Today, Kathy sent me this illustration by Bruce Arant for consideration as this week’s Free Fall Friday prompt. At first, I hesitated. While I really enjoy frogs, and I find the picture entertaining, I wasn’t sure it was the best fit. The frogs are indulging in activities that are beyond the interest of a toddler or child in elementary school, though kids would still find humor in the picture, I am sure. It would be interesting to get a young child’s reaction to the picture, and I may do that with my granddaughter, out of curiosity.
In the end, I decided to go with Kathy’s choice because the frogs’ interests and indulgences are applicable to YA writing. It may be a stretch for those who concentrate on writing picture books or middle grade novels, but go for it. Try something new. Write in a style you aren’t familiar with. Play with the images of the frogs in your mind and have fun. You could try writing from a frog’s point of view. Which one would you choose?
While writing this post, I kept going back to study the picture, wondering what the frog seated alone is so forlorn about. What is he thinking? The other images that catch my attention are the presumably female frog, with the fabulous lips, drinking a martini, and the waiter with his tray of insect hors d’oeuvres. Yum!
Well, I am about to call it a night. I will probably have dreams about frogs drinking martinis and crooning by an upright piano with the occasional croak.
This week on my blog, I shared a story from the toy store where I work in honor of father’s day. http://betsydevany.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/a-whale-for-steven-a-story-for-fathers-day/
Happy croaking!
Thanks Betsy. Yes, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone this week . I don’t think that frog is forlorn. I think he has had one too many. Maybe a wicked witch turned him into a frog and he has to make a life with the frogs in order to find a way to get rid of the curse, before he can get back to his friends?
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Writing and Illustrating 
Oh, Kathy, I love your spin it 🙂 And I think the bar might be called “Smoke and Croak” 😉 A bit of a play on words hehehe
Donna
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By: :Donna Marie on June 24, 2011
at 12:29 am
Donna,
Smoke and Croak – that’s a good one – that got a few chuckles out of me.
Kathy
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By: kathytemean on June 24, 2011
at 1:09 am
Kathy, I was hoping it would! 😀
Donna
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By: :Donna Marie on June 24, 2011
at 1:12 am
Kathy,
Thank you for putting this up. My laptop has recently been “under the weather,” so I haven’t been able to respond until now. I don’t know where the idea for this scene came from, but the thought crossed my mind: What if you were walking through a swamp one Friday night and came across a frog bar. (What one would be doing in a swamp on a Friday night is beyond me, but anyway…) So, this is what came out of my pens and pencils. I would be the first to agree it’s not necessarily fodder for the 4-6 age picture book readers, but it was a fun excercise — and a bit of an “itch” that I just had to scratch. At least we now know what a frog bar might look like. Thanks again.
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By: Bruce Arant on July 19, 2011
at 10:39 am