Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Rough Timeline
Here's a rough timeline that's really about getting idea about how the project will be developed. It's something that I'm really glad I did as it made me realise that I don't have all that much time for this. Right now I need to really push forward with the story.
Real life situations
I've been going through parenting forums online to get a different perspective on the story I'm developing. Here are a few excerpts that I thought were very relevant and quite interesting.
“We may have found out what was wrong we had been driven to our limit last weekend so he was sent to his room we had a talk about what was going on with him but it went in one ear and out the other so finally i said to him he was grounded to his room i gave him some paper and a pencil and told him that he couldn't come out until he wrote down on paper what was going on what has changed in his life for him to behave this way after two days (sunday afternoon and monday after school) he came out crying with something written on paper he thought he was going to get in trouble for saying it but this is what bothered him he wrote "My Mummy doesn't love me anymore she only loves Maia" (Maia is our daughter) it nearly killed my wife to hear it so we talked about it. What has happened is my wife was home all the time at the end of her preg and for the first 5 months of my daughters life but then she went back to work, My wife is in senior management at a resort running all banquets and conferences so is required at work for up to 60 hours a week she is exhausted when she gets home so likes to sit and rest my son is use to her being home after school and on weekends so is having difficulty understanding why she is not home and when she is why she always shows our daughter more attention and not him (she likes to feed, change and play with our daughter because she is having a bit of a hard time adjusting her self but always involves our son) he is missing the time they use to spend together.”
bobshell - raisingchildren.net.au
“We have three boys. The two eldest are 13 months apart at 7 & 8 yo. The eldest has just had a birthday and preceeding this he has started to enjoy his own company more and more. With the arrival of some new toys and cub scout activities he is becoming more comfortable by himself. These two boys have been very close for their whole lives and have been through family break up and moving interstate together. To say that they are close is an understatement. The 7 yo is showing signs of unrest since the 8 yo's new found independence. He can't entertain himself and needs a lot more adult attention than usual. While we do our best to give him a little more attention he needs to learn to play by himself as we have a 3 yo and a business to entertain as well. He doesn't know how to play by himself and just mopes around.”
burtbunch - raisingchildren.net.au
“My son as developmental verbal dyspraxia. He has been having speech therapy for around 3 and half years. we didnt start getting any words from him until christmas 2005 (he was 4 and half). He's speech is coming along slowly but is getting better all the time. He is in presshool this year and he has an assistant with him to help in the classroom maybe you could speak to your school about seeing if your son would be eligible for one. Also when he wasn't talk we used a basic sign language called MAKTON you should ask your speech pathlogist if this would help him. it help us it relieves the frustation they and you feel when the can't get across what they want. Remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope all go's well.”
mum3939 - raisingchildren.net.au
“My son is 3 and has been having speech therapy for about 5 months, he is on the list to see a paed and occupation health. He has a few words that he uses but 2 word sentences are his limit. He has 2 older brothers and I was aware at 8 months he wasnt making the same babbles that the others did. He goes to daycare twice a week when I'm at work and have made them aware of the problem, they are usually happy to help by reinforcing whatever is being done at home or therapy. We have been told that he may have to go to a speech kindy, I hope that he does so he can get help and hopefully fit into mainstream school when he is ready, he would be starting kindy this time next year and I would hate to think of him struggling to communicate with other kids.”
Diddlie - raisingchildren.net.au
“We may have found out what was wrong we had been driven to our limit last weekend so he was sent to his room we had a talk about what was going on with him but it went in one ear and out the other so finally i said to him he was grounded to his room i gave him some paper and a pencil and told him that he couldn't come out until he wrote down on paper what was going on what has changed in his life for him to behave this way after two days (sunday afternoon and monday after school) he came out crying with something written on paper he thought he was going to get in trouble for saying it but this is what bothered him he wrote "My Mummy doesn't love me anymore she only loves Maia" (Maia is our daughter) it nearly killed my wife to hear it so we talked about it. What has happened is my wife was home all the time at the end of her preg and for the first 5 months of my daughters life but then she went back to work, My wife is in senior management at a resort running all banquets and conferences so is required at work for up to 60 hours a week she is exhausted when she gets home so likes to sit and rest my son is use to her being home after school and on weekends so is having difficulty understanding why she is not home and when she is why she always shows our daughter more attention and not him (she likes to feed, change and play with our daughter because she is having a bit of a hard time adjusting her self but always involves our son) he is missing the time they use to spend together.”
