Writing a love story

the movie Jane Eyre with William Hurt finally got here (Israel), and the distributors came out with a special offer: tell us a great love story and win a trip to England! I really, really, really want to go to England (I want to go to Brighton...), but I'm afraid my creative writing skills are not so good - especially when comparing it to the great abilities some of you possess (Wendy, Katy, Cecily and more). Please, please help me to write the story... It could benefit everyone here, since we all love romance (I know it�s a lame excuse). I would be forever indebted to you. The story should be about a victory of love (this is what Jane Eyre is all about, isn�t it?): love story that stood out against difficult tests, that succeeded even if everything and everybody was against it, that will make the reader to lose a heart beat!. It�s only have to be one page. P.S: if I�ll actually win the contest, I promise you, right here and now, that I�ll share my prize (a week in England for two people, including touring the castles in which Jane Eyre was filmed) with the wonderful sweet generous person (I know I�m not very good as a flatterer) that will help me win the trip!

but in terms of copyright authorship credit, in case this contest is actually a look for a possible upcoming scriptwriter offer by the movie company running it. well, I don't think it's anything like that. they probably just want to sell the movie. I'm not even sure if they are planning to publish the winning story in the newspaper.

Adi, You start it! Then you can post it here bit by bit and get feedback. Good luck, Jane

this is the problem: I don't have any ideas. I can write a nice story if I really try, but I'm afraid I'm not that experienced when love is concerned. I'm just 20, and all the love in my life was always one-sided (i loved him or he loved me). there are a lot of romantic people here happily married, so I thought they could help me from thier own experience.

I can't help in writing, for I'm not yet 12, but I can help you to transfer it to hebrew.

Ayelet are you really 11?

Okay the time is 1942, Sharon is 23 Marc is 25, both are in love and are being transported to war. They make a pact that when the war is over they will meet at a certain location on a certain date at a certain time. Sharon is a nurse with the red cross heading to Europe, Marc is on the front lines heading to Japan. along the way several characters interact and such. One never makes it to the desired location.... Run with it folks.

Shades of an Affair to Remember, Roar?

Laura, you have a good premise, but don't forget the audience here...Adi is in Israel, and while our culture remembers WWII in terms of soldiers and battles, Israelis remember it in terms of the Holocaust and so this may not be the best setting for a love story. Then again it could be, but perhaps not necessarily betwen a Red Cross worker and a soldier... You could move the permise, Adi to the Seven Day War, or go back further in your own history to the Macabees...

Marc is Jewish. He specifically requested the European theater as his grandparents are (were) still alive in England at the beginning of the war. He is missing in action behind enemy lines in Europe, presumed captured. There is reason to fear that he has been sent to a concentration camp. Sharon, who is not Jewish, volunteered for the Red Cross inspections of the POW and concentration camps in hopes of finding Marc or finding our about Marc. Her parents still hear from her regularly, but she has not returned home since the end of the war.

I don't know if any of you saw the women who spent her years in a concentration camp,but she was on the AWards,last year and on Oprah. Her story of friendship a nd determination was remarkable, and in the end a wonderful love story to tell.Everything else said, she met her husband an American Jew fighting the war. Her story pertained to SList.She was such a brave and an wonderful person. I truely admire her strength. It still makes me cry when I think about of it.Donna

Donna, you're talking about Gerda Weiss, I think. I was so glad that she stuck to the podium and gave her speech at last year's Oscars in spite of the time-up signal. It was well worth hearing and the best acceptance speech of the evening. Wasn't her husband an American soldier who found her and other women somewhere in Czechoslovakia on a death march? A real, true love story, indeed.

Amy, yes, I am, i hope you don't mind, I REALLY love P&P.

Of course, not, Ayelet. I just had to wonder. My 12 year old has only recently started reading for pleasure; I feared he never would. But he will not tackle anything very challenging. I am so glad you are with us. Let us know if we get too adult -- in any way.

