Creative Writing

Creative Writing Syllabus

Create a folder titled "Creative Writing" and place all writing only in this folder.   All completed assignments must go in a folder titled "MP4 finals".  If work is not placed in this folder it will not be counted. 

For extended piece and choice piece number 3, please label them accordingly and do not title them based on their prompt or title name.  Also, please place these two prompts in a separate folder (graded) within your MP4 finals folder. This way I can access them and conserve paper.


Grading

 Fifteen percent (15%) of your quarterly grade will be based on class presentations, you will have to read aloud two different pieces.  Twenty-five percent (25%) of your quarterly grade will be based on the three (3) pieces you choose to be graded; one fiction, one poem, one non-fiction. Thirty percent (33%) of your quarterly grade will be based on your course MCA. Fifteen percent (15%) will be based on your completion of 15 total finished assigned pieces.  Fifteen percent (15%) will be based on the completion of your extended writing piece.  650 words MUST be completed every single class. 

NO PRINTING EXCEPT YOUR THREE FINAL PAPERS! EVER, EVER, EVER! 

By the end of each quarter – You must produce one example of writing from fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.  Rubrics will be provided for all. 

At the end of the semester – You will create an extended piece of writing (short novel, children’s book, book of poetry, comic book, or other approved ideas -- these pieces may not have been used for previous projects)

Writing Options

MP-4 (15 out of 20 must be completed by the close of the marking period)
All writing pieces (unless otherwise specified) must be 750 words each.
1.  Write about your favorite relative and tell a story of why this relative is your favorite.
2. You begin watching your favorite movie for the 100th time and quote the movie verbatim, when you notice all of the characters in the movie stop.  They are all looking at you.
3.  Use the line, "She reached down into her pocket,felt the small box, and smiled." somewhere in a story
4. There it is again, that same creaking sound.  Everyone says it's a new house settling, but wouldn't it have settled with the previous owners when it was actually new?  It's pitch black in the room, black except for the slight glint of moonlight on the doorknob.  As you slowly drift back to sleep you notice that faint glint moving, the door is opening...
5. You run to the sink in the middle of the night, feeling sick.  As you rinse your face you feel clumps of hair coming loose.  You look up to find an aged shadow of your former self.  What has happened?
6. You show up for class only to find out that (choose one) William Wallace, Batman, Undead John Lennon, Bill Shatner, Kanye West is subbing your class.  Detail how this goes.
7.  8 Haikus (5-7-5 syllable lines) Examples/Assistance
8.  3 Sonnets (Shakespearean or Petrarchan) Examples/Assistance
9.  5 Concrete poems (A poem about an object in the shape of that object) Simplified Example
10.  A day in the life of a character suffering from amnesia
11.  Historical fiction (Your own preferable time period)
12.  A story through the point of view of a famous/literary animal (Consider how Moby Dick may have felt about Captain Ahab)
13.  Think of something....anything, now decide on the primary sense you would use to experience whatever that "thing" is.  Now describe this "thing" with all senses but that primary sense.
14.  Procedural -- Consider something you know how to do well that you assume I have no idea how to do, now run through how to go about doing this as a means of teaching me how.  Have someone read this afterwards to see if it is specific enough for them to learn how to do it.
15.  You begin to suspect that your neighbor is up to no good when you discover _________.  So you decide to__________.
16.  You decide to take a new swine flu remedy that is supposed to make you disease free for the remainder of your years, however, you find that it has caused you to __________. 
17.  You have just created the invention of the century.  It is called the ___________ and it is capable of ____________.  (discuss its uses, how it has changed society, and the reaction from others)
18. Backwards story (write story in segments that start with the ending and ends with the beginning, try and use this method to your advantage so that there is still a twist or a surprise, but in the intro)
19. You are in a life raft with 5 friends/relatives, but the boat has begun to sink since it is only meant for 5, not to mention that rations are already low.  In other words, someone has to go.  Who is getting the boot, how do you decide who goes, what happens during this decision?
20. You and some friends decide to break into the school, just because it is such a cool thing to do.  However, when someone goes missing it suddenly becomes a much more frightening adventure into what exactly goes on at school when the lights go out.
21. Your best friend just asked you to be his/her best man/maid of honor. So prove that you are made of honor and write a story about your ideally created wedding and the story that ensues with its creations (consider issues in design and any last moment drama that might spur between attendants).
22. For this piece you are writing through the perspective both a mythical creature and a citizen's account of that creature.  Show if the citizen's beliefs are true about the creature or if this creature is just misunderstood and how the creature views the supposed innocent villagers.
23. Write an 8 stanza poem (each stanza of at least 6 lines) that illustrates a time in your life when a lesson was learned.  Portray this lesson with the intent of offering a moral to your reader so that they can learn from you rather than for themselves.
24.  Write a letter to someone in a position to initiate change.  Explain to this individual what issue is bothering you and what you propose in order to alleviate the problem.  Make sure to include specifics to prove your knowledge of the issue and of your plan for a competent fix.
25.  Congratulations! You have now mastered the art of mysticism and now have the ability to create an alternate universe.  Your own YOUniverse.  So, what would you actually include within this new place.  What kinds of life would be included and why those things.  Consider all aspects of time and space to make this universe ideal to your thoughts and feelings.
26.  You wake up, just like usual, and head into work/school/etc, but everyone seems to believe you are someone else.  Explore this situation and what your reaction to this situation would be.  Who exactly are you and what is happening?

