Wednesday, December 17 -My Final Blog Post

After our final presentations today, I would like for you to take a few minutes to reflect on this semester in Creative Writing.  In a personal letter to me, I would like for you to respond to the following questions.  I will use this information to adjust, modify, and repeat my teaching strategies.   Your letter should begin with Dear Mrs. Pace. Please type this letter in a Word document and print it when you are done.  You do not have to sign your name if you would like to remain anonymous.

I have enjoyed having you this semester.  This was the first time I have taught this class in a computer lab, so I would like your feedback on some technology things as well.  I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, LOVE-filled Holiday Break.  

Thank you for taking Creative Writing,

Mrs. Pace

1.  What was your favorite unit?  Why?

2.  What was your favorite Creative Burst assignment?  

3.  Were the film studies beneficial to you in preparing your mind for writing in a specific genre?  If yes, explain how so.  If no, explain why not.

4.  Which was your favorite film (from what genre)?

5.  What was your least favorite unit and/or assignment?

6.  What could I have done as a teacher to make your Creative Writing experience better?

7.  Did you like working on the computers?  What were the positives and negatives of having immediate access to a computer for this class?

8.  Do you feel like your grade reflects the effort you put into this class?  Do you feel like your grade reflects your writing ability?  

9.  What suggestions do you have for me for future Creative Writing classes?  What units would you like to see in the curriculum that we either did not get to or are not listed on the syllabus?

EOC Presentation Dates

Presenters MUST present on their designated day.  If a presenter does not or cannot present on his or her assigned day, the EOC score will be a zero.  There are no extra days for me to allow for make-up. Presentations MUST be done in front of the class, as part of the presenters overall score comes from classmates' score sheets.  It's worth 25% of your entire grade in this class.  It should be an impressive, cumulative piece, worthy of a 25% grade.  Please, please, please, keep in mind this is an assignment that you have had ALL semester long and have had 89 week days to work on it.  Your work should reflect the amount of time and energy you devoted to the assignment.

Friday, December 12
1.  John Williams
2.  Jeremy Turner
3.  Adam Whited

Monday, December 15
1.  Isabella Burlingame
2.  Chloe Clark
3.  Gabriel Copeland
4.  Elijah Jones

Tuesday, December 16
1.  Brody Cantrill
2.  Stephanie Manson-Potts
3.  Joel Wests
4.  Guiseppi DeLalla
5.  Hannah Hudson
6.  Kaitlyn Marlowe

Wednesday, December 17
1.  Asher Clark
2.  Jonathon Simpson
3.  Clifford Amann
4.  Serena Dolak
5.  Josie Easterday
6.  Taylor Henry

Tuesday, December 9 - Persona Poetry

TASK:  For practice, create a persona poem based on the name you draw from the cup.  You might need to do some research on the person in order to be able to write a historically accurate persona poem.  You should always tie in fictional elements, but keep historical accuracy in mind.  Your poem should be 30 lines, all lines from the perspective of your historical figure.  You should include in your blog post pictures and images associated with your person from history.  

Thursday, December 4 - Unrequited Love

Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such.  The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep and strong romantic affections.  

Read the New York Times article "Pain of Unrequited Love Afflicts the Rejector, Too"

One of the most torturous forms of unrequited love is that which occurs between friends.  As stated by Daniel Goleman, author of the above mentioned New York Times article, "One frequent path to unrequited love is through what starts as a platonic relationship.  'One of the most common stories told by people in our study was of being in a friendship with an undercurrent of attraction on one side,' said Dr. Baumeister.  'Over and over people said, We were good friends, but I secretly was in love.'"

After reading the article, think about unrequited love.  Does it also affect the rejector?  If it does, how so?  Write a story in which you (or your main character) is in love with someone that either doesn't know your feelings (usually because they are unavailable -- married, in a relationship, can't date, etc.) or doesn't return them.  In other words, the theme of your story should be unrequited love.  

