Subject: RE: Call for children's stories Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 10:22:21 -0400 From: "Win Wenger, Ph.D." To: John McPherson , anakin@dur.mindspring.com, mcole@napanet.net, mjoyner@botree.com, GeoNelson@aol.com, "Rolls Straveca (SRCS)" , "Swcgluck@aol.com" , RickAshby@aol.com, Kuene@cts.com (Corbin/Kueneman), jheflin@mail.portup.com, Tice@writeme.com (Tice Tansil), Frank@gerryts.demon.co.uk, e7750010@tsai.es (Ana Robles), tazz4@ix.netcom.com (Michael V) >From: "Michael Cole" >To: "Win Wenger, Ph.D." >Subject: RE: Call for children's stories >Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 16:22:41 -0700 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.2106.4 >Importance: Normal > >Go right ahead! Maybe I should have sent it to the group in the first >place. --Mike > >>Agreed - may I pass your letter on to the rest of the group? Thanks --w > >At 04:06 PM 4/9/98 -0700, you wrote: >> >>Win, >> >>Though I haven't had a chance to follow *all* of the exchanges regarding >the >>children stories I may have some valuable input, especially given my own >>youth at the moment. I apologize if this has already been said. >> >>Remember your idea about having something similar to that red book everyone >>used to carry around? Perhaps there could be something remotely similar >>here. Make the books intense in what one might call a tone, or a *style*. >>That's what the young ones want: style. They also naturally gravitate >>towards descriptions of a way of life. It seems a natural human tendency to >>be receptive to the various possibilities of living when one is young (as >>long as it hasn't been drilled into them otherwise). Therefore, here is my >>vision: >> >>Teach by *EXAMPLE*. Teach how *and* what to think (and do!) with the goal >>to teach a way of life. By teaching by example no one can say we are >>telling kids to act a certain way. They can make that choice themselves >>(however good that judgement would be). Proactive parents can also make >>that judgement for them (though the parents would probably have to be >fairly >>uninvolved in the process I think). Perhaps the book could be written or >>advertised in such a way that proactive parents would be attracted? >> >>Image Streaming shouldn't be focused on so much as *what* is the issue >being >>addressed by the Image Stream. Propigate the vanity of solving problems and >>exploring the universe! Make it a big adventure with a huge mission and >>sense of pride in the main character. Perhaps what we could do is write the >>first one as a big abstract adventure with experience more in mind (and >>sales/popularity as well) and a second one as a bit more focused on >>day-to-day life and internal adventures with Image Streams . . . >> >>Focus on writing this to the children who are semi-compulsive (there are >>actually more than you would think). They are the ones who "get into" >>stuff, and the ones most likely to become productive later on in life. >>Imagine the children you are writing for to read the book through at least >>five times and as constantly copying and role-playing the characters in the >>book. Therefore the characters must be realistic, lively, and filled with a >>deeply empassioned mission. Don't think the characters have to be very much >>like the reader. Children still feel so many possibilities open to them >>they figure they could be just about anybody. We should utilize this >>attribute of children. >> >>You might also have a few exciting Image Streams in the book to show the >>amazing and fun possibilities with that. >> >>These are just a few suggestions. I better get going now. What do you >>think? >> >>All the best, >> >>Mike