Buffy To U

Here is a little help to get you started with finding recipes on the Internet. You can go to any company, like www.ortega.com, or www.kraftfoods.com, and then just follow their directions to recipes.

There are also sites which are not name brand companies, like www.mom-mom.com. Click "Let's Cook" and then you can search for recipes. This is probably one of the easiest sites I have found and it is filled with many recipes.

Another great site is www.eat.com. I found this on a jar of Ragu. It's an easy site filled with great recipes. Just click on "Recipes" and check the box with the type of recipe you are looking for. There are an abundance of recipes, even light and healthy ones.

These recipes have nutritional information per serving and can fit on a 4″ x 6″ index card. Just print, cut, and glue.

By Louise Thompson

1. Read plays. Read any dialogue out loud; perform a few scenes with friends.

2. Choose your story. Many plays begin as novels, short stories, or fables. What will you choose? It's still your play if you add scenes and dialogue. Copying a story can get you into trouble, so use only the basic plot from the original. And remember to credit the author of the story you use.

3. Understand plotting, of course, you can also choose to write something original. If you do, try these ideas: Begin with action; make characters seem like real people; have a major character who wants something that's important but hard to get; and make every word count.

4. Keep it Short. Start with a one-act play of no more than four scenes; don't let actors get dizzy running around.

5. Keep it simple. Write a play that can be performed in everyday clothes or simple costumes. Don't worry about whether props look "real"; if the story and acting are good, the audience will hardly notice if the "tree" is a ladder.

6. Keep the cast small. TOO many characters make a plot hard to follow. Stick with two or three major roles plus a few "extras."

7. Know what you'll do with your play. Will you show it to your family for fun? Enter a playwriting contest? Sell tickets to the public?

8. Format your script so actors can understand what you want. Reading other plays will help you learn the basic format. Make it easy for actors to tell directions from dialogue, and obvious who speaks when. And remember: "Stage right" means the actors' right, not the audience's right.

9. Rewrite at least once. After completing your first draft, put it aside for a week, then reread it to see what needs improvement. (Something always does!) It can help to have someone else read it, too.

10. Rehearse! Even if this is a school project and won't be produced, it'll be a better play if you gather some friends and perform your play for practice; only then will you know if it really works.

Bonus Tip

Have fun! Don't fret about getting things perfect. Enjoy your play!

And remember Appleseeds when you become the next Shakespeare!

By Katherine Swartz

Louisa May Alcott kept a journal, or diary, from the time she was old enough to express her thoughts on paper. Her parents kept extensive journals of their own and required the same of their daughters. Bronson's journal consisted of 61 volumes by the time he stopped writing at age 82. Abba frequently read Louisa's journal and left encouraging notes for Louisa about her writing and keeping her temper in check.

Try keeping your own journal for a month. Get a notebook and start writing about what is going on in your life and how you feel about it. Here are some tips for keeping a journal:

1. Write something every day. The more you write, the better you will get.
2. Try to set aside a special time to write each day. Early morning is a good time for some people. Others like to collect their thoughts just before bedtime.
3. A journal is a private book, so concentrate on recording your thoughts and ideas and do not worry about spelling and punctuation at first.
4. Do not throw anything away. A journal is a record of your growth. What you write today may look silly a few months later, but it was important at the time.

AND CONSIDER THIS…

* A journal can be a record of important occurrences: Big and small events may be happening in your life or in the world around you.

* A journal is a great place to write down dreams and nightmares. Putting them on paper may help you to understand yourself and the visions you have when you sleep. When Louisa was ill, she had some very strange dreams and frightening nightmares, which she recorded in her journal.

* A journal helps you analyze your beliefs and opinions. It is a private book, so you can make mistakes, freely express your feelings, and change your mind as often as you like.

* A journal is a storage space for story ideas. The next time your English teacher requests a story. or a poem, your journal can provide you with a month's worth of ideas. Louisa's most successful novels are about the people and things she knew best: Authors stick to subjects they know.

* A journal is an excellent way to get to know yourself better. When you reread it, you may be astonished at how much you have forgotten. Or, you may be impressed with how your ability to express yourself has changed over time!

By Mary Baldwin, Cobblestone