tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post7225452060703429850..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Making up stories about real people - John DoughertyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-50199984298381589742010-09-17T14:51:54.996+01:002010-09-17T14:51:54.996+01:00What a lovely story - and I'm so glad that the...What a lovely story - and I'm so glad that the second girl you spoke about has had her time with you and experienced the family life and love you would have given her. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your experience and reflections.<br /><br />RebeccaRebecca Portsmouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00209599805483106926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-83238713522692707562010-09-14T12:11:20.167+01:002010-09-14T12:11:20.167+01:00This post made me think again about that automatic...This post made me think again about that automatic process of fictionalising other people, almost as a knee jerk reaction, especially for writers. Amos Oz has based one of his latest books around this concept, Rhyming Life and Death and I used it in my workshops last year as an inspiration to writers. Great post John and well done for hosting the children from Chernobyl. I am sure they will remember you and your family for life.Miriam Halahmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04935448538608020877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-61592813404026522102010-09-14T09:49:47.353+01:002010-09-14T09:49:47.353+01:00Once or twice, we used the translation sheets like...Once or twice, we used the translation sheets like that; and I used Google translate as well; but it's difficult communicating with children like that because they move around so much...John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-38731124292617828922010-09-14T00:47:20.104+01:002010-09-14T00:47:20.104+01:00What they should have done is given you a written ...What they should have done is given you a written board with English and Russsian words in a grid - so that you could 'read' each other instead.catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-25407900452853367292010-09-14T00:19:36.638+01:002010-09-14T00:19:36.638+01:00We did have a sheaf of papers with useful phrases ...We did have a sheaf of papers with useful phrases translated into Russian, Cat. It's just that the children didn't seem to understand our pronunciation when we tried to use them...John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-5337088279834179212010-09-13T22:37:47.769+01:002010-09-13T22:37:47.769+01:00No communication boards? What were people thinking...No communication boards? What were people thinking of?<br /><br />The rest? Yes, I know what you mean but I have also had characters tell me that I am wrong!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-52366310560247700712010-09-13T11:32:28.413+01:002010-09-13T11:32:28.413+01:00Thought-provoking, on many levels. It's that b...Thought-provoking, on many levels. It's that behind closed doors thing, isn't it. Do we believe everything we're told or do we at least question it? How much do we decide to show and does it tally with the reality? As a child, it took me a long time to realise that grown-ups told more fibs than children, sometimes small ones and sometimes really big ones! If I was the child's voice behind a novel, would I be an ingenue, as I was, or would I be knowing? And which would make for a better story? There are many really interesting literary adult novels that feature an unreliable narrator, and there will also be children's ones too, only right now I can't think of one. Can you, and what effect does that voice have on the story?Sarah Taylor-Fergussonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01507013836947182706noreply@blogger.com