New direction in my use of this journal - Character Profiles

Since I can't seem to get motivated to write daily any more have decided to begin using this blog to work on character profiles.  Today I am going to work on the characters in A Pioneer Woman's Journal.  The two primary characters are of course The pioneer woman herself and her husband Barry Kirkpatrick.
Scenario:  At the beginning of the journal is a newly married woman who has come with her husband to a dry land ranch/farm in Sheridan County Nebraska in an area just north of Gordan near Camp Sheridan and the Spotted Tail Indian Reservation as well as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  The area is called Albany.  This is in an area called the Sandhills region.  The Kirkpatricks had followed the trail laid by the Scammahorn party the year before in 1883 but went on further north of the Antelope Valley where that party had settled.
Hannah Kirkpatrick:  Hannah was a sturdy young woman who stood five foot six with a classic hourglass figure and as a woman once told her somewhat impolitely the perfect hips for birthing babies.  She had long, thick red hair the color of an Irish Setter and shocking blue eyes.  Even at a distance a person could detect those bright blue eyes.  For the most part she had a gentle personality but had a quick temper which quickly abated once she had blown off steam.  She had freckles splattered across the bridge of her nose and onto her cheeks.   She was not what would be called beautiful but pretty was more descriptive.  She was well educated which was unusual for women of her day and she loved to read and write.  She managed to place several books and a writing journal in her boxes of necessities packed for her new home.  She also managed to pack a few niceties of the time in the boxes also.  These included dollies, tableclothes, and napkins.  She could also sew and had several quilts as well as bolts of cloth that were included.  She had sacrificed the family piano leaving it at her parents' home so that she could include a trundle sewing machine and collapseable quilt frame.  She also knew how to ride and shoot which was a benefit on the prairie. 
Barry Kirkpatrick:  Barry was six foot two inches tall with a slender build that belied his strength.  He had a quiet even temperment.  He was not talkative but when he spoke it was direct and to showed his quick grasp of situations.  He was also well educated for a man of the time.  He knew how to read, write, and do math.  What he most enjoyed was being out in nature.  He loved working cattle and being a part of the land.  He was not overly fond of farming and only did as much as needed to be done in order to provide extra feed for his cattle and horses and a littl profit.  He was a natural at dry land ranching/farming that was the prevailing vocation of men in the sandhills region after people began to settle the area. 

Undecided

I just don't know what I am going to continue to use this blog to record. I have lost interest in The Daily Writer. I also find that I really have trouble writing daily on a consistent basis. Today when I opened this blog all I could think about was the happenings in Madison yesterday at Discovery Middle School. One student shot another student supposedly because he was upset with the remarks the student had made about "his gang". The incident has raise some many things in my mind. As a social worker and therapist I want to know what could have led to this killing. Several people on Facebook have commented that he shooter has been in trouble before. What sort of trouble I ask and did any one grasp the scope of his possible actions. I remember another incident that left me wondering if I had missed some serious warning signs when an adolescent's actions resulted in death. The another part of my intellect tells me that know one can really grasp just what another person is capable of doing. The social worker in me also wants to know what could have been done to prevent this senseless act. I also think about the two adolescents' families. Two families have had their lives forever altered by the actions that this boy has taken. Everyone in the area has been, at least momentarily effected by this incident. I, along with others want to point fingers at the parents, at our modern culture that endorses such actions, the movies, music, and video games that promote violence. However, that only leads to more questions. I firmly believe that God has a purpose in everything that happens and maybe the only purpose is to remind us of what we as a nation, as a culture, as a world are becoming. I'm sure that evangelists would say that this is another indication of the end time. I don't know if it is or not but my heart goes out to all those whose lives have been forever altered by this action. My prayers are for the dead child's family and friends, for the the shooter's family and friends, for the parents and children of the area, and for the teachers, school officials and leaders who must now try to make sense of this and take actions to prevent it (hopefully) from happening again.

