Thoughtshots

Our CAWP demo lesson yesterday was on something she called "Thoughshots," basically a moment in a text (usually narrative) in which you let the reader into the mind of a narrator or character. There are three kinds of thoughshots:

1) Flashback (thoughts about the past)
2) Flashforward (thoughts about what might occur in the future)
3) Brain Arguments (talking/debating/arguing with oneself)

After reading a lovely story and presenting the three types of thoughtshots as a revision technique (must remember this!), we were invited to take something we had written and add in a thoughshot or two. I didn't have anything to revise, so I ended up just writing a poem. (This could be a good way to teach stream-of-consciousness as well.)


Thoughts Upon Holding My Newborn Baby Cousin

Careful--careful. Gentle, gentle...
Elbow under her head, arm supporting her neck...
Okay. We're good. I've got this.
OH MY GOD I AM HOLDING A TINY HUMAN.
Hold her tight, be carefulgentle, don't drop her, don't--
Whoops, don't squeeze her either.
I can't believe they are trusting me with this.
This is too much, this is too scary, this is ... kind of nice, actually.
Her tiny face looking up at mine, her tiny hands waving at me.
Her sweet warm baby smell.
Her body a little tiny furnace in my arms.
I could get used to this, I think. Maybe one day, I'll--
Whelp, nope. That smells like poo.
Back to mommy you go.