They won't be troubled with things like a lack of plot or narrative momentum.

It won't
bother them that a character's hair gets awkwardly hacked up after a battle with peanut
butter, then appears magically restored to its original length soon afterward. They won't
think twice about the fact that a backyard is covered with gaping, muddy holes after a
massive water fight and pipe explosion, then is miraculously landscaped to perfection in a
day.

Speaking of a day, that's apparently how long it takes to organize a wedding for dozens of
guests, including altering a gown to fit a bride who's several inches shorter than the
woman who walked down the aisle in it the first time.

This all sounds like uptight, grown-up nitpicking, probably. But it's also a reflection of a
weakness in storytelling, which is sad given the strength of the source material.

"Ramona and Beezus" is based on Beverly Cleary's beloved children's books, which have
been around for more than 50 years and vividly capture the playfulness and awkwardness
of youth. Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay's script features tales from several of Cleary's
books, and as a result it feels like a series of individual episodes -- both madcap and
heartrending -- rather than a cohesive story with any real drive. Elizabeth Allen, who also
directed "Aquamarine," plays up the antics for maximum wackiness, and they're
amplified by the uncharacteristically jaunty, intrusive score by Mark Mothersbaugh.

Newcomer Joey King has a likable way about her, though, as the high-spirited, accident-
prone Ramona Quimby. She's a natural young actress, and she even gets a chance to
show some range in a couple of tearjerker moments. But the repeated fantasy sequences,
which depict her imaginative interior world, have an intentionally rough-hewn aesthetic
and end up looking more cheesy than charming.
Ok, this is what we got. Questions and answers. Opposite ends, but which one's worth
looking into. My previous article dealt with the power of questions, now let's look at the
weakness of answers. Straight up, answers are low budget, a waste of time. They
comprise the following ideas:

One stop shop.

Linear thinking.
The tradition of being traditional.
One path to know everything
One way of living your life
One viewpoint
One, one, one...

These are the results of answers at work.

We gotta put more time in and seek a higher purpose than chasing the same boring ideals.
But we've been conditioned to follow these ideals and continue chasing them well into
adulthood. In class, you're told that you get better grades because you know the answers.
No kids are given good grades for asking the right questions, they are ignored and told to
seek answers, not questions.

But all alone, it's the questions that push us to find what we're really seeking.

When our hearts are chasing a goal, it's the questions that propel us into deeper territories
of the mind. And inside the mind, questions are the backbones of forming new neural
networks, new ways of viewing the world. So why do we seek answers? Some will argue
our selfishness, some will say our ego, and others will argue our incessant need to know.
Regardless of what you decide, it's obvious that answers are placeholders that bind you to
a certain path. With questions, your mind opens to new paths and new roads to discover
and pursue.

So, what's your question?

Torn between managing books and screenplays and music production, MB endured the
Herculean trials of adulthood and now entering his 40s, he experiments with the
structural problems of screenwriting and current philosophies governing novels.

Fascinated by the promise of Epistolary Novels, he seeks to discover the Holy Grail and
explore its enlightening power to demean the current trends for TV dramas.

MB can be found in local bookstores around the Tampa Bay area, spends his evenings
scouring libraries, and analyzes films in his spare time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Miquiel_Banks

THE COMPETITION
Besides reviving a dying tradition, the competition
gives students the opportunity to enhance their
skills in storytelling. Awards and prizes are used to
recognize that student achievement.
Jerome Kills Small, Oglala Lakota from Porcupine
on the Pine Ridge Reservation, helped to develop
these contest materials and will assist with the
judging. He is a Lakota elder, traditional storyteller
and oral historian who presents workshops for both
adults and children. He will also present a storytelling
performance during the LNI.
SDSU receives partial funding from the South Dakota
Humanities Council to sponsor this event.
THE CATEGORIES
In this competition, high school students will tell
stories in three different categories. They are:
1. Traditional stories told in Lakota/Dakota/Nakota
or other tribal language
2. Traditional stories told in English
3. Issue-based contemporary stories on an important
topic in Indian Country.
The first categories will include tales and legends
told in Lakota/Dakota/Nakota, which is traditional,
and the second is traditional stories translated and
told in English.
The third category follows the pattern of blending
storytelling traditions with contemporary people
and events. These stories will feature a current issue
like reviving the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota language or
the need for more jobs on the reservations.
Students will have up to 15 minutes to tell their
stories. We will not require an entry fee but ask you
to complete and return the entry form on page 4.
We need the information on the form to create a
schedule for the event.
At the end of the competition, winners will receive
cash awards in each of the categories. The top winner
in each category will receive an LNI letter jacket
as well.

CONTEMPORARY STO RIES

The third category in the competition features contemporary
stories that blend today’s experiences into
the traditional storytelling framework. These stories
present opinions or ideas about topics that are currently
of special interest and have strong personal
impact upon an audience. The point is to state an
opinion or to take a stand on an issue.
Jud ging Criteria
Judges will award first prize and honorable mention
in all three categories. The following criteria will be
used to judge the storytellers.
1. Was the story an appropriate selection for this
competition? Did it fit the category? Was it a
good choice for this storyteller?
2. How well did the storyteller know and deliver
the story? Was he or she prepared? Was the
delivery smooth? Could the audience hear and
understand the storyteller?
3. How well was the audience engaged in the
story? Did the audience respond? Did they pay
attention?
4. How did the story end? Did it reinforce
the purpose of the story? Was it clear to the
audience that the story was over?
5. Did the story fit within the 15-minute time
requirement? Did the storyteller go over the
time limit? Was the story cut too short to
effectively tell the whole story?

LNI Storytelling Competition

Entry Form
Name_______________________________ E-
mail_______________________________________
School_ _____________________________ School
Phone_________________________________
Address______________________________
City/State/Zip_________________________________
Teacher______________________________ Teacher E-
mail________________________________
Category Entered: Check the appropriate category below.
___1. Traditional stories, told in Lakota/Dakota/Nakota
___2. Traditional stories, told in English
___3. Contemporary stories that blend today’s experiences into the traditional
storytelling
framework
Story Title____________________________________________________________________
Approximate time required to tell the story:____________
Student’s grade in school__________________________
Send completed entry form by Friday, Dec. 10, to:
LNI Storytelling Competition
SDSU Journalism and Mass Communication
Box 2235
Brookings SD 57007
Fax 605 688-5034
Contact for questions or concerns:
Doris Giago 605-688-6236 or doris.giago@sdstate.edu
This program was partially funded by a grant from the South Dakota Humanities
Council.