Six-year-old Lily lay on the ground with her favorite fairy tale book, The Enchanted Orange Tree, leaves scattered all around her. She had seen it at the bookstore and begged her mother for it. When she had finally consented, Lily was so happy she did a little twirl as soon as they were outside. Now she was reading it for the hundredth time, as it seemed. Her mother had taken her to the park to play, but it only had two rusty swings, so she had decided to read instead. “Lily!” her mother called from the car. “It’s time to go!” As she walked back through the park, she wondered if somehow, somewhere, there really was a tree that grew fruit that could make you immortal, or if there really was an evil witch trying to steal them all.
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Note from Prof. Lisa: Here’s another example of spontaneous in-class writing that might spark an ongoing project. As students free themselves from expectations in order to “write now” during webinar sessions, imaginative ideas begin to flow! Students frequently inspire each other and generate creative energy to continue what they’ve written.