Creative Writing
4th Qrtr Spring 2004
1st Half - Poetry
2nd Half - Fiction

Note: Most samples will not appear on the World Wide Web
in order to maintain copyright availability.
Poem Samples can be viewed by pasting the following boldfaced line
\\Altsnap\students\Class Resources\robpoetry.html
into the address bar on a lab computer.  Then click go.
 

Day 45 - 6/21
Grade Day.

Day 44 - 6/18
Semester Work Day.

Day 43 - 6/17
S.P.E.W. #35 - What did you get out of Creative Writing this quarter?  Favorite assignments?  Least fave?  What do you want more of?  Less of?  Enough pressure to complete work?
Write one of the choices you haven't written yet from the other choice days.

Day 42 - 6/16
S.P.E.W. #34
Write or rewrite a beginning to a story about your character.  Consider the following:

  1. Show him/her in action/turmoil.  Your beginning should lay hints for the ending like a grenade with the pin pulled on page
  2. En Media Res – Latin for “Begin in the middle” – Your opening scene should start with something already going on.  
  3. The middle of a chase, an argument, an operation…
  4. Show a response to an external stimulus.  Does s/he respond emotionally or intellectually?  How self-aware is s/he? 
  5. How does s/he speak? 
  6. Establish voice?!  First person or third? 
  7. Show us a foible, a limitation, a blindspot or a pet peeve.  Make them human even if they are not.  Make that: Especially if they are not. 
  8. Imply history.  Drop a hint about something from their past.
  9. Describe something sensory.  Do this on every page, but give us something on page one.  Maybe even something that will be a leitmotiv for the rest of the story through his layers

Day 41 - 6/15

S.P.E.W. #33
Writing choices

  1. Your character is lost literally or figuratively.  They are in a strange place.  Some locations might be:
  2. Car has broken down in a storm on a lonely road and that you have found shelter in an abandoned old house that is believed to be haunted.
  3. A strange city after dark
  4. Out in the woods or in a cemetery. 

With the heightened awareness that comes with fear, describe the experience.

 

Day 40 - 6/14
S.P.E.W. #32
Writing choices 1-2 pages 250-500 words
1. Write an ending
2. Write about a crux point (a place where your character has two choices. Show their struggle to decide)
3. Write a character biography.
4. Describe a character coming home from a long day to a surprise.
5. Your choice


Day 39 - 6/11
S.P.E.W. #31
Writing choices
1-2 pages (250-500 words)
1. Flashback- Memory from childhood that helped define them.
2. Dream- a significant (possibly recurring dream) details.
3. Motion Scene- Write a scene were your character goes from one place to another. Car, plane, bike? Who are you with? Where are you going?


Day 38 - 6/10
S.P.E.W. #30
Writing choices 6/10
1. Write a weather scene. Your character is trying to accomplish something and the weather helps/hinders.
2. Write a scene over food.  Home, restaurant, cafe, park, picnic, hot dog stand.
3. Write an interview scene: News reporter, police interrogation, job interview.
4.Your choice 250-500 words 1-2 page typed double space.
 

Day 37 - 6/9
S.P.E.W. #29
"Write right rites, right?"  What is a rite?  Samples: Getting up, getting ready for work, going to church, visiting a relative at a nursing home (or a prison), warm-up for a performance, race, contest or event.  Pick a rite (or rites) that is important to your character (or characters).  It should be 250-500 words.  Use details of the activity and the locale.

Day 36 - 6/8
S.P.E.W. #28 - Location, location, location...  many great writers give you a setting with only a few phrases.  "Sam walked into the old Victorian.  It's floral wallpaper, cracked and swollen from sixty years of layering smelled of smoky mold.  The few remaining false electric candles in the chandelier played strange shadows across the wallpaper in the entryway."  Describe various locations where your characters might meet.   STSTS.
Plot Intro:
Discuss plot and its place within a story and within a scene.
Plot Graph

Day 35 - 6/7
S.P.E.W. #27 - What other scenes have occurred between these characters?  What about other scenes in their lives. 
Describe the scenes.  STSTS.
Rewrite Dialogue scenes with suggestions from critiques.


Day 34 - 6/4
S.P.E.W. #26 - No theme
Giving Good Critiques
Exchange and critique Dialogue Scenes.


Day 33 - 6/3
S.P.E.W. #25 - Write down everything you can think about the two characters you created yesterday.
Finish Dialogue Part II.  Type scene.

 

Day 32 - 6/2
S.P.E.W. #24 - How do people talk?  What have you heard people say in the last 24 hours?
Holly Lisle Dialogue Exercise.

 

Day 31 - 6/1
S.P.E.W. #23 - Recently in my life...
Grab a Novel - Pt. 1.

 

Day 30 - 5/28
Ron Glodoski Presentation

 

Day 29 - 5/27
Friendship Games

Day 28 - 5/26
S.P.E.W. #22- No Theme.
Finish Poetry portfolio.

 

Day 27 - 5/25
S.P.E.W. #21- No Theme.
Finish Poetry portfolio.

 

Day 26 - 5/24
S.P.E.W. #20 - No Theme.
Continue work on your poetry portfolio.

Day 25 - 5/21
Poetry reading.  Pick 2 poems to read. 
Continue work on your poetry portfolio.

 

Day 24 - 5/20
S.P.E.W. #19 - No Theme.
Create a poetry portfolio.

·     Minimum standards are printed out copies with a cover including graphics.