Tuesday, December 2 - Top Secret

The snow is coming down and school has been cancelled. Your spouse, who works at CTU (the Counter Terrorism Unit), absolutely must go into work.  Your spouse decides to quickly jump in the shower.  

Snow days are the best; you decide it's perfectly okay to wrap the warm blankets around you and go back to bed. 

PROBLEM:  You can't fall back to sleep as you had hoped. While trying to force your eyes closed, you hear talking. The water in the shower is running, but you can definitely hear a one-sided conversation. What was that?  Who is your spouse talking to? Thinking your're asleep he (she) unknowingly reveals top secret information about the state of the country.  You can tell immediately that this is information that is not meant to be overheard.  It's shocking....

What does he unwittingly divulge?  What is his conversation about?  What are the results of what you overhear?

Friday, November 21 - Ekphrasis

In ancient Greece, the term ekphrasis (ek-fra-seas) referred to a work of art in one medium that was produced as a reaction to a piece of art created in another medium.  

Have you ever heard the expression A picture's worth a thousand words? Well, sometimes poets think that a picture, or a sculpture, or a piece of pottery is worth just that, and maybe more. 

When poets find a piece of visual artwork that truly captures their imagination, they often engage in a literary practice known as ekphrastic poetry, which is poetry that verbally describes a visual work of art.  For example; a song might be based on a famous piece of literature, a short story might include great detail (especially of evoked emotions) of the Mona Lisa, or a poem may describe a well-known artistic movement.  

Modern scholars have simplified the definition and say ekphrasis is "the verbal representation of a visual representation" (Nordquist). At it's core ekphrasis makes explicit connections between art, storytelling, and life.  

Examples of Ekphrasis (art to poetry)

Homer's ekphrastic nod to Achilles' great shield

William Carlos Williams and Charles Sheeler

So let's practice together.  Look at the image below.  Really study it and all its minute details.

Let's brainstorm some answers to the questions below.  
• List the first words that come to mind when you look at this artwork. 
• What is happening in this artwork? What story is being told? 
• Who or what is the subject of the painting? How would you describe them?
• What is the mood of the artwork? What sounds, smells, feelings, tastes could 
you associate with it?
• Now that you have closely observed the artwork, how would you summarize its main idea? 

To Read More about Edvard Munch

TASK:  Now, your job is to choose a famous piece of artwork and write a poem or song based on your reaction to this piece.  Answer the questions above and practice what we modeled in class to help you get started.  

Some places to look for famous artwork:

100 Greatest Paintings of All Time

Famous Paintings

Top 100 Masterpieces

Thursday, November 20 - Emotions

Have you ever wondered about those voices in your head?  I sure have; in fact, I've had many a conversation with the various voices.  Sometimes all is going well and the voices are agreeable and pleasant.  Sometimes it's as if the voices are being painfully tortured; thus, they feel the only thing to do is to torment me as well.  Joy causes my heart to swell, sometimes tears to form, but always a smile to cross my lips.  Anger makes me do things I don't want to and say things I don't mean.  Anger usually leads to Sadness; at least it does for me.  There are a plethora of emotions, but Sadness might be the worst.  Sometimes Sadness visits after Fear has been sojourning in the open ranges of my mind.  Fear leaves me panicked.  It strips me of my sense of control.  It robs me of my sanity.  It causes me to doubt myself and who I am. It's awful! Unfortunately, Disgust reels her ugly head all too often.  I'm disgusted by the slowness of the cashier, the incessant crying of a newborn in church, the children that pick their nose and eat their boogers, the people who come out of the bathroom without washing their hands. Ahhh, but such is life as a human being, full of EMOTIONS.


Today, I want you to think about those voices in your head.  Think about they things they make you feel, the things they make you say.  These voices have inspired Disney/Pixar's newest animated film, Inside Out.  

After reading the film summary, which is very brief, and watching the short preview, craft a story involving all of Riley's emotions.  Describe a battle in her mind between her emotions.  

