Writing class with Mister 6…

Think of something you’d like to write about.

I don’t want to write about anything.

Come on. It’ll be fun. We don’t even have to worry about punctuation or anything. Just write a whole page about something.

Okay, a dog.

Dogs are good. I like dogs. What does the dog look like? What’s she doing?

She’s a he.

What’s he doing?

He’s black and white. He’s not doing anything. Should I write that down?

No, let’s try to come up with some adjectives to describe the dog. You know, describing words.

He’s black and white.

That’s it? Is he big and scary, or small and cute?

Dunno.

Okay, let’s try using our senses.

Yep.

Is it night time? Warm or cold? Are you in a dark alley and can you sense that something is behind you? Is it this dog’s rank breath that fouls the freezing air? Is it the slippery gleam of its curved fangs that catches the moon’s faint light? Can you taste the blood from your bitten lip? Does your heart feel like a fist and your legs like jelly? And when the dog lowers its head and starts towards you, do you…?

Mum?

Yeah.

It’s a nice dog.

Sorry. Ooookay. What is the dog feeling? Can she see or smell something?

Both.

What, then?

He can see his own bum and he’s just ranked off. That’s what he can smell.

Note to self: Vikki, ye cannot teach. And conversations with six-year-old boys always come back to bums and farts.