March SOLC–Day 1
A huge thank you to Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org
Lately, I feel a bit like I’ve fallen into the pages of Marjorie Cuyler’s book, That’s Good! That’s Bad!. This entertaining book has an easy-to-imitate pattern that can inspire some young writers. It’s also a rousing read-aloud and young kids love chiming in on the repeated refrain: “That’s good! No, that’s bad!” Right now, the title also seems to describe my life–For some reason, my experiences seem to be falling into a good news/bad news pattern.
I first noticed myself thinking this way when reading my students’ writing in January and the pattern, or some variation of it, continued through February.
The good news…My students are trying to use figurative language!
The bad news…One of them wrote in her historical narrative that riding on the Oregon Trail was “so bumpy she felt like she was on a roller coaster at Disney!”
The refrain in my head continues: “That’s good! No, that’s bad!”
Do you have any similar experiences? I’d love to hear about them!
Nix the comfort zone 
Ha! I’m at the stage when senior discount is happily accepted…the good thing as you age – your vanity diminishes!
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or tell yourself that you passed as a college student. What about a 55+ you college student? Double the 50%
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Clearly we need to shop together, Vanessa! lol
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Nice! I like that!
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Well, I didn’t object to the discount!
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yes but I don’t know when I can stop laughing to write about it. Would that be good news or bad news?
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Enjoying laughter is always good news, right?
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This has me speechless because it speaks to me so much. Currently I am in a mix of emotions of good news/bad news. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for visiting and commenting!
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The good news is that I am stronger than I ever imagined myself to be. The bad news is that I am a young widow.
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I’m so terribly sorry for your loss.
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I love this structure. I’m putting in my pocket for later this month. This piece made me laugh out loud a couple of times and reminded me that it’s all in our perspective, isn’t it?
Happy Day One! Thirty more days… 🙂
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Thanks, Dana. The good news is that I finished my first slice for the challenge. The bad news is that the formatting on wordpress was not cooperating!
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I loved everything about your piece, Molly! I needed a good laugh. Sorry to hear about the car though. You seem to be rolling with it…for now anyway!
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Rolling with it…just like that engine piece rolled down the road! lol Thanks, Amy!
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I love this good news/bad news structure. I am sure we will see this pop again this month! Thanks for the idea. I had to laugh at the Oregon Trail incident. I had a student write about Ellis Island in his Nike tennis shoes! Kids…you just gotta love ’em!
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The good news is your student is trying to incorporate details! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you for being honest! sometimes, I have to sit back and simply laugh to keep myself from crying. “Mama said they’ll be days like this”!
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It’s wonderful when you can move through the crazy to find the laughter! Until it spills over into hysterics! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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The bad news is that it’s only March 1st and I already feel behind. The good news is that posts like yours are here, ready to make me smile. Love this, Molly!
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Thanks, Catherine. I know just what you mean about feeling behind already!
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I didn’t know there was book connected to my MOST favorite “email update” this year! Of course, I’ve added it to my Amazon cart (and I wasn’t in a meeting when I did that! 😏 ).
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Susan, I’m sure you would NEVER add something to your Amazon cart during a meeting! 🙂 Also, I’m pretty sure there’s a copy of the book floating around at DCS. I could probably track it down for you to check out.
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