Every story starts with something going wrong, right? Princess Leah needs Obi-Wan, Jaws attacks, it turns out the aliens don’t actually want to be friends. And let’s face it: no one talks as much about Peter Rabbit’s cooperative siblings. But everyone knows Peter—who dipped on his mom, did the opposite of what she said, and almost became Mr. McGreggor’s dinner. Why?
Here’s what Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story, says about the purpose of story:
We don't turn to story to escape reality. We turn to story to navigate reality. Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution—more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.
We need our characters to try out the bad stuff so that we can ponder/learn the big lessons—without getting our tails chopped off. Oh, Peter. The more bad things that happen to our favorite characters? The more we learn. And the more we’re invested in their success. Because our brains are actually wired into their story. We feel their pain. And their victories.
That’s why Pasadena StoryLab is offering a 5-day summer workshop for kids ages 7-8 called…BAD BUNNIES!
Q: Can kids only write about bad bunnies in the Bad Bunny workshop?
A: Of course not! They can write about a ninja princess, a robot pirate, a 3-eyed armadillo. The sky’s the limit. No matter the cast of characters, we will take a harrowing journey up Story Mountain. Hope we make it back! Join the fun...sign up now!
BAD BUNNIES: 5 sessions, June 10-14, 9:30-11:30 AM. On Pinecrest Drive in Altadena, near the Eaton Canyon gate. To register, visit: https://www.juliacedwards.com/
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