Reflections
Part A: You, the Writer
What was your writing identity prior to the course?
Before taking creative writing this semester, my skills in English Language Arts were poor; I struggled with daily reading and my writing was not effective or where I wanted it to be. Before this course what I have always wanted to improve in was in reading comprehension: my core issue was that when I read a text it is difficult for me to interpret what the author wanted the reader to pull from the text. I would often get stuck when I was answering questions that required me to analyze the text and infer from it, I almost never knew what inferences to make, as it was never a black and white answer, but at times, up to one’s own interpretation. Lastly prior to taking creative writing, I never knew how to annotate poems and analyze them: often times, I felt frustrated because I thought that the authors of poetry did not express their ideas clearly in a literal fashion, they would use many literary devices and leave it up to the reader to interpret what they are saying. This form of writing was often an obstacle for me to decode because whenever I would read a word I would take it for its literal definition but now I know that as a reader you need to be able to expand your thinking.
What is your writing identity now?
I can definitely see major changes prevalent throughout my writing now, thanks to all the No Red Ink lessons we did as a part of the curriculum, I learned my Gumps and started to apply these rules to my writing. Even if I still have mistakes in my writing, I must say that the pain of having to complete the No Red Ink practices was worth it in the end, as now I am much more conscious of all of these rules. Reflecting back to the beginning of the semester I remember that in my English class I scored 60’s in my reading comprehension diagnostic tests, later on, in my midterm, I scored a 96%, the difference of these marks are drastic and possibly unbelievable. I was utterly shocked when I learnt about this progression I underwent, but now I think the biggest factor leading to this change was how I applied what I learnt in creative writing to that mid-term. For the first time during a reading comprehension, I annotated the text, which I picked up on from this class. I think because of annotating throughout the test I scored such an outstanding mark.
Reflect on your development as a writer.
- Genre: I honestly never in my life thought I was going to say: “wow I actually enjoy reading poetry and writing my own,” yet a few weeks backs I found myself saying these exact words. It’s as if my life had taken a 180-degree turn, I was baffled at the fact that I had actually begun to appreciate the art of poetry and emulating from it to create my own. One piece that I am especially proud of is my post, crows of the night, through this piece I was able to explore writing different figurative elements such as allusions, symbols etc. I believe that my newfound love for poetry originates from being exposed to it in this class.
- Ideas: Aside from this, my ideas have also developed to being stronger, which I think reflects in my writing in English class especially in terms of my critical essays, the first essay I wrote was a Walter Mitty piece and upon reading it again I had made note of how vague the ideas I wrote about were, it was as if I was scratching the surface and not digging deep enough. Later, however, as I was writing my Merchant of Venice essay, I realized how far I had come in terms of my writing, I felt like my ideas were digging much farther than ever before.
- Details: Before this class, I never really thought of how important small details were in my writing, now, however, I have noticed how powerful small details and descriptions can really be. Lately, I have used descriptive language to show these details as I now recognize how important they really are.
- Structural: Creatively, I have learned how to enhance my writing through structuring my writing in an intentional matter, for example, I have begun incorporating parallel writing styles into some of my works which have improved the structural parts of them. For example, I am going to go back to my I is Intersection piece to include some parallel structure, based off of feedback I received from Mrs. Hunniset.
- Voice and Style: My voice and style has also developed a lot, through this elective I became aware of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, I also came to learn that I barely incorporate the Pathos aspect in my work; now, I am consciously trying to include emotional connections into my writing, which has strengthened my voice and style overall.
- GUMPS: Lastly, I have definitely seen a huge shift in my writing in terms of being mindful of GUMPS, as I have said before, the NoRedInk has been a huge helper. Even though there are still grammar mistakes in my writing, I have seen a huge improvement overall.
How would you explain your voice? What is stylistic of you?
I would say that my writing is not overly flowery, what I mean by this is that I don’t use a lot of imagery in it or use a lot of descriptive words. I also don’t go crazy with the thesaurus and use words that are highly advanced. Instead, I go more for a straightforward way of writing, I would say almost eloquently.
As a mentor writer, what advice would you give to future creative writers?
I would tell any students going into creative writing to be open to new things that they had never liked before, instead of being closed off to an idea, it is extremely crucial to one’s own development to always be willing to try new things with an open mind. Also, I would tell them to not procrastinate any work, as it is really easy to fall off the ball and be rushing to finish your homework resulting in late submissions that will unnecessarily hurt your mark.
Future goals and plans regarding writing?
I am going to be taking grade 11 English AP, this course will definitely challenge my current writing skills. This is a huge step for me because I’m pushing myself to take a class that will stimulate my writing further. I personally am excited about this class, as I know that I am going to be constantly surrounded by students and teachers that are passionate and dedicated to the class, more than in a 20-1 class.
