Monday, September 2, 2013

Welcome Back!

For those of you who follow this blog and come to our meetings, we will begin meeting at the Plum Library again this coming Friday, September 6, from 10:30 AM until we finish (usually around 12:30 PM).

I assume that most of you already have a story that you want to write and share, but just in case you don't, I do have some thoughts that we can turn into story prompts.

As you all know, we've been in Korea for most of the summer, and I've now been home eleven days--eleven long, tiring days of reverse culture shock.

It always happens.  I expect the culture shock of going to Korea, but it's hard to remember that even though I am returning to my own country, not everyone thinks like me.  And so that is the topic of this week's prompt:  Tell about a time when someone you loved thought so differently than you that you thought they might be from another culture, if not another planet.

As you tell these stories, be sure to include the kinds of details that will show us your shock and their side of the story.  These details might include:
  • Your expectations of the day (try to visualize these or put concrete details to them)
  • Signs that you and the other person are not on the same page:  clueless expressions, non sequiturs, actions that run contrary to your expectations.
  • Signs of your own feelings/awareness.  These might take the form of comments like, "I didn't think about what it meant that..." or "It didn't register that..." if you are ignorant that the other person isn't on the same page as you are or "Maddeningly, she continued to..." or "For no good reason I could fathom, he...."
I look forward to hearing your stories!

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