bobshell - raisingchildren.net.au
“We have three boys. The two eldest are 13 months apart at 7 & 8 yo. The eldest has just had a birthday and preceeding this he has started to enjoy his own company more and more. With the arrival of some new toys and cub scout activities he is becoming more comfortable by himself. These two boys have been very close for their whole lives and have been through family break up and moving interstate together. To say that they are close is an understatement. The 7 yo is showing signs of unrest since the 8 yo's new found independence. He can't entertain himself and needs a lot more adult attention than usual. While we do our best to give him a little more attention he needs to learn to play by himself as we have a 3 yo and a business to entertain as well. He doesn't know how to play by himself and just mopes around.”
burtbunch - raisingchildren.net.au
“My son as developmental verbal dyspraxia. He has been having speech therapy for around 3 and half years. we didnt start getting any words from him until christmas 2005 (he was 4 and half). He's speech is coming along slowly but is getting better all the time. He is in presshool this year and he has an assistant with him to help in the classroom maybe you could speak to your school about seeing if your son would be eligible for one. Also when he wasn't talk we used a basic sign language called MAKTON you should ask your speech pathlogist if this would help him. it help us it relieves the frustation they and you feel when the can't get across what they want. Remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hope all go's well.”
mum3939 - raisingchildren.net.au
“My son is 3 and has been having speech therapy for about 5 months, he is on the list to see a paed and occupation health. He has a few words that he uses but 2 word sentences are his limit. He has 2 older brothers and I was aware at 8 months he wasnt making the same babbles that the others did. He goes to daycare twice a week when I'm at work and have made them aware of the problem, they are usually happy to help by reinforcing whatever is being done at home or therapy. We have been told that he may have to go to a speech kindy, I hope that he does so he can get help and hopefully fit into mainstream school when he is ready, he would be starting kindy this time next year and I would hate to think of him struggling to communicate with other kids.”
Diddlie - raisingchildren.net.au
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Premise
Last class we talked about the premise of our stories and how important it is to have something to come back to when writing your story. It's in the last few days that I've realised that my premise wasn't as strong as I thought it was, and as such I've been trying to really get to the heart of what I'm trying to say in this story.
Essentially what I'm looking at is the relationship between the brothers in this story. The older brother doesn't relate to his younger brother, and because he does not feel this empathy, he rejects him. The story will ultimately be about the boy discovering his brothers TRUE CHARACTER. The boy will learn that while he may not share all that much with his brother on a superficial level, their core beliefs aren't so different.
This development between the brothers will be driven by the Cicada, which will act more as a plot device.
I'm not sure how this stacks up as a premise so I might do some more research into premise just to strengthen the foundations.
Essentially what I'm looking at is the relationship between the brothers in this story. The older brother doesn't relate to his younger brother, and because he does not feel this empathy, he rejects him. The story will ultimately be about the boy discovering his brothers TRUE CHARACTER. The boy will learn that while he may not share all that much with his brother on a superficial level, their core beliefs aren't so different.
This development between the brothers will be driven by the Cicada, which will act more as a plot device.
I'm not sure how this stacks up as a premise so I might do some more research into premise just to strengthen the foundations.
Picture Story Books
Looking at picture story books at the local library. There were several that dealt with sibling rivalry, most however focused on a new baby coming into the family.
Cicada Research
- Cicadas are linked to Summer (when they emerge to mate).
- Many children like to collect them (this may have been truer in previous decades).
- Common cicadas (the green ones) are known as "green grocers" or "Cyclochila Australasiae".
Cicadas have 3 main stages in their life. Which are, the egg, the nymph and as an adult.
The Egg
- Eggs are roughly cigar-shaped, 1.5-3mm in length, white or pale cream.
- The female uses her "ovipositor" to cut slits in the tree where she lays her eggs. She will lay around 200-300, but can lay up to 600, usually over a few days on different branches.
- Eggs can be laid almost anywhere from grass to hard dead eucalyptus trees, however they will usually be laid near a nymphal food source (e.g. a large tree).
- Cyclochila Australasiae take about 120 days to hatch, and can be effected by rain.
The Nymph
- Hatches as a "pronymph" encased in a thin transparent skin.
- It then wriggles out of the egg and out of the slit (of the tree).
- Cyclochila Australasiae are white with black eyes when they hatch.
- They dry out easily so they quickly drop to the ground, it doesn't matter from what height as they are so light it doesn't harm them.
- After reaching the ground they find an opening to tunnel down to make their cell before looking for food.
- They suck sap from tree roots with their "rostrums".
- They usually live about 40cm-1m under the surface.
- They shed their skin a few times under ground as they grow.
- Before emergence, a tunnel is dug to the surface for easy exit when the time comes.
- One they surface they find a spot to shed their skin (usually a tree), they pump blood in their wings to expand them and then let them dry.