This week in the Daily Writer

Mr. White started off the week with a discussion on the topic of honesty and authenticity and assigned the writer to read through a draft of a work in progress (WIP) criticiquing it for authenticity. I had actually already been doing that with a short story/novella/novel that is the journal entries of a pioneer woman telling about her experience in early Sheridan County Nebraska. Since that was where I spent the majority of my childhood there were somethings that I already knew but was somewhat foggy on the exact dates so I went back through it after I did some research on the internet.
Monday's entry was about the fact that writers creat worlds. Some of the worlds actually exist, or existed while others are modeled after real places but are fictional and there there is the true fantasy and science fiction writings that are not real places. Mr. White suggests to make the world you are writing about more realistic you need to sit and actually visualize the setting and using words as pigments paint the scene and scenery along with other elements experienced by the senses. That is what I did when I created the novella/novel that I wrote for my NaNoWriMo assignment. I created a fictional town modelled after a real town close to where I live. Some of the features are real and others are purely fiction.
Tuesday's entry was on confession and Mr. White extolled the benefits of personal confession for writers. Wednesday's entry was about writing adventure. Not some much as relates to say an action adventure story but what the writer would see as something adventurous to them. They also need to be aware of what the character(s) they are portraying would consider an adventure.
Thursday's entry was about developing an authentic writer's voice. He shared that in trying to be natural some writers try to hard and end up sounding fake. He then gave an assignment to help the beginning writer develop an authentic writer's voice. Friday's reading had to deal with symbols and reality. He stated that "symbols codify human reality, and in a spiritual sense become reality". He also discussed how symbols "render the abstract concrete". He then assigned the task to take common household items and free-associate possible symbolic meanings.
Today's reading was about dealing with writer'sblock. He listed five types of blocks and offered suggestions to cope with each. So far the ones I have experienced the most have been: psychological blocks (my inner crictic tells me that I'm not good enough, that my writing will never amount to anything), and distraction blocks (other things in my life distract me from writing). I have also experienced at times the creativity block that stricks some, if not all writers. Unlike his particular suggestion of keeping on writing one sentence at a time, I find that if I'll put that story aside and pick up a different one that I am working on, the block on the original story ends by the time I pick it back up. That is the reason I currently have six WIPs and suggestions for about a dozen more in my composition book.
I am finding that writing daily is a real problem but I can find time one the weekend to get caught up so for awhile until my schedule slows down I will make this a weekly blog instead of a daily one.

Still can't get with it.

I am in some sort of funk or something just can not seem to get with doing any writing.

Jan. 18: The Art of Concentration

Fred White's writing for today is related to the art of concentration. Concentration meaning to think intensely about a subject, and concentration meaning thinking about the essential aspects of a subject. Concentration is something that I struggle with at times. Sometimes it is very easy to close out background noise and focus on what I am reading, writing, or working on. At other times this is difficult and I have to get rid of all distractions in order to really work on the current project. Mr. White does give an exercise that he states will increase your powers of concentration. He suggests that you spend 30 minutes thinking about and concentrating on a topic you would normally only spend 10 minutes on. He also gives a writing assignment which is meant to focus your concentration on a topic/one scene.
I have also found that if I am really into the moment and focused on writing whatever it is I am writing about then my powers of concentration are very strong. However, if I am not that focused in the moment I get into the mode of multi-tasking which I consider the worst thing that we were taught to do a few decades ago. Multitasking keeps you from being mindful/aware of the moment. It keeps us from being focused and it reduces our ability to concentrate on the topic/problem/scene we need to be focusing on.
All of that said I am now going to concentrate on something that I want to work on tonight for 30 minutes to an hour, which is 1 Corinthians chapter one. I want to begin an in-depth study of Paul's two letters to the Christians in Corinth. Someone reminded me that these two letters address how we are to treat our bodies. So, will close this to go study Corinthians.

Jan 17: Listening Holistically

It would appear that in order to stay on track with my writing and to keep the creative juices flowing I do need to write daily so this week will start a new with this journal using the Daily Writer. Today's entry as the title states is learning to listen. According to Mr. White learning to listen holistically means listening to any given issue from multiple perspectives not just one or two. He also lets us know that this is not an easy task to accomplish. Just listening can, for many of us, be a difficult task. In therapy we refer to it as actively listening which means you listen to the others in the conversation well enough that you can paraphrase what they said. Both active listening and holistic listening would mean that you would have to focus your attention on what others are saying. All to often most of us, myself included, tend to listen with the intent of formulating our response. This is particularly true if we disagree with the other person(s) in the conversation. This is when Mr. White thinks we should listen the most carefully and so do I. So I will attempt to listen more holistically.
Mr. White states in For Further Reflection, that we should ask ourselves two questions in order to improve your listening ability. How good a listener are you? How closely do you pay attention to what people say? One of his assignments is to write a short story in which you satirie characters who get into trouble because they fail to listen carefully. Won't have time for that because I still have my original four short stories that have not been completed. But I will keep it in mind and add it to the growing collection of story ideas.

