We were invited to a sneak peek into the Singapore Writers Festival - happening this and next weekend - with a workshop by the very animated Chuah Ai Lin (pictured above left), Singapore’s first professional storyteller-guide.
One thing I learnt from Ai Lin was that children’s imaginations don’t need all that much to take off on their own. A few shapes, a few colours, some questions to get them thinking, and they’re off!
Another lesson is that we can make up stories out of practically anything - and even nothing.
Here’s an interesting exercise she made us do. (Which is also why Vera and I are standing up there telling a story and drawing at the same time.) It’s called Draw and Tell - a variation of the Cut and Tell story that she demonstrated in the workshop.
She started us off with a simple image of an ice-cream cone. Then she asked what story could you tell to end up with this ice-cream cone?
I worked with Vera to come up with this…
The loops in the air is basically the flight path of a happy bird, playing by itself.
Then she spots a worm on the ground. The downward and upward swoops represent the bird making its move to catch and eat the little worm. (Here’s our story below. I wrote little notes to help you comprehend the flow, but in actual story-telling you don’t need any notes. You’re just meant to draw and tell.)
Finally, she makes a triumphant loop in the air, creating the cherry topping on the ice-cream.
A simple story exercise, but yet it puts a smile on the little ones’ faces, when they see the complete picture.
The challenge is also to end off your story with a reference to the image, For example, I could say that “The little bird went in search for dessert to round off its meal…Hmm, wouldn’t some ice-cream be nice?” (There you have it, a story ending to tickle little listeners.)
Isn’t it amazing that we have it all within us to create animated stories of our own? You don’t have to use the same image every time; you can come up with your own, but keep in mind that simple ones work best. Try it the next time you’re stuck somewhere with nothing but a pen and paper in hand. 😉
This year’s Singapore Writers Festival has expanded its programme to cater to a wider audience. Curated around the theme of “Island of Dreams”, it has 5 festival tracks, namely SWF Stage, SWF3 (for families), SWF Pop, SWF Class, and SWF Beyond. In other words, there’s something for everyone, not just budding writers, illustrators and playwrights.
Flash giveaway will be happening tonight (28 Oct, 9.30pm)! One lucky reader will get to win a pair of tickets (for 2 children) to either of these 2 events at the Singapore Writers Festival. Just hop over to our Facebook post to enter!
- Animation on a phone (31 Oct, 10-11.30am) - Suitable for 7-9yo. Well-loved children’s author Chris Haughton will go through basic illustration steps and help you create your very own stop-motion animation with just a smartphone. Make sure you download the Vine app beforehand. Adult help needed.
- A little bit lost (1 Nov, 11-12nn ) - Suitable for 4-6yo. With the earnest assistance of his new friend Squirrel, Little Owl sets off in search of his mother, and meets other animal friends along the way. Join Little Owl (and Chris Haughton) on a journey to learn the art of illustration. This hands-on workshop includes basic handicraft. Adult help needed.
Here are more of my picks for SWF for families. Do check them out with your little ones!
- Shh! He has a plan - 4-6yo
- Cut, Shake, Roll - 7-9yo
- Tales from a very big island - 4 and above
- Where the wild things aren’t - 7-9yo
- Create a Stacey@ACM adventure - 7-10yo
- Drawing with Emila and Dina - 7-9yo
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