Amy: Let us know if we get too adult -- in any way. No, no, we wouldn't want that to happen! Heaven forbid! But I don't think we are in too much danger. ;-)

Adulthood is highly overrated.

Amy: Let us know if we get too adult -- in any way. Cheryl: No, no, we wouldn't want that to happen! Heaven forbid! But I don't think we are in too much danger. ;-) would you believe too adolescent? ;-)

Amy, you mean he dosen't like to read? good heavens, what's the matter with him? I can't imagine my life without books! I'm trying to read P&P (a little every evening), but I fear that I don't know ALL the words JA uses, but my excuse is that I'm a beginner in English, becouse I live in Israel. my mother is a real JA fan, and through her I met JA and P&P, she watched P&P2 one afternoon, and, after you watch Lizzy refusing to Darcy's preposual (which was the scene I happend to see), you can't help falling in love with P&P, can you? Thanks for letting me stay, thanks a lot!

Maybe I should get him to correspond with you, Ayelet!

Ayelet, I must tell you that you remind me so much of some girls that visit my library. They seem to share your deligth in books and it is such fun to find them good ones to read. Amy, I often find that boys are a little less mature in their reading habits, but mostly, given the inspiring sort of surrounding *you* can't help but providing, he will sooner or later discover the fun of it. The trick migth be to introduce books but not give them any sort of dull homework association. For instance read aloud together and if he really enjoys the book, you suddenly have no time for several days to continue...be sure to leave the book where it can be found! Am I a children's librarian or not? Forgive my lecturing manner.It was kindly meant;=)

Good idea, Ann.

Amy, have you come across a book called 'Midnite' by Randolf Stow? It might appeal as a read aloud book to your older son (and your little guy might enjoy it too). Its funny, about a bushranger, and is often studied here in lower high school.

No, but I will look for it, Hil. Thanks.

Hilary, can you think of a good book for me? I'll look for it, I seem to finish all the books (not including my father's philosophy books) at home, or the good ones in the library.

Oh dear! Adi, have you seen the winning stories? They asked for real stories, and they got lots, but the winning story is just AWFUL! have you read it? I was shocked when I read it yesterday! Oh well, nothing's perfect.

yes Ayelet, I've read it and I'm astonished as you are!. I was absolutely certain they wanted a fictional story... It's a good thing I didn't waste my time trying to write that story after all. I had 2 major tests that week, so I didn't have time to write, and I was sorry to miss the opportunity to maybe, just maybe win something I really want. but I guess it's all for the best. I'm planning a trip to England next summer, so eventually I'll get there... and about the winning story: it was dreadful!, like a terrible soup opera, such an awful love story! I was amazed when the kibutznik said he took all her furniture: does he actually want people to know about it?! P.S: I've wanted to ask you that before - How come you have such a good English?. don't tell me you learned it at school, cause I know the English level in the 5th grade in Israel, and it's not so good, to say the least.

SHE IS A SMART KID!

How did I learn? I must confess, I was born in NY, we lived there for 3 years, and then moved to Israel, and almost never used English, so I forgot a lot of my English, but the internet helped me to work on it, and when I knew enough to read, I begun to read the books in English for begginers we had at home, really thin ones, and sort of gradually went on. One day my mother came with "Little Women", she told me she bought it for me, I was really astonished, but I begun to read, it took me long to f nish it (Three weeks!) but I did it, and I was proud of myself.

Ayelet, it took me that long at 10 too. Do you suppose your early familiarity with the language somehow came back to help you?

well, Ayelet, I knew it has to be something like that... I'm sure you are a smart kid (as Sharon said), anyone at your age expressing himself as you do must have some brains, it's just that my sister, also 11 years old, who I consider very intelligent can't quite understand what the English teacher wants from her... IMHO, one can't learn a foreign language just by sitting in the classroom 5 hours a week, no matter how smart he is. you had to talk, read, write and breath it (or even better - live in NY).