Mating
- Singing attracts females, once the female arrives the male will chirp softer and they will sidle for a little while before mating.
- As adults they live for 2-4 weeks under favorable conditions.
- A female in captivity lived for 6 weeks.
Predators
Birds - Cicadas are considered as quality food and everything but their wings will be eaten. They are at risk when singing or flying through the air. Often they will congregate so their collective sound deters birds from attacking them.
Cicada killer wasps - These wasps will sting a Cicada paralysing it immediately before dragging it into their next where it stores it and lays eggs beneath it so when the larvae hatch they eat it alive.
Other predators - Spiders, Ants, Praying mantis', Lizards
Information sourced from:
Australian Cicadas
M.S.Moulds 1990
- Many children like to collect them (this may have been truer in previous decades).
- Common cicadas (the green ones) are known as "green grocers" or "Cyclochila Australasiae".
Cicadas have 3 main stages in their life. Which are, the egg, the nymph and as an adult.
The Egg
- Eggs are roughly cigar-shaped, 1.5-3mm in length, white or pale cream.
- The female uses her "ovipositor" to cut slits in the tree where she lays her eggs. She will lay around 200-300, but can lay up to 600, usually over a few days on different branches.
- Eggs can be laid almost anywhere from grass to hard dead eucalyptus trees, however they will usually be laid near a nymphal food source (e.g. a large tree).
- Cyclochila Australasiae take about 120 days to hatch, and can be effected by rain.
The Nymph
- Hatches as a "pronymph" encased in a thin transparent skin.
- It then wriggles out of the egg and out of the slit (of the tree).
- Cyclochila Australasiae are white with black eyes when they hatch.
- They dry out easily so they quickly drop to the ground, it doesn't matter from what height as they are so light it doesn't harm them.
- After reaching the ground they find an opening to tunnel down to make their cell before looking for food.
- They suck sap from tree roots with their "rostrums".
- They usually live about 40cm-1m under the surface.
- They shed their skin a few times under ground as they grow.
- Before emergence, a tunnel is dug to the surface for easy exit when the time comes.
- One they surface they find a spot to shed their skin (usually a tree), they pump blood in their wings to expand them and then let them dry.
Mating
- Singing attracts females, once the female arrives the male will chirp softer and they will sidle for a little while before mating.
- As adults they live for 2-4 weeks under favorable conditions.
- A female in captivity lived for 6 weeks.
Predators
Birds - Cicadas are considered as quality food and everything but their wings will be eaten. They are at risk when singing or flying through the air. Often they will congregate so their collective sound deters birds from attacking them.
Cicada killer wasps - These wasps will sting a Cicada paralysing it immediately before dragging it into their next where it stores it and lays eggs beneath it so when the larvae hatch they eat it alive.
Other predators - Spiders, Ants, Praying mantis', Lizards
Information sourced from:
Australian Cicadas
M.S.Moulds 1990
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Sibling Rivalry
Some summarised research into Sibling Rivalry.
The main cause stems simply from jealousy and competition. However other factors can influence it as well including:
"I against my brother; my brother and I against my cousin; I, my brother and my cousin against the stranger."
Kyla Boyse, University of Michigan says:
"Each child in a family competes to define who they are as individuals and want to show that they are separate from their siblings."
Sources:
Kidshealth - http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sibling_rivalry.html
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibling_rivalry
The main cause stems simply from jealousy and competition. However other factors can influence it as well including:
- Evolving needs - kids have changing needs as they grow up. Toddlers are very protective of their toys and belongings. School age kids often have a strong concept of fairness and equality. Teenagers are developing a sense of independence and individuality.
- Individual Temperaments - One child might be laid back while the other strict.
- Special needs - kids may act up if there is a sick/disabled kid because he is getting more attention or maybe out of fear for his brother.
"I against my brother; my brother and I against my cousin; I, my brother and my cousin against the stranger."
Kyla Boyse, University of Michigan says:
"Each child in a family competes to define who they are as individuals and want to show that they are separate from their siblings."
Sources:
Kidshealth - http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sibling_rivalry.html
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibling_rivalry
Initial Thoughts
My initial thoughts for the Cicada idea were to focus around the theme of purpose. By looking at these insects who spend their entire life underground only to come up for 4 weeks to mate before dying. I was then going to explore this idea further through some of the human characters, being the boy and a brother. However as I've explored this idea I've come to see the relationship between the brothers as more important and the Cicada concept as merely a way of expressing this. This puts me in an awkward position as the concept evolves into something else. Some of the themes I'll be looking at now are sibling rivalry and brotherhood. Hopefully it will be something that I can weave into a story!
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