Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Better to See You


We were driving by when we saw this curious K9.  The fence is over 6 feet tall.  And this American K9 was vocal about our appearance on his street.  I'm not sure what he is standing on.

The image appealed to me.  I cropped the picture a little and enhanced it so you see him a little clearer in the corner.

I want to use this as a writing prompt for my older students.  When I view the picture my mind jumps from mystery, science fiction, fantasy, or humor.  There are so many possibilities.

Here is my original start:

"It always starts the same way.  The weather is always cold and stormy.  The energy crackles, kind of bends reality.  That's how it always begins.

I was minding my own business when they drove by.  I tried to warn them.  They didn't listen.  You tell them and tell them, but those bipeds never listen."

13 comments:

  1. Too fun. In my Poets and Writers Magazine, they always have a column that gives the first line of stories, poems, or novels that they think has snap, crackle and pop. I think your opener would qualify.

    Great photo!

    Elizabeth E.
    http://peninkpaper.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a great shot. The look on the dog's face is priceless and the composition of the photo (large fence, cropped space, dog's head) works nicely together.
    Kevin

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love it when kids tackle writing from a point of view other than their own. Good luck with the project. The photo should lend itself to some great pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I took two shots with my phone camera. the first one he was blurry. But I loved his expression. I want to learn more about photography. I have been lucky and have taken some pretty interesting shots with my phone. I have started thinking about a better camera. Or at least a beter camera on a phone, but don'know what to get.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a super idea to get some interesting shots as you travel around, to use with your students, and for you, too. It's a great photo; it makes you wonder what the dog might say if he or she could talk. The wintry look certainly gives a mysterious feel.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great picture and crafty idea. I love the start of your story...very catchy. I'm sure the kids will enjoy it as well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such an intriguing photo -- very atmospheric. I think your kids are going to love writing to this prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the picture. My tiny dog would neve be seen above our fence.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can tell you that the iPhone 4 has a wonderful camera, you can zoom in on stills, and take video. There are apps to edit the look of the photos, too, and you can easily upload for email and blogger. All my pictures are taken with my iPhone now due to the ease of using the photos and their quality.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a mysterious beginning...I was caught. Interesting picture.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was practicing my stilt walking the other day for our new center ring act (humans always sell us dogs short) when he suddenly this lady drove by snapping pics on her phone - Those pesky paparazzi...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your post reminded me, again, that I need to use more pictures in my blog.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment.