear they have "seen the hand" (watch the video and you will know what I mean). You have to love their enthusiasm for a story that isn't true!

Now why will this be a part one video? Because part two will reveal my thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on how to create a legend! Think of it as a step-by-step guide to believability, or quasi-believability. If the response to this one is good, I might even record the second legend I created for the next summer's camping trip: "The Legend of Lizard Lick." (And it has NOTHING to do with a tow truck company.)

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