“Life in the Seven Kingdoms is never dull . . .” 

–Jen McConnel, School Library Journal

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Visual Story Structure with Cows

Green meadow in a valley next to a level road.
The idyllic Naafbachtal hiking trail is gentle on your eyes and on your knees. © Laurel Decher, 2017

The Naafbachtal is a long valley full of meadows, originally slated to be a reservoir, and now a nature reserve. The lovely little Naaf brook babbles alongside the trail, wildflowers bloom in all colors, the leaves rustle in the breeze, and the birds are singing like crazy.

The resident zoologist says it’s perfect habitat for kingfishers.

Brown cows and a bull in a herd grazing in a meadow.
Ferdinand and friends holding back succession by grazing. © Laurel Decher, 2017

Herds of cows graze among the buttercups, like Ferdinand before the bullfighters came looking for him. But no ones coming to make these happy German cows fight in the ring.

Presumably, the cows’ mission is to keep the vistas intact, one mouthful of grass at a time. They’re doing it very well.

But whoever had the task of picking out livestock had fun. The next field had white cows.

White cows reclining in a grassy meadow.
White cows in the Naafbachtal. © Laurel Decher, 2017.

And the next one had. . .

Water buffaloes coated in gray mud, standing in a deep mud puddle "bathtub"
“Do you mind?” © Laurel Decher, 2017.

Water buffaloes.

Everyone stopped and took pictures because it’s a classic set-up, development, and twist. So the next time you have a boring old brown cow scene in your work-in-progress. . .

Remember the water buffaloes.

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