January 10 - Many different readings

Today I thought I would share my thoughts from all of my daily readings. From the Daily Writer, Fred White to day talked about dreams and keeping a dream journal. He states that dreams offer the writer a wellspring of character development. In his daily assignment he suggests that you write a story from one of your dreams and not worry about the fact that things seem to be odd jutapositions of items or actions. He refers the writer back to a large white rabbit and a pocket watch. On the surface an odd jutaposition but in reality from it developed the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland going on about being late.
The two daily devotionals that I am reading are The Upper Room and Daily Splashes of Joy by Barbara Johnson. From the The Upper Room the writer talked about facing your fears and listening to God telling you to do something that maybe you are afraid that you may not be able to accomplish and he reminds us that if God wants us to do something He will give the courage and the strength necessary to do the task. In Daily Splashes of Joy Barbara Johnsn today talks about how Christians need not fear death because we know that the end of this life means the beginning of an eternal life that is so much more than what we have on earth.
Then there was my Bible reading for the day which was Genesis 30-31. In Genesis 30 I read again the story of Jacob's many children born by his two wives and their maidservants. The thing that has always made me wonder is that each one of these children were given by God but in answer to prayers that voiced the two sister's envy of one another. It would seem that God would not reward envy, but then I remember that it is from these twelve sons that the twelve tribes of Israel will come. In Genesis 31 Jacob prepares to leave Laban his father-in-law and return to his country. It also talks about how Laban has repeatedly attempted to cheat and underpay Jacob. These two stories on their own would make one wonder about how God treats his children. That would be taking the stories out of context. This is something that writers on the topic of Bible Study warn against. So for now am not going to try to figure out why these things happened but trust that God had a plan all along. Which is something that I need to take into my daily life.

Jan 6: Brainstorming for Effective Titles

In today's reading the subject is the importance of titles. Along with way the author also some examples of how authors have started out with one working title but ultimately ended up with a different more effective title. He also discusses the difference between titles for fiction and nonficiton works.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
Here the author discusses the fact that the title is usually the first thing the reader encounters. He applies the same statement to the titles of magazine articles. He states that a cleverly worded title often helps the reader decide to read the book or article.
TRY THIS
The assignment is to brainstorm for the title of a short story or magazine article you've recently begun. Be inventive! Come up with several possible titlesw; circle those that best arouse curiosity. For fiction titles, try hinting at the storyline. For nonfiction titles, use a main title plus subtitle approach.
This is something I do with every article I submit. For professional journals the title are pretty straight forward because the publisher are not looking for engaging titles. With e-zines I try to be informative but also shoot for titles that will catch the readers attention. I'm not always successful but do think I am getting better. For my novel the critiques I have gotten was that my clever title is not eye-catching enough and also the average reader doesn't get the significance of the title. So this is something I need to give more consiration too.

Jan. 4: Thinking About Your Readers

In today's reading Mr. White asks us to consider the audience we are addressing. He starts by discussing Walt Whitman and how he was a human being reaching out to other human beings through his poetry. Mr. White urges the modern writer to not see themself as a writer but rather a person reaching out to an audience. As he put it "entering a conversation with humanity".
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
In this segment he again asked what he writer's relationship with their readers. According to Mr. White the answer to the question of how the writer views the relationship with their readers sheds light on the writer's reason for writing. The possibilities that Mr. White sees are teacher, entertainer, or a participant in the drama of life.
TRY THIS
The assignment is to draft a poem or letter addressed to your fellow citizens in which you share one idea for making the world a better place. Is it the importance of individual citizens exercising civic responsibility? Is it having faith in a higher power? Perhaps you have a vision for education reform? Be as detailed as you can about the program you propose.
If I were to answer the question as to how I see myself in my relationship with my readers today I would say teacher but that might change depending on what I am writing, for whom, and about what. I would most likely, given the choices listed above, go with the one idea that what would make the world a better place is having faith in a higher power and more specifically in God. However, with the contrains of time tonight I do not have time to write such a letter.
So for tonight keep writing. I need to get busy writing another assignment.