Tuesday, November 18 - Treason & Historical Fiction

Some other foiled plots to consider:

The First American Traitor - Benedict Arnold

Operation Valkyrie - Hitler

A Shot to the Chest - Teddy Roosevelt

A Rebellion to Remember - Nat Turner

This Far by Faith - Denmark Vesey

The Indian Revolt of 1857

Monday, November 17 - Found Poem

Most writers find it difficult to work with strict parameters; however, this is exactly what most writers are asked to do on a regular basis.  A client wants this; a newspaper only needs that; a magazine is looking for....

So with this in mind, I want you to work within strict parameters to create a found poem.  Use the page (excerpt from a novel) that you have been given.  You may not use anything else.  You can only insert articles - a, an, the.  All other words MUST come from the excerpt.  You may, however, repeat words.

Use the following link for some extra help:

Interactive Found Poem Practice

Friday, November 14 - The Berlin Wall

Do some research so that you can write a piece of historical fiction.  This means you will write a story based on the historical past.  You can include real historical figures or you can simply leave your setting as the historical basis for your story.  Here are a few helpful links:

Information on Historical Fiction

The History Channel's Guide to The Berlin Wall

Remembering the Berlin Wall

BBC Informational on The Berlin Wall

Thursday, November 13 - The Macabre Arts

Wednesday, November 12 - The Haunted House

Use your imagination and knowledge of the macabre to write a short story, song, or poem inspired by the image below.  

Friday, November 7 - Ewww....that's creepy!

Now that you have briefly been exposed to the macabre genre, I want you to craft a poem which is reflective of the characteristics of this particular style.  Dance with Death, foxtrot with the frightening, tango with the terrifying, and disco with the dastardly (Chapman).  Have fun with it!

Monday, October 27 - Fairy Tale Name Poem

We are almost done with our fractured fairy tale unit.  In this creative burst, I want you to think about all the fairy tale characters you know something about.  Which character do you share something in common with?  Think deeply!  Then write a name poem based on the following directions:

Friday, October 24 - X Marks the Spot

Aye, Aye, Matey!

You're a pirate on a small pirate ship that consists of only you, one other pirate named ____, and Captain _____.  Recently you ransacked another ship and found a treasure map.  After weeks of following it, you have finally found the island where "X" marks the spot.  Write a scene where you find the buried treasure, only it's not exactly the treasure you expected to find.  

Thursday, October 23 - That's punny!

Refresh your mastery of puns, both funny and possibly not so funny; write a verbal battle.  Set the stage; tell the reason for the disagreement, which has caused the onslaught of puns.  Who are the characters?  What are their personalities?  Quite literally, what is your stage?  Where is this heated discourse occurring?  Who's listening?  How do they react?  

The Situation:  You're in an epic pun off; whit is spewing from your mouth and your opponent's mouth with punishing purpose.  What are some sweet puns you use while trying to wipe the smile off your opponent's face?  Make sure not to frown on the worst of puns -- they are beautiful.  Craft this scene, the Battle of the Puns.

Tuesday, October 21 - Deja Vu

Déjà vu is a French word that literally translates to "already seen."  It is the phenomenon of having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has been experienced in the past, whether it has actually happened or not. Scientific approaches reject the explanation of déjà vu as "precognition" or "prophecy," but rather explain it as an anomaly of memory, which creates a distinct impression that an experience is "being recalled."  This explanation is supported by the fact that the sense of "recollection" at the time is strong in most cases, but that the circumstances of the "previous" experience (when, where, and how the earlier experience occurred) are uncertain or believed to be impossible. 

Have you ever experienced déjà vu?  

Think about the sensation of deja vu.  How does it make you feel?  Incorporate those feelings into the story prompt below.

Friday, October 17 - Refine a Creative Burst for Submission to Slip of the Pen

In an effort to produce innovative pieces for the literary magazine, please go through your Creative Bursts.  Pick one that you feel is your best.  Refine it, edit it, and then print a copy with your name on it. Give this to me and I will pass them along to Kaitlyn, the literary magazine's editor-in-chief, for submission to Slip of the Pen.

