The Proverbs On Moral Lessons and Story Summaries

Many stories tell about kindness, love for work, and the perils of being lazy.

In different parts of the world, children grow up learning these stories from grandparents, relatives, helpers, and of course, the school and church.

Children get very excited every time they hear these stories. From these stories, they extract life's lessons quite easily.

Good manners and right conduct are the writer's evident highlights in literature, especially those that children read. Stories must be positively interpreted.

Ponder upon these Proverbs and take a folktale, fable or parable as examples.

Chapter 6.10-11

Let me sleep a little longer!
Sure, just a little more!
And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armor.

Folktale: The Lazy Boy Juan

Once, Juan was asked by his mother to buy some crabs. Because he was so lazy and stupid, he told the crabs "I feel so sleepy. I'd rather sleep here under the tree. All of you crabs just walk home to mother."

What can you say?

Chapter 6.12-15

Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers. Next, his heart is full of rebellion. And he spends his time thinking of all the evil he can do, and stirring up discontent. But he will be destroyed suddenly, broken beyond hope of healing.

Parable: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Once, a boy spent his time thinking and stirring up discontent in his work. He thought of alarming his neighbors and playing up on them. Several times, he deceived his neighbors and shouted for help. So the neighbors tried to help him, but the boy only screamed a lie. In the end, no one came to help him when the wolf really attacked.

Chapter 6.16-19

For there are six things the lord hates - no, seven:

Haughtiness
Lying
Murdering
Plotting evil
Eagerness to do wrong
A false witness
Sowing discord among brothers

Parable: The Bundle of Sticks

Thought: Showing kindness, not discord brings true happiness and freedom to everyone.

Tips: How To Summarize Stories

1. Read the story again and again, until you can remember what happens.

Example: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

2. Know the setting, the characters, the plot (beginning, conflict, climax, resolution), the theme and the ideas or lessons, the story presents, among others.

The setting is in the farm.

The characters are the lion and the mouse. You can include the hunters, if you will portray the action in the story and write snippets of dialogue.

The climax in the plot is the time when the boy cried for help, and no one came. A real wolf attacked his flock of sheep (after his series of lying), and his neighbors didn't believe him anymore.

3. Set a limit to your number of words (500, 250, 100). Use your own words and not those of the original author.

Be creative in your summary or re-telling of the story.

4. Retain the structure of the story. Retain the point of view of the original.

Don't distort the theme of the story. Never mess with the truth and ideas the story tells.

5. There are many ways to be creative, but be careful with the story elements.

Make a research. Know the story by heart. Relate to your point in time and to your audience.

rosalinda flores martinez
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iwrotefiction

The Proverbs: On Moral Lessons

Good manners and right conduct are the writer's evident highlights in literature, especially those that children read. Stories must be positively interpreted.

Ponder upon these Proverbs and take the following (as retold by Rosalinda/Me) folktale, fable and parable as examples.

Chapter 6.10-11

Let me sleep a little longer!

Sure, just a little more!

And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armor.

Folktale: The Lazy Boy Juan

Once, Juan was asked by his mother to buy some crabs. Because he was so lazy and stupid, he told the crabs "I feel so sleepy. I'd rather sleep here under the tree. All of you crabs just walk home to mother."

What can you say?

Chapter 6.12-15

Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar; he signals his true intentions to his friends with eyes and feet and fingers. Next, his heart is full of rebellion. And he spends his time thinking of all the evil he can do, and stirring up discontent. But he will be destroyed suddenly, broken beyond hope of healing.

Parable: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Once, a boy spent his time thinking and stirring up discontent in his work. He thought of alarming his neighbors and playing up on them.

"Wolf! There are wolves, help me!" The boy cried. The neighbors came running to rescue the boy, discovering there were no wolves.

"Sorry, I thought there were wolves," the boy lied.

The next day, the boy did the same.

"Wolves, wolves! Help me!" Again, the neighbors came running to rescue him.

"Sorry, I thought there were really wolves," he lied again. When the neighbors left, the boy laughed out loud.

One day, while the boy tended his animals peacefully, big wolves really came and prowled on his sheep. The boy cried very, very loud "Help me, help me! Wolves are here!"

But no one came.

Chapter 6.16-19

For there are six things the lord hates - no, seven:

Haughtiness

Lying

Murdering

Plotting evil

Eagerness to do wrong

A false witness

Sowing discord among brothers

=====

Parable:  The Bundle of Sticks

Fable: The Lion and the Mouse

As Retold by: Rosalinda Flores Martinez

Once there was a mouse, who disturbed the lion in his sleep. The lion went angry and was about to swallow him.

