Friday, December 9, 2011

My son, Oh Wise One



It's cold outside. My husband is at work and the kids are hanging with me while I work on my current WIP.
So my 12 year old son and I are having a
literary discussion. Well, he's talking and I'm trying to edit. The whole time he's rambling, he's swinging the sword he used on Halloween.

Son: What part are you editing?

Mom: I'm working on Chapter 29.

Son: Have you hit the climax yet?

Mom: (Thinking furiously since I do write romance…) Uh, no. Not yet.

Son: So you’re still in the rising action.

Mom: (giggles slip out) Uh, yeah. There’s lots of action going on.

Son: You’re out of the exposition by now though, right?

Mom: Huh? (ducks under swinging sword)

Son: Well there’s five key components to any movie or book.
1. Exposition
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
4. Falling Action
5. Denouement.

Mom: Day old…what?

Son: Here, I’ll draw you a picture. (draws a box split in three sections).
The Exposition is broken into three parts:
1. Setting
2. Characters
3. Conflict
From this start, you build into your Rising Action. (He draws a connecting vertical line up from the box).
Then you hit your Climax (draws a connecting horizontal line). You know in Lord of the Rings when Frodo throws the ring into the lava? That’s the climax.

And it goes into (draws a connecting vertical line down) Falling Action. This is all lthe stuff that happens after the climax.

Mom: Gimme an example (sits straighter, picks up and swings the sword)

Son: Well, after Frodo destroyed the ring, there wasn’t so much gloom in the world. Falling Action. Then there’s dayumah—

Mom: Day-you what?

Son: (grabs pencil again and writes) D-E-N-O-U-M-E-N-T.

Mom: Den-oo-ment?

Son: It’s pronounced day-you-mah. It’s French. It means resolution. You know in old fairy tales when the knight saves the princess locked in a tower? And in the end, it says they live happily
ever after? That’s the Denouement.

Mom: (grabs pencil and writes herself a note) *Contribute more to son’s college education fund*
How many of you have had an ah-ha moment with your kids? Been taught something stunning? Were amazed by young minds? Me...all the time with my boys.

28 comments:

Brenda said...

O...M...G!!! LOL, I love your son--he taught me something new too.
Also, I love how he spoke my language by using LOTR's as an example.
Be proud, Mike. You've raised one smart kid.
Does he answer specific questions? I might have to email him with some.

Christine Warner said...

LOL...I love him! Kids are constantly amazing me with things they say and do. Always funny when they see something so plainly or say something so matter of factly that you struggled with.

I have to say, you're right, add some extra to his college fun. You have a smart guy there!

Fun post :)

Sheri Fredricks said...

Brendan: The kid says it's $5 per question! LOL Thanks for laughing along with me. He's a nut.

Christine: He's saved my storyline more than once. When I asked my family, "What should [insert character] do next?" The boys always have the perfect answer. Thank you for coming by. It was a fun post!

Mart Ramirez said...

OMG!! WOW!! Absolutely WOW!!
LOVED this post!

I'm speechless lol.
Ah, yeah. Def add your pennies to his college fund. Truly amazing! I think he may know more than some writers out there!

D'Ann said...

Smart kid!

We had to do that pyramid in college. Riaing action, falling action, all that stuff.

It sometimes amazes me what kids know.

Tammy said...

Great post, Sheri!!! My five kids, over the years, have taught me more than I've ever taught them...

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post, Sheri! Love your sense of humor :) Great when we learn from our kids :)

Casea Major said...

Your kids are the greatest thing you will ever create! My kids teach me so much about...everything. Hold them close.

Great post, Sheri.

Tabitha Blake said...

This is so true. My children have taught me so much. They have taught me to laugh when I want to cry and how to just enjoy life. Some amazing things come out of the mouth of babes. It is so refreshing to hear young children talk so matter of fact. They don't see things the way we do. Wish we could think more like them.

Tabitha Blake said...