DO NOT assume that your writing is flawless.  Just because you wrote it, does not make it perfect. Always before submitting or publishing a piece of work, proofread your writing and make appropriate changes.  DO NOT submit a piece of writing with mechanical errors.  If you need to do so, have a peer proofread your work before you turn it in to me.

Thursday, October 16 - RAIN

Ahhh....it seems never ending, this deluge of water. Rain, rain, go away....

As much as I don't like the rain, I will admit that it's a necessity to life on Earth.  However, rain makes me sad; it can literally ruin my day.  While some days, I love the rain....days I can stay curled up in bed.  A good thunderstorm on the safety of a covered front porch or a screened deck is actually relaxing.  And yet, getting out and about in the rain with small children is actually a form of torture.  I guess I have a love/hate relationship with the water that falls from the sky.  However, if precipitation comes in the form of snow, I'm all for it.  These are just my rambling thoughts!  What do you think of rain?  How does it make you feel? Do you enjoy it at times?  When?  Do you always dislike the rain? 

Wednesday, October 15 - I remember when...

Today, I give you a story starter and that's all. Begin a short story, faux newspaper article, poem, song, etc. with the phrase "I remember when..."

Friday, October 10 - Pet Peeve

Ohhh....so many peeves...where to start???

Tuesday, October 7 - The Flip Side

To continue working with persona poetry, think of something that has happened to you recently that was stressful, traumatic, or unpleasant, something that perhaps made you mad.  Write a poem about this event as you experienced it, regardless of anyone else's perspectives or feelings.  Then rewrite the poem from the perspective of someone else involved in the situation.  This new poem may not reflect the truth (or maybe your side didn't reflect the truth), but sometimes it's important to remind ourselves that everything has a flip side.  

Monday, October 6 - Persona Poem

Imagine, for a moment, that today you aren’t you. You don’t have to drag yourself from bed to go to school or prepare for an eight hour work day. You no longer live in your house or in your town. You don’t have a dog. Or now you inexplicably have dozens of them. Today, you can be anyone you want. Yesterday you were 16, but today, you might be 73, a different sex, work a different job, drive a different car. Your sister stole your inheritance. Your car broke down. You’re a pastry chef or a spy. Today, you’re the astronomer Williamina Fleming discovering the Horsehead Nebula or Jack the Ripper prowling alleys. Only one thing is certain: you are finally free of the chains that have plagued you your entire life—“just be yourself”—because today you must be someone else. 

What a relief!

The desire we all have at some point in our lives to run away from ourselves isn’t one we can regularly indulge—at least not without serious repercussions. But through writing and reading persona poetry, we can put on masks (or personae, in Latin) and see with different eyes.   

Complete the Persona Worksheet and write a 15 line Persona Poem.  This poem should be about someone who is alive or who once was, a historical figure, a deceased relative, a Hollywood actor or actress, etc.  Your Persona Poem MUST be about a PERSON other than yourself.  

Thursday, October 2 - The Frog Prince

The Frog Prince gets a new spin!  If you are unfamiliar with the story, read it here. 

The Frog Prince by The Brothers Grimm

After you've familiarized yourself with the fairy tale, FRACTURE it.  Have fun with it and definitely think outside of the box.

Wednesday, October 1 - Fairy tale characters

Have some fun with characters you know and love from the fairy tale genre.  Feel free to try to fracture them if you want.

Monday, September 29 - I'm weirded out...

Have you ever been home alone and felt like someone was in the house with you that shouldn't be? Have walked to your car by yourself late at night?  Have you ever felt like someone was watching you?  Have you ever watched a scary movie and then been truly freaked out?  Think about the emotions, the thoughts, the words, the actions you would use in a scary situation.  