Then the mouse plead, "I am sorry to disturb your sleep, Mr. Lion. I can give you help some other time to repay your kindness. Please let me go."

The lion set the mouse free.

One day, the mouse heard the lion roaring. He remembered the kindness of the lion to him, and so the mouse came to rescue the lion.

The mouse found the lion in a hunter's net. Quickly, the mouse cut the net with his teeth. The lion was set free.

"Thank you, little mouse for helping me."

Thought: Showing kindness, not discord brings true happiness and freedom to everyone.

 Happy reading!

The Emperor's New Clothes (Part 3 of 3) From You Tube

The Short Story: Word Count

The short story is normally between 1,000 to 5,000 words. Before this 21st century the popular selling length was 3,000 words.

There are lots of short stories around, and its main characteristic is vividness. Is it a narrative that involves one unified episode or related events. It has a plot (that is the beginning, middle, end). The plot involves rising action(conflict), climax (turning point), falling action (denouement) and/or conclusion (resolution). The elements of fiction among others are theme, setting, character, points of view, style and voice, and symbolism.

When I made my first fiction story (way back graduate school days), I had all sorts of mixed feelings inside my stomach. I even felt, I was in a different world. Some might think it funny, but I thank my writing teachers and editors for helping me get through with it.

Professor Bisa after an exam of writing one story spontaneously, told me that the story was acceptable, but it was not clearly written, for I had many erasures. At least, it was only a matter of good handwriting. A good format is required, as well.

I had written some stories in Filipino, and with a group of other noted and hard-working writers. To hone skills in fiction writing, comments and support from other skilled writers press the creative talents and truly help the exploring fiction writer.

Using one's own language in the short story (native tongue), gives that stark feeling of something really biting. I don't know what that means. Way back, trying to write children's stories for some TV episodes was fun, especially when doing the brainstorming method to be able to write a good story on TV. However, I did not pursue with that aspect.

Short stories (fiction) are majestic to write, but some find it scary. For me, it's more scary than writing simple poems, letters, or magazine articles. I owe my teachers a lot, the editors, and my writer friends, where finding my true self. May God bless them and all the writers and teachers giving inspiration to the readers everyday.

Sir Duque and the editors were so kind and gave free seminars to a writer's group helping them to improve the craft of fiction writing. A writer has to write more and more because what would one improve if he/she hasn't written anything.

The duty of a devoted writer is to produce a rich harvest of works, so the teachers' toil and effort would not come to waste.

Let us write now! Try.

Symbols: Birds, The Black Swan and Ducks

"The Black Swan" garners 5 academy award nominations: best picture, best actress, best director, best cinematography, and best film editing. The movie, in this season, is the talk of popular culture.

Natalie Portman wins Best Actress, and Darren Aronofsky wins Best Director. It also gets the Best Ensemble Screen Actor's Guild nomination.

Many viewers comment that the story comes so sad.

Wenzi, a young professional says, " The after-effect feeling got a grip."

Macmac, a trader says, "It is a true work of art."

A. The plot is a drama-thriller that shows more symbolism. Focusing on the feather that grows from the body, twitching sizes, colors, and scenes freeze a picture in the mind creating an effect of something real and felt. The self-touching, some blood drip, and the sex play are not growls, but rightly built in the story. They flow naturally and artful. The cutting of the nails gives the severe effect on some scenes showing a dilemma in the character's personality. In the end, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) conflict with herself becomes solved in performing, a dual personality that of a swan: the white swan and the black swan. Darren Aronofsky makes an appealing work of art.

Nina tells her mentor Thomas (Vincent Cassel) after the dance, "I have felt it." Though Thomas, the other dancers, the audience, Nina's Mom (Barbara Hershey) and Lily (Mila Kunis) her rival swan, give an applause; everyone comes to a "Why did you do that?"

Remembering the story of Hans Christian Andersen about the "Ugly Duckling" who is lost with another set of ducks tell about a struggle in personality. The other ducks do not accept her, but becomes mean to her and calls her ugly duckling since the differences in the looks and way of preferences. Later, the ugly duckling finds her true self, but away from where she comes from. Everyone finds out the ugly duckling is the most beautiful swan in the lake.

B. The Swan (Wikipedia)
The Black Swan is the official bird emblem of Western Australia. In Hindu mythology, the swan (hamsa) vehicle of Saraswati represents grace, wisdom, and beauty. In Catholicism, it can be an owl (bird family) as for wisdom. Also Swan Lake Story by Russian ballet patriarch Fyodor Lopukhoy.

