LEVEL UP!

    Throughout my educational career, my strong suit has always been writing. I enjoyed writing mini-stories inspired by the heroines and monsters that would come to life from the brown pages stained with ink. Introduction to Creative Writing challenged me to take that imagination to the next level and further develop my writing skills to become an exceptional writer. During my semester in the class, I achieved many course learning objectives. There was a diverse range of topics I learned and I was able to use them to propel my writing techniques. I could not complete all of the course learning objectives with the same magnitude, but I have advanced further with my writing by successfully reaching the majority of them. 

    I failed to achieve the course learning objective: “Select readings from multicultural texts that best inform individual projects.” I feel I did not use the course texts to elevate and guide my writing to the utmost of my ability. While reading the course texts, I rarely absorbed the advice. I did not annotate most of the texts, and I infrequently looked back on the ones that I did. I can improve on this by being more attentive while reading and using it to benefit my writing. For example, if I had applied the advice Roxanne Gay stated in her article “Top 13 Writing Tips” about focusing on propulsion, I believe my short story would have flowed better and the story could have been more evident to the audience. “I’m worried about what it feels like to read it. Does it feel boring? Does it feel slow? And so, I want an essay – no matter the length – to move along at a steady pace. I really care about propulsion.” I will work on using multicultural texts to improve my future work.

    Course learning objectives I completed are “Curate unique anthologies with texts that best appeal to your own literary preferences, “Recognize and practice a critical vocabulary of the craft of Creative Writing” and “Assess writing development through regular self-assessment and reflection opportunities.”  

    This objective was achieved during the poetry and nonfiction essay modules. In my poems, I explored genres that I love to read but had never studied in writing. The Halloween-themed alphabet poem allowed me to write in a spooky, grim tone that mimics the media I consume. I also delved into romance in my chant poem, a genre I read heavily. It was a pleasant experience to write about similar themes and emotions that reflect what I like to read. The nonfiction essay took a personal approach to writing, detailing a moment in my life. I also like to read autobiographies, lyrics, personal poems, and articles about others where they engage in retelling an emotional experience. I explored this in my own essay and appealed to my literary preferences.

    In-class assignments and journal entries helped me achieve in practicing the critical vocabulary of creative writing. Important words such as theme, genre, characterization, and time & setting were crucial in my writing process for each module. Writing the definitions down in my notebook and completing in-class prompts to engage my mind with the vocabulary increased my ability to implement the concepts into my own works. An example in my notes is when next to the definitions of time used in storytelling, I wrote media I had interacted with that emulated each description. 

    I assessed my writing and progress through in-class assignments and cover letters. During an in-class reflection, I was asked to reflect on a list I created at the start of the semester detailing what I had wished to achieve by the end of the semester. I wrote, “Two things I had hoped to accomplish was gaining more confidence in sharing my writing and to be able to develop my ideas into fleshed out, completed pieces. For years, I would have journals and notes of stories but I would keep them hidden away from prying eyes and let them collect dust like skeletons in a closet, long dead and forgotten. This class pushed me to go through that closet I once locked and be brave. I was able to accomplish both of these wishes through peer feedback, group work, and presentations. It was terrifying to do all of these things but in the end, they pushed me to be a better writer and I can see the improvement between past work and the work I’ve created for this class.” Reflection helps me become a better writer by evaluating what I need to improve and what I have already accomplished.

    Course learning objectives that I strongly achieved were “Produce the major aspects of storytelling: characterization, setting, voice, tone, and plot, in their own finished work to grow in confidence as writers,” “Experiment with narrative techniques within the three major categories of Creative Writing: poetry, prose, and nonfiction through original writing,” “Analyze and give constructive feedback on literary works of themselves, their peers, and established literary giants to build a supportive writing community, diversify appreciation of different genres and enhance storytelling abilities” and “Compose and develop writing created in class from prompt to publication, using the writing process by drafting, editing, revising, and publication, to achieve your best work.”

    I was able to use the significant aspects of storytelling in all modules of creative writing. During the poetry module, I created a setting-heavy poem focusing on the narrator arriving at their messy childhood home and discovering the filth their parents live in. It was visually charged with imagery of garbage and deterioration. I used characterization in my villanelle poem about a person in a relationship where they give too much love and don’t communicate their needs, characterizing them as a dependent, desperate person. I also used the setting to describe the fantastical realism in my short story. I took familiar concepts such as a classroom and a store and elevated the environments by describing the royalty’s classroom with gold molding and wallpaper that had each kingdoms’ symbols on it and the potions shop with bright rainbow liquids in uniquely shaped jars. I used plot during my short story module, telling the story of a princess learning how to accept help from others, presented in chronological order. I used the handout sheets to plot my ideas of what would happen in the story from the conflict, rising action, and conclusion. During my nonfiction essay, I used a concerned and determined tone to describe my fear and doubts and how they turned into confidence and determination. I utilized voice in all three, using many narrative points of view to convey my writing, such as using the third person in my short story and the first person in the nonfiction essay. At the start of the semester, I was insecure about the quality of my writing and lacked the confidence needed to produce great work. As I worked through the homework, lessons, and in-class prompts about storytelling skills, I worked through my fears and created pieces that I’m incredibly proud of.

    I was strong in giving and receiving feedback during this semester. This was a struggling concept for me during the first module, as outlined in one of my wishes to achieve in the semester. I had to develop skills by using course documents such as “Giving Good Feedback” to aid me in writing letters to my peers on how they can improve their work and what was already great. I had to break out of saying, “that was a really good description,” and instead explain why I believed it worked and what techniques popped out at me. Before taking the course, I had difficulty showcasing my work and accepting negative feedback. When I received feedback, I had to realize that my classmates had good intentions and only wanted me to grow and improve as a writer. One of my favorite poems was criticized for being messy and hard to follow. After reading the poem with the critiques of my classmate in mind, I was able to see the flaws and able to improve it dramatically, and now I’m proud of the final outcome. 

    In every module, I developed the ideas started in class and through the writing process to create finished pieces. Each draft I made allowed me to improve upon my last and cut out what no longer fit the story. A particular moment I remember was when I was editing my short story. I started with a scene I believed to be engaging and mysterious, making the reader want to learn more. After reading the rest of my writing and analyzing the scene, I thought it would be best to start with the second scene I wrote and play into the main character’s feelings and inner thoughts rather than the actual replay of events. Revising and editing my work allowed me to reflect on what message I wanted to convey and if I was doing that correctly. When looking back at in-class prompts that led to publication, it’s clear to see the stark changes from the original to the finished product. The start of my alphabet poem looks strikingly different from what I published, and that’s due to the writing process. I edited words, received feedback, and revised the overall message to create my best work. I learned to appreciate this process more and to not expect a masterpiece at the first draft; you have to work on it for it to be great.

    From beginning to end, Introduction to Creative Writing helped improve my writing skills for the better. The introduction of the poetry module immediately pushed me out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t a poet and did not believe this would help me flourish as a writer, but I was wrong. It was so enjoyable to push past my preconceptions and learn about new writing techniques that I continue to use. I used the methods from the poetry module to expand my fictional storytelling during the short story module. I got the opportunity to create the fantasy world of my characters in a story idea I had years ago but was too scared to ever develop it. I’m glad I was able to increase my confidence and go ahead with writing it because now I feel I opened more doors to continue writing and eventually publishing. I appreciate the course for giving me a different viewpoint on the media I consume, seeing the strategies implemented at a large scale and how they influence the storytelling. This course gave me strategies and advice that will be the building blocks for the rest of my college journey.