Jan. 3: Acting upon your New Year's Resolutions

For today Mr. White urges writers to set aside time each day to write. He feels this is a better resolution than just saying your going to write. His reasoning is that by writing daily it becomes a habit. A habit that becomes and intrigal part of your life. Therefore his assignment is to schedule a realistic part of each day as time to write. He advises going about it much like eating, as something that has to be done on a consistent basis. He further advises that you not only set aside time daily to write but also determine what type of writing will you do during that time. By this he means will you develop a character profile, work on the outline for a novel or article, descibe a setting.
This advice is pretty much the same as all websites and books about writing. It is not meant that each day you are going to write something spectacular but that you will be working on various projects and each day you work on one or more facets of one of these projects. Ultimately, you will find that you have completed the projects. The nanowrimo challenge that I worked on during November also help this process of daily writing become more ingrained as does Mr. White's book The Daily Writer. Therefore, most days I am able to work on a portion of a project or on some days actually complete a full project. This is particularly true about writing articles for the three websites where I publish articles. At other times all I am able to do is to work on research. However, research is an important part of writing.
Something else that helps make writing daily easier, at least for me, is writing different types of writing about a variety of different topics. Therefore not only to I write articles on a variety of topics but also short stories that relate to different topics. I am also working generating a number of different writing venues which will ultimately mean that I not only write articles for websites such as Helium and Hub Pages but also for published magazines. The same is true of short stories; I plan on publishing some on a website that I create but also for magazines or other publishers of short stories. I also have subitted an article to a professional journal and planning on working on several more. All of this keeps me from getting bored.

Jan. 2: Contemplating Art

In today's writing Mr. White states that art, whether a picture, statue , or photograph can profoundly stir our emotions and stimulate our imaginations. He goes on to use two paintings as examples of this truth. He states his feelings on these two paintings and what they stir within him. He further states that the artists uses images to represent ideas and experiences much as a write uses words.
Assignment: spend time contemplating a work of art ad then write a one-page story in which you enter the work of art. Then describe how you interact with your surroundings. For possible inspiration he uses the scene in Mary Poppins, when Mary, Bert, and the children jump into one of Bert's sidewalk paintings.

Jan. 1: Uses of Allegory

Allegory: Description of one thing under the image of another. A story in which people, things, and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning; allegories are used for teaching or explaining ideas, moral principes. Mr. Fred White, the author, believes that one of the finest allegories is John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. He further states that "allegories convey wisdom by translating abstract principles into dramatic incidents. He also uses as another example of allegory serving as a guide, Little Women. In particular he cites where in Louisa May Alcott's book her four female characters (the March girls) use Bunyan's book to guide them through difficult times.
The assignment is to write an allegory.

Have fallen behind again

Have been so busy writing in other places and working on other projects I have not even read the last three readings until today. I really don't have the time right now to catch up either.

Dec. 25: Merry Christmas

Today's reading starts with Fred Whites comments about how Christmas magically transforms the mundane. He further states that writers tend to see story material everywhere/anywhere. However, he also touched on the fact that not all Christmas stories are happy ones. He reminds the reader that there are those for whom the holiday season is one of loneliness.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
White talks about how writers, through their stories, can give the gifts of spreading goodwill, making a better world, blessings of joy and peace. He further adds that there can never be enough stories on these topics and they all need to be told.
TRY THIS
Compose a poem or short-story that will instill love or hope or compassion (preferably all three) in the hearts of others. Write it with the intention of reading it aloud to family and friends.

Merry Christmas all.

Dec. 24: The Ethics of Authorship

In today's writing Fred White discusses ethics as they apply to writing. He presents three key ways that ethics apply to writing; (1) what you write should be your own words and if they are not give credit to the person who uttered, or wrote them, (2) you should ensure that you write is factual unless of course you are writing fiction, and (3) if you are writing an autobiography "convey personal experiences as they actually happened without distortion." If you are going to exaggerate then we should call it "a novel, not a memoir".
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
Here Mr. White stated that the reader of a nonfiction has the right to expect the work to be truthful and accurate. However, he does allow for the fact that whenever a lived experience is turned into words there will be some distortion. But taking that into consideration authors should do all they can to "ensure theat the experiences they present are authentic. . . verifiable".
TRY THIS
After you finish a draft of your next essay, article, biography, or autobographical project, check it for accuracy, using the following checklist:

• Are the dates and names of places and person accurate?
• Are incidents accurately described? Can they be verified by others?
• Are facts and explanations accurate?
• Is the sequence of events accurate?

