My daughter doesn't like to write as much as I do. We share a lot of things, but enjoyment of the writing experience isn't one of them. She's been popping in here, the last few minutes, asking me to critique a writeup she's doing on a book. The book happens to be Cinderella, and its obvious to her that I think she's way-underpowering on this, both the selection of the book and the writeup. Just for grins, I wrote the following and said 'Try this'.
Cinderella. Everybody knows her story. Poor little girl, tough stepmother, evil stepsisters. Godmother, coach, ball, midnight, shoe, happily every after. Yadda yadda yadda. But do you really know Cinderella? Do you know what her nickname was, before she was called that? Do you know how the pumpkin actually got turned into a coach, or, for that matter, what the lizards had to do with it? Or why her father never stuck up for her? How about the stepmother's name, or what the coach seat felt like, or whether it really even was glass in that slipper? Do you? Do you know?
You don't know Cinderella -- at all.
She nodded, smiled, and left. And, of course, blew it off. (sigh)
2 comments:
I suck at writing, so coming from that viewpoint .. I think you little write up is great! Cool perspective!
However .. I have to admit I haven't a clue where the lizards come into play. Time to dig out our copy of Cinderella.
I bet your daughter will age into writing quite nicely. I remember hating book report time too.
Me, too. My book reports always started with 'The book xxxxxx is one of my favorite books' and ended with 'This is why xxxxx is one of my favorite books'. Considering that I aced a seminar in college that called for substantial writing, I guess I did okay.
The lizards are not, apparently, in every version of the story.
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