PART B: You, the Blogger
Reflect on your development as a blogger
I have seen a bit of development in myself as a blogger, for one thing, I think that at the start of the semester I was scared and a bit skeptical of sharing personal thought and feelings in my blog, I knew that anybody could access it, and I honestly was resistant to the idea; however, now I feel like I have become more comfortable with the idea, allowing me to dig deeper in my writing.
How would you critique your blog?
- Positive: I like how I have an established a theme throughout my blog, I feel that the uniformity is aesthetically pleasing.
- Need to improve: If in the future I have to make another blog, I definitely will think a little harder and longer about what my URL will be. This blogs URL is natalie845 and the reason why its this is because I didn’t have any ideas on what to do so I just used my school profile name. I regret that decision and wish I could change it. I also need to go through all of my past posts and correct any GUMPS and perhaps change them if I feel they need to be changed.
What will you do with your blog after this course?
After I am done with this class, I still want to be using my blog as a way to get my voice out, I don’t want to abandon all of my work and efforts. I know for sure I am still going to be updating my reading ladder every month with my reads. I also want to be constantly adding pieces into it, whatever I decide to add. I definitely don’t think that its the end of my blog, not at all.
Which student blogs would you continue to follow?
What professional bloggers have you explored?
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to explore and follow any professional blogs this semester.
PART C: You, the Student
Discuss an “Aha” from Creative Writing class. Consider creative activities.
I found myself having ‘aha’ moments the most when we were doing two things in class: feedback and rereading the writing in our writing journals. I feel like the feedback I got from my peers was especially helpful in my development as a writer. I was able to hear from amazing writers and what they thought I should do or work on. With their guidance, I was able to catch things that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Also, when looking back on my writing journal I have found many excerpts of my own writing that I was surprised that I had even written in the first place. It almost felt like I was finding things out about myself that I hadn’t known before.
What have you accomplished as a reader? What is your PLAN to read next? Discuss the best book you read this semester. How does reading improve your writing?
This semester I have accomplished more reading than any semester ever before. This class has pushed me to develop an amazing reading habit that I hadn’t had before. Looking back at my reading ladder, during February I had only read 2 books and one of them was only 171 pages, fast forward to now my reading rate is incredible and I’m proud of myself for forcing myself to make this change happen. During the summer, I want to focus on all the required reading for English AP.
In my opinion, the best book I read this semester was To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I had to read it and thoroughly studied it for English class, I thought it was beautifully written and held amazing commentary on the themes of prejudice, innocence, education, and good/evil. It’s no doubt why this book is a classic and famous novel.
As I have heard probably a million times, reading is absolutely essential to the development of one’s writing. Without it, you can’t really expand your knowledge in vocabulary, writing styles, and creativity. I have seen a shift in my writing when I started to read regularly, I have been exposed to a greater variety of words thus helping improve my diction. It has also helped my writing because I have been able to see different styles and also I am able to tap into my creative side much better than before.
What have you accomplished as a writer? What is your PLAN to write next?
A huge thing that I have accomplished is making this entire blog filled with posts and pages of my own words. This is huge for me and something that I am proud of. My plan for the future is to continue using my writing journal and also posting works that I like on my blog.
Will you take Creative Writing again? Why? Why not?
Although I love creative writing, I don’t think I am going to be taking creative writing again in the future. The reasons for this is because I am going to be two years filled with many core classes as I am taking biology and chemistry, and not to mention, English AP. I also want to explore other electives to further broaden my perspective, for example, I am considering taking World Religions.
What are your next steps to improve as a writer?
- Push myself to read for 30 minutes a day rather than the usual 20.
- Write in my writing journal every day.
- Read books that pertain to many different genres; try out different types of books.
PART D: You, the FAN
This post will be an explanation of your experience from your READINGS, from Writer Seminars, guests, teachers, and other bloggers in the class.
WRITER SEMINARS: How has studying published authors changed/improved your writing?
Out of all the activities we did in class, the ones that were the biggest source of inspiration for me were the writing seminars that were held, I was able to explore various different writers and styles. I especially loved emulating from their pieces because I felt like the writing that resulted from emulating was on a substantially higher level than all my other pieces. I also loved the seminars we had because I was able to find many new writers that I could read more from in the future. Specifically, I loved studying Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe, both of their works are simply genius and I now am a fan of them when I previously was not.
Are you glad you did your writer? Who different would you consider? Why?
I am really happy that my team decided to study Oscar Wilde, as I have said before, studying his works prompted me to become a fan of him. He was also a major part of me starting to like the art of poetry, through studying his poems I came up with my own emulation that I loved writing. I also learned how to interpret different poems as well by annotating. I loved studying him so much that I have begun reading The Importance of Being Earnest, and I definitely believe that I am going to be reading more from him in the near future.
What genres have interested you the most?
Aside from poetry, from Oscar Wilde I loved studying the genre of roman gothic fiction presented through the writer Edgar Allen Poe, I thought his works were brilliant, his ability to hold the reader’s undivided attention with the use of suspense was incredible.