Thursday, September 25 - Bad Mistake

We've all made them - big, bad, ugly mistakes.  Some of us continue to make them and others of us choose to learn from our past oopsies.  Think back on a time when you made a big mistake.  Try to remember as many details as you can about the mistake itself, the way you felt afterwards, the way your mistake made others feel, the consequences, etc.  

**Remember when you're done, read and comment on a classmate's blog.  

Wednesday, September 24 - Endearing Quality

There is something about each of us that makes us enjoyable to be around; it might be your personality, your willingness to try anything once, your quiet spirit, your ability to make people laugh, your smile, your ability to comfort those in need, etc.  Think about what YOU consider to be your most endearing quality.  

Tuesday, September 23 - Strange Fruit

Look at the image and study it.  Describe it....go into detail about the geographical region in which it would be found.  Describe the people who have access to this food.  Describe the climate.  Describe the taste, the smell, the texture, etc.  Give it a name. You can write from an expository perspective if you know what this fruit is; you might choose to do some research.  OR, you can be totally imaginative and make up everything, from the name of the fruit, the place in which it grows, etc.

Friday, September 19 - Blog Feedback

Today during Creative Burst time please make comments on at least two peer's blogs.  In your comments, you MUST:

1.  Give POSITIVE FEEDBACK; don't say, "This is great."  You should rather point to something specific and comment on WHY it works in the story.

2.  Give one instance of CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM for the author.  This means you need to point to one specific thing that would have made the story better, examples might be:  spelling errors, grammar mistakes, punctuation problems, awkward/unclear sentences, story hard to follow, not enough character or setting development, etc.  

Remember, you want to be honest, but never cruel.  There is always a polite way to point out flaws. Yes, they need to know what they did wrong, but NO, they do not need to feel horrible about themselves after reading your comments.  

**Once you have done this, you MUST send me an e-mail with the links (URL addresses) for the blogs you commented on in class, so that you will receive credit.  

Wednesday, September 17 - Alphabet Soup

Today is focused on strict rules; and yet, the goal is for you to produce something exciting.  Pick a topic.  Any topic you like....a TV show, a character from a book, your significant other, your parent, a movie, a song, the weather, etc.  Once you've picked your topic, work with the following guidelines to write a "short" short story or poem.

Tuesday, September 16 - The Spoon's Perspective

Great writers are able to imagine themselves into any situation, into any character's mind.  It's important to not only create stories with characters like yourself, but it is equally important to create characters that do not resemble you in the slightest. These types of characters are sometimes even easier to write.  Regardless, the only way to write about someone other than yourself, is to be open-minded, to truly step into someone else's shoes, to imagine what his or her life might be like.  

Today, you'll get some practice with this...in a silly way.  Use vivid and appropriate word choice; remember you are stepping into "someone" else's perspective....  

Have fun with it.  Be absurd, be creative, be bold -- be in the moment.  

Monday, September 15 - What the Deuce?

Today is going to involve thinking WAY outside the box.  One of my favorite painters is Marc Chagall.  His work is beautiful and yet whimsical; his use of color is one of my favorite aspects of his pieces.  One of his paintings shows up in the film Notting Hill, which stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. This film is what brought Marc Chagall to my attention and I have admired him ever since. Something that I have always wondered is what exactly was he thinking when he painted these works?  What inspired them?  Regardless, he's amazing.  In fact, he is considered one of the most successful artists of the 20th century.  

Marc Chagall Biography

Thursday, September 11 - Music Critic

For fun, let's enjoy a song together.  The name of the song is "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People.  Listen and critique.  Be descriptive; site specific lines.  Make clear references to parts of the song that you are critiquing.  A critic never says, "...it's an awesome song" or "....that song totally sucks."  They are specific.  More often than not they also talk about what might have inspired the band to write a particular song.  What was going on in their lives?  What was going on in the world? Be creative!  You do not have to research this band, unless you want to do so.  You can make it all up if you would like.

