Today is World Book Day according to UNESCO, to commemorate the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes.
And it’s Thursday, so it’s also Three Line Thursday. Being the efficient blogger, writer, and teacher that I am, I’ve linked both events in this post!
This is the photo prompt for Three Line Thursday. Rules: Three lines, no more than ten words per line.
The Naked Tree
Inspiration is like a naked tree.
Yet her artful pen crafts a budding orchard,
While the reader picks mellow fruit hanging from loaded stems.
****
Writers imagine people, places and events, and build them up into stories, or poems, or flash fiction, or novels, and other types of fiction, while readers reap the fruits. That is why I’ll always prefer reading; it’s easier and more enjoyable.
Writing is hard. I mulled over the 24 words in The Naked Tree for hours, and anyone can read it in seconds; that’s how hard writing is! (I won’t tell you how many hours went into my novel, although I enjoyed almost every minute of it). On the other hand it’s rewarding to know that you can express your feelings, and reach and move people you don’t know and will never even meet.
To celebrate World Book Day, at the Adult Education Centre where I teach English in the south of Spain, we have been carrying out ‘literary breakfasts‘ in our half-hour morning and afternoon breaks all week. Students and teachers talk about and discuss their favourite books, over coffee and biscuits.
We also prepared a Flash Fiction Challenge in English and Spanish (their native language). All the entries were printed on mini cardboard books and displayed along the main corridor, as you can see in this picture.
Prizes, book tokens, were awarded today. This is one of the winning flashes.
It wasn’t easy for them to write a 100-word creative flash with a first sentence prompt, in a foreign language, but they made a great effort (I did promise to make sure it had a positive effect on their marks!).
I’d never used flash fiction in class before, as I teach mainly use of English, which doesn’t include much literary creativity, but I was surprised how much they enjoyed writing, and talking about what they read. I’m definitely going to do it again.
How have you celebrated World Book Day?
Those of you who are teachers, have you used flash fiction in the classroom?
Rereading Jane Eyre 
It sounds like a great idea, Luccia. I was in Barcelona today and there’s the tradition of having stalls for book writers to sign their books and there’s also the roses (for St. Jordi). Books are also discounted by 10%. It’s a very big day for bookshops and writers.
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I’ve never been to Barcelona on this day. Sounds great. A Rose and a book. Two perfect presents.🌹🌹
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I must admit that I didn’t do anything specific to celebrate book day. I used to enjoy celebrating it when the children were younger and they used to go to school dressed as their favourite book characters. I love your poem, “The Naked Tree” – the imagery is excellent. 🙂
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Thank you from dropping by and commenting 💖🌹 I think all language teachers use any excuse to encourage students to read. It was fun!
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