What did you learn from the writers? Inspirations?
From Oscar Wilde, I learned how to use details and imagery to help further express my main ideas, I was also able to improve my writing in poetry by emulating from him. From Edgar Allan Poe I was able to explore how a writer can effectively hold suspense over a reader. Lastly, with John Green, I learned how to appreciate the style of writing that is about love and humor.
Do you intend to read more of a writer? Which?
Over the summer, I intend on reading some of Edgar Allen Poe’s famous works such as The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher.
BLOGGER: Discuss 3-4 student writers in the class who you have commented on and/or are a fan of their writing. Please link to their blog post/page and explain what you like about their writing/work.
- Katie: In this piece, I thought that Katie did an outstanding job in making the reader feel the emotions she wanted them to feel; she used a lot pathos, this really helped increase the effectiveness the overall piece had. I also love how in her poem her lines are short and concise really making you read it in a harsh tone, portraying the accusations being made.
- Nimrat: Nimrat honestly was able to lead the reader into one direction and then out of nowhere take it somewhere else, and I love it! I thought that this piece was solely going to be a love story but then all of the sudden it changed into a relationship breaking apart. She was able to capture my attention and play with my emotions so easily, it was amazing!
- Faith: This piece was absolutely outstanding, I loved how she formatted it into a letter from the oppressed to the oppressors, I thought that this was an interesting approach. I also liked how she used aspects of parallelism in it.
OTHER WRITERS who you are a fan of…
Some writers that I personally love as well are
PART E: You, the Critic of your work
FARC: Child Soldiers
What is the significance of the TITLE?
I suppose the significance of this title is that I wanted it to be straightforward and clear what my topic for my feature article was.
In 17 word summary?
A feature article that explores the question: ” what is the experience of child soldiers in the FARC.”
What was your purpose and audience for your piece?
I wanted to create a piece that touches a subject close to my heart as Colombia is my home country. I also wanted to advocate for not only child soldiers but soldiers in general that are part of the FARC. Often times, people instantly think that these people are terrible and only see them as emotionless killers. I wanted to show a different and uncommon view, hopefully making people feel compassion for the tragedies these people live, by humanizing the whole situation.
What/who influenced the creation of your written product?
Well, my heritage was part of the reason why I went for this topic, also an article pushed me to write about it.
Discuss the craft/ style decisions you made, provide examples.
I really focussed on including pathos, ethos, and logos in this piece to appeal to my audience in all possible ways. The story I used, in the beginning, was an attempt at using pathos by making an emotional connection with the reader by showing an intimate and real-life story. These lines contain numbers and statistics showing logos: “They are responsible for the killing of 220,000 people, it is estimated that of these people 4 of every 5 were civilians not in combat, it is also estimated that around 6.8 million people have been displaced because of the FARC. Since 1975, around 14,000 child soldiers have been recruited to join the FARC.” Lastly, I used ethos in the beginning of my piece to try and persuade the reader by raising ethical questions: “how far will they go to achieve their supposed justice? Will they go so far as to mass murdering, holding innocent lives hostage sometimes as long as a decade, displacing young children from their families, and heavily participating in drug trafficking? The answer is yes.”
Discuss your process for experimentation, revision, and feedback and any epiphanies you achieved.
Some feedback I got from on this piece was to structurally make my paragraphs more organized as throughout the piece there were many times where I unnecessarily started a paragraph, even though I didn’t need to. I need to go back and apply the rule tick tock to ensure that my paragraphs make sense.
crows of the night
What is the significance of the TITLE?
I really wanted to emphasize the significance of the symbolism of the crows and night. I wanted to show how the agony that the woman felt was dominant over the hope she felt of the swans in the dawn. It was showing how in the conflict of reality vs hope, reality won.
In 17 word summary?
A poem about a woman surrounded by the crows of the night longing for a missing man.
What was your purpose and audience for your piece?
I am passionate about gender equality so I decided to write this poem to comment on inequalities women face in society.
What/who influenced the creation of your written product?
This was heavily influenced by Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem Mariana.
Discuss the craft/ style decisions you made, provide examples.
As I explain in my explanation at the end of my post, I wanted to play around with a rhyming scheme (probably influenced by the fact that I’ve been reading a lot of Shakespeare), symbols, and biblical allusion. For example, the lines: “she studies the words written in the book of pope,” and “a cry for heaven escapes her lip.” Show the biblical aspect of the poem.
Discuss your process for experimentation, revision, and feedback and any epiphanies you achieved.
This entire piece was an experiment for me as it was one of the only times I’ve ever written poetry. Even though I was dreading writing this piece for weeks prior, once I started the emulation I actually loved doing it and reading it after I was done. The revelation I got from this piece was that unlike what I previously thought I enjoy writing poetry and want to continue doing so in the future.
Citations
MRW I start a new diet and quit 2 days in because Thanksgiving is this week from reactiongifs