Wednesday, September 10 - Blog Addresses

Today there is no Creative Burst.  This is a short class and to allow us time to finish the film and to all you the most time to complete the Wall-E film study, we are skipping the blog today.  I am, however, going to give you a list of the blog addresses for your classmates.  You need to follow them all through your blog page.  If you finish your film study early, please use class time to do this.  You are getting a hard copy and I am loading them here.  

Creative Writing Fall 2014

Class Members’ Blog Addresses

1                      http://johndarkscreativewriting.blogspot.com/

2                      http://creativewriterimb.blogspot.com/

3                      http://cwriting1.blogspot.com/

4                      http://thisisthebookmark.blogspot.com/

5                      http://miscreativewriting.blogspot.com/

6                      http://jfhcreativewriting.blogspot.com/

7                      http://www.canihazblog.blogspot.com/

8                      http://thelandoflizzie.blogspot.com/

9                      http://cbws2014.blogspot.com/?m=1

10                    http://creatingkait.blogspot.com/

11                    http://rindledindle.blogspot.com/

12                    http://coolkidscwpage.blogspot.com/

13                    http://haburst.blogspot.com/

14                    http://gccreativeburst2014.blogspot.com/

15                    http://imtakingyoupunksdown.blogspot.com

16                    http://attack211.blogspot.com/

17                    http://boogledotbiz.blogspot.com/

18                    http://ashey123.blogspot.com/

19                    http://mrbackward.blogspot.com/

           

20                    http://elijahjj44.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 9 - Film Review

Today, let's tie in what we are doing in class, a film study, with the concept of Science Fiction. Really dig in and pretend to be an actual film critic.

Monday, September 8 - America, Fairyville?

We've been paying particular attention to specific elements of science fiction writing.  Today, I want you to think more about the fantasy genre.  

Fairies are some of my favorite fantasy creatures.  I love that they seem to always possess a sort of mischievous quality about them.  Today, you're focusing on a fairy, one you create, but you are placing this fairy in our modern world.  Happy writing!

Friday, September - Aliens in Egypt

Once again, today I want you to focus on historical accuracy and science fiction conventions. Remember to pay close attention to details; stick with the correct time period.  You need to also be extremely descriptive when it comes to specifics regarding a foreign species or race.  Paint a clear picture for your reader using precise and vivid words.

Here's the situation:

An alien race makes contact -- with King Tutankhamun in ancient Egypt.  

Do some research, not only about ancient Egypt, but also on King Tut, the climate during his lifetime, the clothing,his accomplishments or lack thereof, his death, the process of mumification....

Thursday, September 4 - Historical Accuracy

When writing science fiction pieces it is supremely important to do your research.  With that in mind, today's Creative Burst is below.

Situation:  Mass hysteria hits New York City in 1932 after a report of a Martian spotted atop the Empire State Building.  

Before you can write a good story on this prompt you need to do some research, so that your story remains historically accurate.  While adding aliens to a story isn't historically accurate, it doesn't mean the other aspects of the story shouldn't be.  Things to consider:  what does 1930s New York look like?  what technology existed; what technology did not exist?  what are the morals, norms, etc. of the 1930s?  You should even go so far as to research the cars, fashion, music of the time period. It's crucial to have an accurate setting, especially when you are going to throw in "out of this world" elements.  

Wednesday, September 3 - Newspaper Article Re-write

Today you will be working with the conventions found in either Science Fiction or Fantasy to re-write a current event.  You're going to be printing your work, so please type it in a Word document and then copy and paste your finished copy into your blog.  Be sure you understand the characteristics of the genre you choose and employ those characteristics in your re-write.  

Good luck and may the force be with you!  Ha, I couldn't resist!

Tuesday, September 2 - Intro to Science Fiction and Fantasy

Class visitor - Mrs. Suzanne Sherman

PowerPoint notes intro the two genres

No Creative Burst today.

Friday, August 29 - Two Moons

To get you thinking about our upcoming Sci-fi/fantasy unit....