 

Presentation Days

May-June
 
 3
4
Tyler
Stephen
Joe


6
Allison
Amanda
Kaitlin
7

10

Will

Emily

Skye


12

Thomas

Benjamin

Sophia


14

Alexus

Breanna

Cassie

 17
18
Christina
Rebecca
Samuel


20
Kate
Jessica
Mattie
21

 24
Syndny
Derek
Ashley








 








Rubric Format is exactly as follows:

 

Name:_____________________

 

Creative Writing Rubric


5

Exceeds

Standard

4
          Meets
Standard

3.5

Nearly Meets Standard

3

Below

Standard

2

Little Progress

Toward Standard

         Voice

and

Word Choice

    (W-5, W-7)

Highly individual expression and purpose completely engage the reader.

Strong expression and purpose engage the reader.

Fair expression and purpose sometimes engage the reader.

Expression and purpose rarely engage the reader.

Limited language seriously impairs meaning.

Conventions

And  Formatting

(W-9)

No errors in format, grammar, usage, or spelling.

Few noticeable format, grammar, usage, or spelling errors.

Some errors in format, grammar, usage and spelling.

Many errors in format, grammar, usage, and spelling.

Excessive errors in format, grammar, usage, and spelling.

Organization

(W-1, W-4, W-6,

W-7)

Introduction creatively previews a complex procedure or task; conclusion exceptionally summarizes purpose, motivates and/or encourages reader; Outstanding order and sequencing enhance understanding.

Introduction clearly previews a complex procedure or task; conclusion clearly summarizes purpose, motivates and/or encourages reader; Appropriate order and sequencing enhance understanding.

Introduction vaguely previews a complex procedure or task; conclusion vaguely summarizes purpose, motivates and/or encourages reader; Order and sequencing somewhat support understanding.

Introduction provides little preview of a complex procedure or task; conclusion weakly summarizes purpose.  Order and sequencing limits understanding.

Introduction provides no preview of a complex procedure or task; conclusion provides no summary of purpose. Poor order and sequencing.

Controlling

Idea

 (W-14)

Controlling idea clearly identifies the purpose of the paper, showing analysis of a condition, personal observation, or experience.

Controlling idea identifies the purpose of the paper, showing analysis of a condition, personal observation, or experience.

Controlling idea generally identifies the purpose of the paper, showing analysis of a condition, personal observation, or experience.

Controlling idea weakly identifies the purpose of the paper, and does not show analysis of a condition, personal observation, or experience.

Controlling idea does not identify purpose of the paper.

Content

(W-5, W-6, W-8)

Much relevant information included; all extraneous information excluded.

Relevant information included; extraneous information excluded.

Mostly relevant information included; most extraneous information excluded.

Some relevant information included; some extraneous information excluded.

Little relevant information included; little extraneous information excluded.