·     (Make sure they are checked for grammar and spelling.)

·     For a letter grade assignment create either a power point or html poetry portfolio.

·     For each poem assignment please write a paragraph describing what you liked or didn't like about the form and what inspired the poems.  This can be on the bottom of each page in a different font.

 

Day 23 - 5/19
S.P.E.W. #18 - No Theme.
Go to the following website: http://www.versify.co.uk
Read through the glossary to find out a new form of poetry that you have never written.
Choose one to try.  Some suggestions are Limericks, sonnets, Terza Rima, Ballad, Prose poem.
Write one for assignment #14.

 

Day 22 - 5/18
S.P.E.W. #17 - Theme: People
Brainstorming: How do we define a person? 
Handout Character Sketch sheet.  Pick a person and write down everything you know about them.  Then fill in what you don't know, but can make up.  Then tright a poem about them.
Poem Assignment   #13 - Character Poem

Day 21 - 5/17
S.P.E.W. #16
Poem Assignment   #12 - Graphic Poem

Day 20 - 5/14
GRADE DAY
All Assignments are due, typed and edited. 

 

Day 19 - 5/13
Workday.

 

Day 18 - 5/12
S.P.E.W. #15 - Travel
Poem Assignment #11 - Travel/Motion Poem. Examples: Leaving L.A., Steps.

 

Day 17 - 5/11
S.P.E.W. #14 - Theme: Luck, Fate, Superstition...
Poem Assignment #10 - Thematic Poem


Day 16 - 5/10

S.P.E.W. #13 - You rant or praise
You Poems - Poem Assignment #9 - Write a poem to someone. 
It might be a friend, love or family member. 
It could be a higher power or a pet.  It might even be to someone unknown.

 

Day 15 - 5/7

Poetry Circle Readings: 1 of yours and 1 of someone elses.

Check assignments.

 

Day 14 - 5/6

S.P.E.W. #12
Acrostic poems - Poem Assignment #8
Do at least 25 lines - May do three or more.

Day 13 - 5/5
S.P.E.W. #11
"I" Poems - First Person Singular.  Poem Assignment #7

 

Day 12 - 5/4
S.P.E.W. #10 - Focused 15-25 Childhood memories: Phrases, words
Childhood Memory Poems Assignment #6 Sample: Cat in the Woodshed, In and Out

Day 11 - 5/2
Workday

Day 10 - 4/30
S.P.E.W. #9
"Tanka" Poem Assignment #5 Sample: Tanka

Day 9 - 4/29
S.P.E.W. #8

Day 8 - 4/28
S.P.E.W. #7
"Haikus" Poem Assignment #4 Sample: Haikus

Day 7 - 4/27
S.P.E.W. #6 - What's important enough to writing about?
Refrigerator Poems

    Common themes

Nature

|

Technology

Joy

|

Sadness/Despair

Truth

|

Lies

Hate

|

Love

Realism

|

Fantasy

Death

|

Life

Solitary

|

Group

Relationships
Nonsense or the unreal/random psychoses
Humor
Experiences

Intro Headline Poetry Assignment #3

Day 6 - 4/26
S.P.E.W. #5
20 Questions Poem Assignment #2 - Sample: 20 Questions

Day 5 - 4/23
S.P.E.W. #4
Poetry Kaffeeklatch - Poetry Reading

Day 4 - 4/22
S.P.E.W. #3.
Present idea from Natalie Goldberg on "First Thoughts" Practice writing. 

What is Poetry?
What makes a poem a poem?

·         Alliteration  \

·         rhymes -----sound

·         rhythm        /

·         words-unusual, descriptive

·         lines

·         stanzas

·         repitition

·         theme-ideas

·         break grammar rules

·         emotion

·         images

Rewrite and type "About a Day." 

Day 3 - 4/21
S.P.E.W. #2
Samples of Sensory Expansion:

·         Picnic table rickety red rough table

·         Wind-Whipped Flag flailing it's metal clasps against the pole

·         Old diesel truck grumbling down the hill

·         Footsteps clicking on wood

·         Clouds, gray and white running from the wind

·         Crow greedily grabbing a bread crust

·         Wind whistling past my chilled ears

Intro: "About a Day" poem assignment #1.  Samples: Leaving L.A., Stanzas in a Storm, Untitled, Artist's Point, Mind of a Black Winged Bird

Finish Notebook Covers

Day 2 - 4/20
S.P.E.W. #1
Walk outside writing down all the sensory items STSTS (Sight, Touch, Scent, Taste, Sound) you can find.  Aim for 20.
Sensory expansion: How can you describe what you Saw, Touched, Smelled, Tasted and Heard (Sound) in a creative manner, with some depth.  Moving from "Picnic Table" to "Red-brick stained, rickety, rough picnic table." 
Write 10 of your sensory items and expand them.

A few words about saving your work.  ALWAYS SAVE!

Day 1 - 4/19
Introduction:
Rob's General Syllabus
Concept of S.P.E.W. - Student Personal Expository Writing. 
Expectations:
We will write.  Then we will rewrite.  Then you will type it into the computer rewriting as you go.  Then I will give you suggestions and you will rewrite again.

Decorate Cover of notebook.  Pictures are good if they're worth a thousand words, but I also want words that represent you. 

Assignment: Find a poem that means something to you to read at Friday's CoffeeHouse Poetry Reading.  Due to Rob by Wednesday. 

Back to Rob's English Page