Not much of this today. I agree with everything Mr. White says. Quoting sources is something that drummed into our heads in college. I don't know of any one who has ever written college term papers who had not heard from their instructor or professor the consequences of not quoting sources, or taking credit for someone else's work. Also I am in a profession that sets very high standards for ethics and I hope I will also maintain the high standards I have to date.

Dec. 23: Revelation

In today's reading Mr. White discusses how the Book of Revelation in the Bible has influenced writers through the ages. He discusses how the main theme of the book has been the plot used by many writers. He states that since "the influence of the book of Revelation on world literature is pervasive and profound, which is why writers should be familiar with it."
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
In this portion White states that prophetic visions appears in all of the sacred texts of all religions and they have all influenced contemporary prophetic works. He further stated that the final battle in which the forces of good triumph over the forces of evil has become synonymous with nuclear holocaust. White feels that this is no accident. He also sated that the prophetic visions of sacred texts have greatly influenced contemporary prophetic works.
TRY THIS
Write a story in which two armies from two radically different cultures (or, if you like to write science fiction, two different planets) confront each other with the fate of a carefully guarded secret at state. What is the precious secret? Why are two mighty armies about to go to war over it? What will be the outcome? That is for you to decide.
This is another assignment that I will probably not work on any time soon. However, there has been an increased interest in recent year in prophetic writings of all kinds. Also a renewed interest in the book of Revelation and the biblical battle Armageddon.

Dec. 22: Climaxes and Resolutions

In today's reading the author talks about the importance of the stories climax and then ultimate resolution. He give some suggestions for climaxes and uses a an example, what he called "the simplest kind of climax", is the Western "shootout". He further states that there are a thousand variations of possible endings to a story but the author can only chose one.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
Mr. White states stories are mirrors of reality and as such they heighten the situations we experience in our own lives. However, our experiencs are usually not as pronounced. He uses two types of experiences as examples of climaxes: courtroom verdicts and medical dramas which he believes are the closest to the way we experience cimaxes in real life.
TRY THIS:
1. Study the way two or three novelists construct their respective climaxes; then outline a short story that includes two or more possible climaxes--each one perhaps, mirroring those of the respective novels you've been studying.
2. Write a climax scene to a story that is still in its planning stage. Working out the climax first will give you a better idea of how to dramatically render the steps that lead up to it.
I tried to work on one of the assignments from yesterday at work today only to not have the time because another therapist had to call out and I ended up doing her groups. I will try again tomorrow. Meanwhile these two assignments will go into the growing composition book.

Dec. 21: Holiday Traditions and Innovations

For today Mr. White discusses how that this is the time of year for all the holiday traditions. However, he also states it is a time for innovation, particularly for writers who can put a new spin on the old stories or write new stories with a holiday theme. He urges writers to contribute to the legacy of the holiday season by add a new song, poem, children's story, etc.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
In this section Mr. White also reminds us that this is also the time of the winter solstice which is also a time of festivity that marks the shortest day and longest night but also that "the slow return to spring" has begun.
TRY THIS
Today has three assignments.
1. Write a poem in the manner of "Twas the Night Before Christmas"--only give it a somewhat contemporary spin.
2. Compose the lyrics for a song, perhaps in the manner of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," or "The Chipmunk Song," but use different animals instead.
3. Write a new version of the Kwanzaa folktale "Anansi and His Sons", or of the Dicken's A Christmas Carol.
I am going to have to do some research and maybe tomorrow I will have some time to attempt one or more of these. But tonight don't have the time.

Dec. 20: Reaching the Finish Line

In today's reading the author talks about how each step in a project is in fact a finish line. It takes several finish lines in able to cross the ultimate finish line which is the end of the project. Even scraping the project somewhere along the line, according to Mr. White, is a finish line.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
According to Mr. White "writers' work includes many finish lines that ought to be acknowledged as suchalong the way to the grand finish line". He states that this is "a simple psychological strategy that keeps one's energy and motivation levels at optimum performance". It also serves as a reminder that writing is a "multistage endeavor".
TRY THIS:
The next time you plan a writing project, regard each step as a finish line. Don't just think it, record it as the headin for each stage--initial one-paragraph overview; initial outline/synopsis; revised outline/synopsis; opening sentence; first paragrah, first page of the discovery draft; and so on.
Writing now my writing efforts are not as detailed. However most of my projects do include a rough draft, research, revised draft, and of course part of the rough draft and revised draft is the opening sentence, first paragraph, first page, etc.

