Creative Writing: Reading

Projects
Introduction
It is essential that, over the course of the year, you read and engage critically
and creatively with a variety of texts. You will be supported in this by your
teachers and classmates, but the responsibility for actually doing the reading
and doing the engaging is yours. Yours and yours alone!
The following projects are designed to help you focus your reading in a way that
feeds your writing endeavours.

Reading Project I

Yr.12: Part I only; 4 texts

Yr.13: Parts I (2 texts) + Part II

Part I: Reviewing Literary Texts

Review of texts. They must be different forms/genres (e.g. 1 each of fiction,

prose non-fiction, poetry, or drama)
For each text:
1. Begin with a brief author biography: this can be in note/bullet-point
form, but must not be a cut-and-paste job from Wikipedia! (Approx.
50-100 words per text)
2. Give a brief summary/plot synopsis: same rules apply for how to
present/lay this out as above. (Approx. 50-100 words per text)
3. 5 examples, from each text (10/20 total), of passages you
admire/find inspiring/think are particularly effective, and comment as
to why:
o These must be written out in continuous prose, and you must
give specific examples (direct quotations; or, if you are writing
about something structural, refer to specific moments in the
texts). If you like, the quotation can be placed as a sub-heading,
under which you write your commentary.
o NB: This is NOT an Eng. Lit. essay: you are writing here
about why you find x an interesting writing
tactic/approach/technique.
4. As an alternative to 3, you can write about why you find a piece
ineffective/a failure. However, you must do this with specific
examples and commentary. This is in many ways a harder undertaking
than 3.

Task 3 or 4: Approx. 100-150 words per example; or, 1,000-1,200 words

total for Yr.12, 500-700 for Yr.13.

Part II: Engaging with Writers on Writing

1. Summarize the views expressed in the Didion and Moore pieces.
(Approx. 150-250 words)
2. Evaluate the pieces: what do you take their messages to be? Do you
take any lessons from them? Does anything chime with your
experience as a creative writer? Do you reject anything they say? (If
so, why?) (Approx. 500 words)
3. Now produce a creative and reflective piece of your own. It can take
any direction you wish the more direct why write? direction of
Didion, or the more indirect, memoir/memorial approach of Moore, or
anything in between. (Approx. 500 words)

Reading Project II: Elmore Leonards 10 Rules

1) Write a response to Leonards 10 Rules. (Approx. 300 words)
2)
a. Pick 3 of Leonards 10 rules that you aim either to implement or
disprove. Write them down. Respond to his rules. Write a brief
plan as to how you intend to put them to the test (you will need to
record actually doing this, as well as just planning to do it!). You
can use other writers work to prove/disprove Leonard, but you
must eventually use your own writing.
b. Write a commentary/commentaries your own work, showing how
you have responded to Leonards Rules
Task (1) and (2a) to be begun in class and completed as HW.
Task (2b) to be handed in towards end of term I.i.
Example 1: Rule 2 Avoid Prologues
Your response might be in two parts: (a) A novelist who makes very effective use
of the Prologue is In the prologue, s/he introduces In this the case, the use
of the prologue aids coherent, rather than hindering it. (b) I have used a
prologue in my piece the feedback Ive received is I believe it is effective
because
Example 2: Rule 4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb said
Include a copy of an early draft where you do this, with examples
highlighted;
Include a more recent draft with the adverbs removed
Write a brief commentary on the difference the changes have made, and the
processes you went through (e.g. in-class workshop; feedback from teacher)
Guide length for this project is variable, due to variety of forms of response.
Suggestion of around 750 words; however, more important is evidence that time
and thought have been given over. Allow 1-2 weeks for turnover, depending on
where students are in their writing.

Reading Project III: Independent Research

Writers on Writing
Read 2 essays and respond. In your response, you should:

Summarize the views of the writers you have read

Respond critically and creatively to 2-3 main points from each essay

The response is NOT an Eng. Lit. essay; nor is it a balanced argument in

the tradition of GCSE Writing to Argue. This is personal, reflective, and
literary. This is creative non-fiction: you do not have to be balanced or
measured, but you should aim to be engaging and interesting.
Approx. 500-750 words
Include a Works Cited of any sources you consult. You must list the two
essays you are responding to. You do not have to refer to any other sources.