This is so true. My children have taught me so much. They have taught me to laugh when I want to cry and how to just enjoy life. Some amazing things come out of the mouth of babes. It is so refreshing to hear young children talk so matter of fact. They don't see things the way we do. Wish we could think more like them.

Carrie Ann Ryan said...

LOVE IT. I'm writing this down for future reference

Sheri Fredricks said...

Mart: Thanks for dropping by. He's getting dollars, not pennies, into his college account! LOL Maybe I can get him to blog here one day...

D'Ann: I can't help him with him science or math homework any more. It's so far above me...I swear I never learned that stuff, not even in high school. Last night, he was even talking in sign language. Glad you stopped by!!

Sheri Fredricks said...

Tammy - You need to write a book on the antics of your kids! Five kids?! My hat is tipped in your honor. Thank you for commenting.

Jennifer: Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Whether it's how to be patient, or more patient - I learn something every day. Kids are amazing.

Sheri Fredricks said...

Casea: Thanks for stopping by. I know how busy you are these days too! I wish I could hold my boys close but they'd say Ewww Yuck!! if I did. Gone are the days that I can slobber all over them. *sigh*

Tabby: Thank you for letting me blog on your site. I've enjoyed reading and contributing for the past year. Kids have a new spin on the ordinary. Just watch them play with a stick or block of wood...

Sheri Fredricks said...

Carrie Ann: Thanks for coming by! You're another BUSY author. I appreciate everyone taking time to leave their comments. And, yeah, I took notes during our conversation. LOL

Lisa Kumar said...

Great post! Kids know so much. I'm always surprised by my son. He's only ten but is already so much better in math and science than I ever was.

Sheri Fredricks said...

Lisa: I've come to the conclusion that I'm not smarter than a 4th grader. Good thing I have life experience and common sense. I saw my 7th grader's homework last night and cringed. Some of his homework is turned in online these days. Thanks for stopping by.

Daryl Devore said...

Best line - contribute more to son's college education fund. You've got a bright one there.

Chelle Cordero said...

Son's first school backpack, $10

Son's library late fees, $14.95

Literary lesson from son, priceless.

Jenna said...

And if he doesn't want to be a writer, he's a shoo-in for the theatre. He just gave the lecture on linear play structure I give to my Playwriting I class. Except next time I'm using the LOTR examples! LOL Tell him I said thanks!

Great post!

Sheri Fredricks said...

Daryl: Maybe if he has a great education, I won't worry about our retirement fund so much...

Chelle: LOL!! You said it perfectly. Thanks for dropping by.

Jenna: Funny you should mention drama. He told me he'd like to give a try, he even went to a play the Jr. High put on last month. And he went all by himself because none of his friends wanted to go. He mimics movies, line by line, around the house all the time. :) Thanks for coming by!

And congratulations on your release of ALMOST PERFECT!

Marianne Stephens said...

Very intelligent young man. Get him on speaking tours! I'm tired of listening to some of the same people at conferences all the time!

Sheri Fredricks said...

Marianne: He'd love to speak to us adults, fill us with his preteen wisdom, and use euphemisms we'd never understand. If you promise to grab his feet, I'll handle the upper body and we can carry him out of the conference room when we've had enough sage advice. LOL

Thank you for stopping by!

hotcha12 said...

LOL LOL LOL TABS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Anonymous said...

That was great. You've got to love kids. It looks like he could have duel careers, author/professor.

Nikki said...

OH, I loved this! Wow! Smart kiddo you have there! :)

Sheri Fredricks said...

Ellaquin: Wouldn't that be something if he did both? I'm excited to see what he becomes. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

Hi Nikki: The kid knows how to drive our tractor too, lol. So he's useful around the ranch. He's a good boy. Thanks for coming by.

Sheri Fredricks said...

Ellaquin: Wouldn't that be something if he did both? I'm excited to see what he becomes. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

Hi Nikki: The kid knows how to drive our tractor too, lol. So he's useful around the ranch. He's a good boy. Thanks for coming by.