C. Thought
Birds, as God's creations, play a large part in human history. Different feathered groups connote various significant symbols: food (chicken), freedom (dove), omen (crow), eagle (power), owl (wisdom), peacock (beauty), gull (manifestation of life), among others. And there are a lot more, as heron, swan, and duck. Also, birds come close to the bat that is a flying mammal, and the horse that flies (in fairy tales and mythology). And how about winged creatures like beautiful fairies in Peter Pan?

And what can you say of the guardian angels that has wings?

Truly, the enchantment of wings, feathers, and flight!

rose flores martinez
iwrotefiction
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I Wrote Fiction Stories

I Wrote Fiction Stories

Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Little Pigs, Gulliver, Moby Dick, and more magical plots are the stories children love to hear. And of course, even for professionals who want some kind of inspiration, fun and creative entertainment – childhood and fiction stories are forever part of life.

The thrill these stories give to readers are intellectual and helpful because new ideas are formed and copied from the classic and basic story patterns.

The short story roots form an idea that involves a theme; a plot with a conflict, a climax and a denouement; characters; point of view; setting; dialogue and symbols.

The short story is a fiction story that is a work of imagination telling about life here, now, and yonder as if happening truthfully for real.

Here are tips I compiled from some books about the qualities of a commendable short story:

1. The story must be fresh in style
2. The story must portray true-to-life events
3. Words used must sound real and easy to understand
4. It must have freshness of appeal
5. Writer must use his own style
6. The story must involve a series of crises and should be of value to life
7. The story must tickle the reader if it involves humor and must get into the reader’s nerves if it is heavy drama
8. it must be of vital interest

and of course, it must be original.

Short stories run between 1000 and 5000 words. To the imaginative person – and no one who is not imaginative would attempt to write fiction – every human being is full of interest. The trained fictional eye observes in order to find material for his work.


/rose flores - martinez
http://iwrotefiction.blogspot.com
http://rfvietnamrose09.blogspot.com
11.12.09

Rebecca, Three Scary Stories in Filipino

Friday, September 25, 2009

An Introduction

Rebecca. This story is my first entry to the world of fiction.

I couldn't think of anything more interesting than this one during birthing. This came to me when Sir Isagani Cruz required us to write one fiction story. And so I tried to bleed this during the workshop with Sir Charlson Ong and Sir Medina. Oh --- it did not impress them, but they thought my idea was convincing, and so I tried to improve it. I don't know if Sir Isagani remembers how I conceived this story, but I really told the whole class about it. I was not ashamed and maybe they understood me. I knew I have to polish this story.

Later, Sir Bisa helped me repair this fiction and thanks to him because I was able to decide with the title, "Rebecca." Do you know about the strong woman Rebecca, or Shakespeare's Rosalind? I just had thoughts about this. Then, Rebecca was published in Liwayway - under the authors page (Bagong Manunulat) and Sir Reynaldo Duque helped me with this story again. My story got a lot of bumpy roads without any prize. But then, this was my first fiction and what is important to me is to GET PUBLISHED and READ. Sir Dan Meneses, included it in his anthology titled "30 Piling Kuwento 2003" and was edited by Sir R. Duque. And so, I got to my goal and contentment "My prize was enough here and more than any distinction the world could give me - working with these respected writers and editors was the best prize I could ever have. Truly, it gave me a chance to prove myself in the world of writing and sharing literature.

I thank GOD for this.

Are you ready to see the ghost in me?

Go work the puzzles.

My fiction and stories are for you.

I wrote for you,
Rosalinda Flores - Martinez, 2009

http://iwrotefiction.blogspot.com

http://rfvietnamrose09.blogspot.com

Three Scary Stories in Filipino

I will start publishing here in my blog "Stories For You," short stories in Filipino. Two of this set, of Three Scary Stories were authored by Wenzi Jeanne Flores Martinez and Ma. Riza Flores Martinez. I've written one of the three. And so these 3 stories that make this set! Wenzi and Riza wrote these stories while they were in college and they have got a few poems and essays of their own as contributions way back in their school paper. I am happy and I thank GOD that they in themselves have found an expression of life in some form of words. These stories - they, considered as jokes, or practice, or simply an expression, showed part of their talents growing up students. In some way or another, they have done texts that might be helpful, and useful in the study of Filipino literature that shows that part of a culture in their contemporary period of growing up. Three Scary Stories in Filipino, R.W.R, IWROTEFICTION copyright 2009

September 25, 2009, Philippines
http://iwrotefiction.blogspot.com