Learning is far more interesting when you have an emotionnal interest in the subject, nothing like a good incentive

It's even harder to learn a language in the US. Most school systems do not start teaching other languages until students are about 12, which is much too late to start learning. The brain is already wired for English and does not want to learn something else.

}Most school systems do not start teaching other languages until students are about 12, which is much too late to start learning. Without mention, language here in Montreal is a subject much discussed. Some "international school" appeared in the last decade and some are teaching english in 1st grade and spanish in 4th or 5th. A younger mind is much more malleable and genereally closed to outside prejudices. There is although a definite positive influence when parents are exposing (positively) their kids early on to different cultures. From personnal experience, I learn basically through TV, mom never understood neither the language nor the anglophone culture. And my brother is closer to being unilangual, even if we had the same exposure. A mixture of interest and a definite easyness to learn surely advantaged me in the long run. Similar qualities and a vaguely similar experience happened to my dad, close to no schooling (3rd grade), working at 11 years old, he learned some yiddish and english while working in a factory. But for grammar and a deeper comprehension in litterature, I had to wait in High School, and like you say, 2 hours a week don't go far. ]The brain is already wired for English and does not want to learn something else. On this I have to argue. It might want to learn given the right incentive. Amazing how international connection (an american or australian boyfriend ;) experience opens your horizon. Nothing like being immerse in it (no joke here Cheryl). And you try not to drown. Brain is malleable enough given the right inducements to go further, beyond and broadening it's limits. It might seem more painful and difficult as years go by, it is true, but so much is possible.

teaching english in 1st grade and spanish in 4th or 5th : I should have mention in a francophone school, which gives it another perspective.

Some people can learn languages at any age (scum balls), but studies have shown that the brain actually does wire itself for the languages it knows. Some languages have sounds that are very similar, if you do not grow up in that society, you will literally not be able to tell the difference between the sounds. The brain simply can not tell the difference. As the brain developes it becomes structured to hear and understand the languages it is familiar with. If you try to learn a language after this process is complete (in the early teens, I think), it is harder than if you started earlier. I studied German in high school and then Ancient Greek in college, the Greek was much harder to keep in my head than the German.

Ann2: . . . studies have shown that the brain actually does wire itself for the languages it knows. Some languages have sounds that are very similar, if you do not grow up in that society, you will literally not be able to tell the difference between the sounds. I thought that the difference was not in understanding (hearing) the difference, but it reproducing (speaking) it. I've heard that your ability to produce certain vocal effects, like for instance the gutteral ghhhhhttt found in Yiddish, is determined by the time you're two years old. I can make that sound (though not very well) because I heard Yiddish spoken as a baby, and it's helped me in French, in producing those sounds that start at the back of the throat. The maddening part is hearing the ound spoken perfectly and not being able to do it myself!

Yes indeed, Ann, we must differenciate what becomes almost instinctive and what is later a learned process therefore less instinctive, more of a thinking skill. Just by reading my post you can understand what I mean. ;)

Johanne: Nothing like being immerse in it (no joke here Cheryl). And you try not to drown. Johanne is an excellent swimmer! It is bad enough trying to use ordinary language in a "second" language, but today she "swam" in a geek-talk chat meeting that had my own poor English speaking brain spinning! I cannot imagine myself surviving that in French!) Ann: studies have shown that the brain actually does wire itself for the languages it knows. Though this digresses from the topic at hand, this is indeed true - you are now in my specialty. :-) Infants make all sorts of sounds, many not used in their own "native" language. Those of the predominant language are "rewarded" and encouraged, and the others become extinguished because nobody responds to them. The prime time for language learning, though, is birth-age 5 or 6, and the first two years of life are especially important. These are the years in which the sounds of the child's language ar "imprinted" in their minds. By the time a child enters school, the best time for learning a language is already past. It is still easier to learn before one learns to read and spell. Once the sounds of one's spoken language have been linked with the visual symbols, it is very difficult to un-link them. I know how to pronounce a French "r" - but it takes tremendous effort to make myself do it - especially if reading aloud. This is also why the experts feel that children raised in institutions in which there is little individual attention given to each child during infancy never do develop language profficiency equal to children who are raised in situations in which individual attention is paid and stimulation given to the child at this critical age. Families adopting disadvantaged children from foreign orphanages are finding that no amount of stimulation given later on in the child's development can make up for what was l st during the first year or two of a child's development. Joan, too

