UPBEAT TIMES • March 2014 • 7


Redwood Empire Guest Writers What is Story?


Guaranteed Press Releases Up to 100 words: $81/issue


by Jean Wong • marcjeanhw@comcast.net


SONOMA COUNTY, CA. ~ What is story? What makes it catch our attention and keeps us under its spell until the end. Let's say a wolf is chasing


a pig. That's exciting. Maybe the pig escapes in which we might think “whew—yea--way to go—good pig!” or maybe horror of horrors the pig gets eaten, then we feel“this is ter- rible, boo hoo, that just breaks my heart,” but even though a story may have terrible suffer- ing, does this kind of narrative really deliver? Does it really give us the one-two punch and linger on in our minds for days after, perhaps even altering the way we look at things? But what if the pig is a young adult, and his mom says, “You're really too big to be liv- ing at home, doing nothing— time for you to make your own living.” Aha! That's something we can relate to because we've all been kicked out of the nest in one way or another. We know


what it means to have someone or some circumstance tell you, “move on,” “change,” “get a life.”


How 'bout if the pig has


two brothers who also have to leave home. But these brothers have different personalities and inclinations. In fact, one brother thinks it's really cool to make a house out of straw, whereas the other one likes sticks, and the third prefers bricks. That sounds interesting—there's choice, preferences, even notes of sibling rivalry thrown into the plot. Now let's put in some darker elements. A wolf! Oy! Those pigs have to watch out. That wolf is big. He has sharp teeth and a long tail. He's a hungry, conniving creature and he has options too. If the door is locked, he could just blow the whole house down, or maybe he can go down the chimney. Oh those little pigs are going


to have to think fast. What could ... continued on page 16


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Life is a successon of lessons, which must be lived to be understood. Ralph Waldo Emerson UPBEAT TIMES • March 2014 • 7


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