The irony of it all

This is the first time in days that I have had the time to post anything. It is ironic because when I came to the blog there was a comment from someone commending me on my persistence in, to use her terms "bang the keys". There are times when the way my Lord works things out that just made me laugh. He has such a sense of humor. It also points up the fact that today's technology also connect like minded individuals in ways that we don't even intend or imagine.
So now down to business. Catching up on my comments on the readings since my last post.
Dec. 16: The Art of Concision, or Less is More
In this reading, as can be guessed from the title, is about keeping our writing concise unless there is a very definite reason to not be brief. Mr. White states that most novice writers have a tendency to "overwrite". He then gives three reasons for this: "diction- and syntax-level wordiness, faulty sentence construction, and excessive description, explanation, or narration". He then gives two examples; one of when a short one word sentence would have served a better purpos and one in which the author deliberately uses "stream-of-consciousness language". In "FOR FURTHER REFLECTION": He goes on to say that "writing concisely. . . takes practice". He then suggests a good way to learn to be concise, which is to study the principle in a grammar handbook.
The "TRY THIS" assignment is to practice condensing paragraphs in drafts of essays and stories; both yours and other peoples.
Dec. 17: Inner Listening:
In this day's reading Fred White talks about using listening as a learning experience and to listen with your whole being "holistically", and also to use it as an opportunity for personal growth. The then goes on to talk about The Tao of Peace by Diane Dreher in which she "addresses the need to resolve conflicts" which separates us from the things that are truly important in life. In quoting her he stated that first we need to admit when we are ignorant of certain matters. White further states that as we learn from others, others also learn from us and this learning is greatly "enabled through inner listening". In "FOR FURTHER REFLECTION": White tells us that in order for us to become successful writers we need to "open ourselves to the ideas and experiences of others." We need to listen to them with our whole being, even if we disagree with them. The "TRY THIS" assignment is a suggestion for an experiment in inner listening. Basically he tells us to engage in a discussion with a friend about a particular controversial topic and then after listening carefully to write down what we consider our friend's assumptions about the issue and ask your friend to do the same thing. Then compare notes.
Dec. 18: Visions of Sugarplums
In today's reading the author tells us that holidays (all holidays) "are ideal times for letting your imaginatio roam free". He goes on to state that he means to "explore in a manner unfettered by rules and regulations. He states that for the writer "our sugarplums will take the form of bold new story ideas, whimsical characters, and whimsical situations in which to embroil your whimsical characters." "FOR FURTHER REFLECTION": He suggests that we use every holiday as a potential sugarplum. He suggests that this is particularly beneficial for those who write for younger audiences. The "TRY THIS" assignments are to (1) take several sheets of notebook paper (pages in a composition book) and at the top of each page write a holiday and then over the next few days use these pages to develop lists of topics you can write for each holiday for either children or adults. (2) Then take one of the topics and compose a rough draft in one or two settings. Set this aside for a few days and then revise it.
Dec. 19: Collective Experiences
In today's reading the author addresses the topic of collective experiences. In particular the uses a section of Margaret Mead's study of adolescent behavior among the natives of Samoa, where she lived for several years. Fred White states "by comparing parent-child interaction in two different cultures, Mead enables us to better understand human relationships." In "FOR FURTHER REFLECTION": White states that writers are like anthropologists who help us understand different cultures and customs which in turn "can foster peace and good will". In learning about other cultures we are better able to live in harmony with them. The "TRY THIS" assignment for today is: Learn all you can about a little known society. He suggests those "in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Alaskan and Canadian arctic, or Sub-Saharan Africa. Then assimilate ethnographic studies of their social, religious, and articistic customs. Use this information to write an essay about the society, target for young adults.
As you might have gathered all of these assignments are going to have to be consigned to my composition book for future consideration. There are already enough assignments in that book to keep me busy for a long time. Maybe there will come a time (such as when I retire) that I will have far more time to really work on these assignments. Unless of course I can fit it into something that I need to write - say for a client to get paid for.