Creative Writing Unit 1B.

Foundations of Creative Writing

Step 1: Journal, Why Write?
Look at the following quotes from famous Authors, Writers, and Poets. I write to find out what Im thinking about. Edward Albee I started writing because of a terrible feeling of powerlessness. Anita Brookner I dont like work- no man does- but I like what is in the work the chance to find yourself. Joseph Conrad Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in the human situation. Graham Green We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection. Anais Nin .The urge to write poetry is like having an itch. When the itch becomes annoying enough, you scratch it. Robert Penn Warren Free write for 5 to 10 minutes. Why do you write? How do you feel when you write, after you write? What frustrates you about writing? What do you get out of writing?

Step 2: Reflecting on your relationship with writing.

On a word document, answer the following questions. 1. What is the difference between creative writing and academic writing? Which do you use more often? 2. Describe your current relationship with writing how do you feel about it, how often do you do it, and what do you like about it? 3. What kind of things do you like to read? What kinds of things do you like to write?

Creative Writing Unit 1B. Foundations of Creative Writing

4. When you begin reading a story or an article, what makes you decide to continue reading? 5. What do you do when something you are reading is not clear? 6. What do you do when the vocabulary is strange to you? 7. When writers revise their work, what do you think they do? 8. What are your goals as a writer and a student of Creative Writing?

Step 3: Getting Started

Often times, in order to be a good writer, one must be a good reader. It is important to read for fun as well as to learn. Read the following chapters and hand-outs provided by your facilitator.
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Shitty First Drafts, from Anne Lammots book, Bird by Bird. On perfectionism, From Anne Lammots book, Bird by Bird. The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White. On Writing Well by William Zinsser

10 Important Ideas. As you read, you will compile a list of ten important ideas, facts, or pieces of advice from these articles. Write the quote or idea from the text, and explain why the idea is interesting or important. After you are finished reading and compiling these notes, word process them and turn them in to your facilitator.

Step 5: Writing about what you have read. Write a letter,

dialogue, or a poem in which you summarize the articles and what you have learned about writing rough drafts, perfectionism, clutter, and simplicity.

Step 6: Revision. Revise your creative piece from Step 5. See

your facilitator for help here.

Step 7: Practice with Simplicity. Go to the following URL and

review the notes. Then, scroll down to the quizzes. Complete all three quizzes. Report your score to your facilitator.

Creative Writing Unit 1B. Foundations of Creative Writing

Submission Checklist: ___ Journal ___ Reflection Questions ___ 10 Most important ideas ___ Creative Letter/Poem/Dialogue ____ Quiz