Creative Writing

1. Creative Writing Tuesday, December 13, 2011

2. Writing Prompt- • Pick a color. • In a poem or paragraph, describe that color to someone who is blind. You can’t use sight. Think about what the color • feels like • smells like • tastes like • sounds like. • Use descriptive language and metaphor/simile. Be prepared to share.

3. Word of the Day Again • Poetry according to dictionary.com • The art of rhythmical compostion, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. • literary work in metrical form; verse. • What is your definition?

4. Today’s Agenda • Writing prompt • Word of the day • Complete reflections on children's stories • Share children’s stories • Poetry unit introduction • Showing vs. telling activity • Free verse poems working on descriptive and figurative language

5. Children’s Story Reflection • Take out a piece of paper and answer the following questions: • What are you most proud of with your children’s story? • Why do you feel that this is your best achievement? • What do you wish you could have done more with, better with, cut, etc.? • What examples of the literary devices did you use in your story? • Where are they in your story? • How do they add to your story?

6. Children’s Story Sharing • Small groups of 3-4 • On the same piece of paper on which you completed your reflection, write down each writer’s name and the title of their story. • After having someone read their story, write down what you like about their story. Be specific. Give them the feedback.

7. Forms of poetry • Free verse • Sonnet • Villanelle • Rondeau • Triolet • Sestina • Abecetarian • Concrete • Etc.

8. The Poetry Police I’ve oxymoroned again. I hope no one has noticed. But sirens soar. It’s the POETRY POLICE. Nervous, I attempt irony. They take my license and slam me against the wall. They raise their eyebrows at my spondees sneer at my anaphora Check the tread on my alliteration “This metaphor isn’t roadworthy,” they tell me. “Too obscure.” The caution me on the similes. All clichés, they say I should be grateful it’s only a fine. They missed the tautology on the seventh line. -Garth Madsen • Spondee: rhythm pattern • Anaphora: repetition of words or phrases in successive lines or verses • Tautology: needless repetition of an idea, esp. in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.” (dictionary.com)

9. Showing Vs. Telling • Write down an emotion on the slip of paper provided. • Draw a piece from the pile • In three sentences, show that emotion. • Be prepared to share.

10. Showing vs. telling The child was angry. The little boy stood in the middle of the isle, crossed his arms, stomped his feet. “But I want it,” he screamed. He pursed his lips together, holding his breath as his face grew flushed crimson.

11. Showing vs. telling in poetry • Take your three sentences. • Cut words, shuffle, change or rearrange words, to format this in to a poem. • Consider where lines should start and stop. Think of using literary devices. • Be prepared to share.

12. The little boy stood in the middle of the isle, crossed his arms, stomped his feet. “But I want it,” he screamed. He pursed his lips together, holding his breath as his face grew flushed crimson. Anger and Embarrassment “But I want it!” erupts on aisle 2 like a pickle jar breaking, Shattering the soft uneven whirring of grocery cart wheels. All eyes turn toward mother and child. Between Cheerios and Pop-Tarts he takes a stand, Lips pursed, breath held, his face flushes crimson. His mother’s cheeks burns brighter as she walks away.

13. To build portfolio • Collect all the poetry you work on between now and the next couple of weeks. • So far, you have a color poem, an emotion poem, and the soul/metaphor poem. • After break, we will go in to form poetry.