Day Four: Writing Beyond Project Week
Morning Observations
The fourth day of project week began with an early start and a road trip to Boston. Despite facing some unexpected snow flurries, the weather eventually broke and the storytellers made it to the Boston Common.
To test their new eye for detailed descriptions, the group was tasked with first trying to capture this new setting by using precise and concrete details, then secondly capturing the mannerisms of ten different individuals. Field journals in hand, the storytellers set off and recorded their observations. When we reconvened as a group, it was clear that the common threads connecting our observations were the squirrels, the strange blend of sounds, and the"colorful" and eccentric individuals.
The Pine Manor MFA
After brainstorming ways to incorporate these observations in their own writing, the storytellers got back in the car and headed to the Pine Manor campus in Chestnut Hill. There they met with Beth Little, discussed her MFA program, and even got a special lesson about story beginnings and their importance.
The Author Panel
The final stop on our trip to Boston was in Wellesley. There the storytellers visited a small independent book store and attended a Q and A session with four published Young Adult authors. The writers talked about their inspiration, writing habits, and even gave some tv show suggestions to help with the creative process.
The day ended with a quiet ride home, giving the storytellers time to process, reflect, and think about the endings of their stories.
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