Joan, too: I saw a tv program last week about children adopted from Romanian orphanages -- confirmed what you wrote above. In fact, they showed that the brain scans of many (though not all) of these children showed little or no activity in the language center of the brain. Sadly, there are fewer adoptions being allowed at any ages out of Romania, even though there are still many children warehoused in state institutions. It was enough to make you weep or scream.

Joan, too I recognize what you have said from my work with children and books ...and from own experience. My son was about ten months old when he came into our lifes from Chile and the first weeks the only thing he said that we could understand was Que (spelling?) as in "what, what is that" . A smile comes to my face as I recall the sound of his tiny voice. He arrived in time I think I may safely say.He has our sense of humour and no trouble to melt into the family on behalf of language. Kathleen I too, have seen those films from institutions in different countries and agree from bottom of heart. If only every child could have a home with love and people to listen and care !

You had other children first, Ann2? Tell more.

Johanne and Anne3, I was pleasantly surprised that both of you mentioned Yiddish. As far as I know it's a dying language that only Hasidim and old Russian jews still talk. my late beloved grandparents used to talk Yiddish, and as much as I tried I couldn't learn it from them... but it's such a beautiful language!. it practically has a word for everything under the sun and there are a lot of witty expressions. Anne3: I've heard that your ability to produce certain vocal effects, like for instance the gutteral ghhhhhttt found in Yiddish you probably mean the letter "Hat" (ghhhat) in Hebrew. as someone who has this letter in her surname (Shacham) I can say that you are absolutely right!. many people form abroad just can't pronounce it, so we call ourselves "Shaham" whenever we aren�t in Israel. I have the same problem trying to say "th" in English. It always comes out as "S" or "F"...

Adi, I'm sorry to say that while my grandparents spoke Yiddish as their native tongue (they all came to the U.S. as children), and while my mother and her brothers and sister all learned to speak it fluently, it has not been passed on to the third generation. My mother had the attitude, typical among second-generation Americans, that to be "ethnic" was embarrassing. She wanted to assimilate herself into American culture, which in those days meant an exclusively WASP culture. It's not as bad now, I thin ; people know that American culture is a blend of many others, and they try to preserve what they can of their family's heritage. But the closest I ever came to learning Yiddish (other than picking up a handful of invaluable expressions from older family members and friends) was a course given in summer camp when I was nine or ten. And all I remember from that was how to count to ten! :-(

Johanne, when my sister lived in Montreal (she did her fellowship for pulmonary medicine at McGill) she told me about the daughter of a friend of hers. The father was from Spain, the mother was Norwegian and the girl went to an international school, by the time she was seven, she could speak Spanish, Norwegian, French and English. I learned remidial Spanish as part of an experiment in 6th grade--I can still count to ten. I took French in high school and college, but have no opportunity to use it, so have forgotton most of it. In high school, we used to speak amongst ourselves in "franglais", which was a combination of French/English, were we would revert back to English whenever we did not know the French word something. Example: Ma souer est un medicin, qui specializes dans les lung diseases.

In high school, we used to speak amongst ourselves in "franglais", which was a combination of French/English, were we would revert back to English whenever we did not know the French word something. Should read:In high school, we used to speak amongst ourselves in "franglais", which was a combination of French/English, were we would revert back to English whenever we did not know the French word for something.