As I was going through an old workbook to see if I could resell it, I came across a writing assignment, neatly tucked between the pages. The prewrite exercise was in minimalist form, true to Ian's style. The instructions say, "Use this sheet to help you prepare to write your first draft. Record details about your myth below and remember the characteristics of the myths you have read." Under Natural Phenomenon, he wrote dark. Characters: Barn Owl. Setting: Space. Problem in the Story: No day or night. How the problem is solved: owl comes... (yes, the ellipses were his). Sigh. No details. And then his writing assignment:
If the text is too small, it reads:
It was not day it was not night. The world was mixed up. Owl looked down from his nest in the sky, "I will shine my big black eyes and make them one." Then they had night. He called upon his mate, "Dear wife shine the light from your big white face so they can have day." So they took turns. You can still see owl's face as the moon and his owlets as the stars.
That kid. Man. He has an amazing gift for storytelling and entertaining people. I'm hoping this skill survives his adolescence and he is able to find a way to incorporate his gifts in a career path... (those ellipses are mine)
