Ocean

A man has a recurring dream that someone is chasing after him. He wakes to find himself in the ocean, in front of a door; clinging onto a glowing blue orb. Write about what happens next. Who is the person chasing after him in his dream? How did he end up in the ocean and what is he doing with a glowing orb? Make sure that your writing is creative and descriptive as possible. The prompt should be 1,000 words or more. Have fun with it! :)

The dream starts like every other night. I’m walking in the city holding a rather heavy suitcase. There are few people in the streets which is unusual during this time of day, or anytime of day. The harsh wind blows down on me, making my eyes tear. It picks up garbage along the streets creating mini tornadoes. I pull my jacket tighter around me and look behind me. A figure walks not far behind. I squint to see if I can tell who he is ,but everytime I try my eyes become clouded. Intense fear and anticipation rises inside me;I feel as though he wants something from me. I walk faster but he stays right on my tail. My brisk walk turns into a jog and then a flat out sprint. I feel like a child with terror seeping into all of my being. Suddenly I feel hands on my back pushing me down, it’s the man that was chasing me. Time slows as I fall onto the concrete. My head smacks the ground turning everything into black nothingness.......and so on...

Remember to split up your post into several sections, since the blog does not accept large chunks. The complete story is due at the end of the week - proofread.

Loop Poetry

Loop Poetry is a poetry form created by Hellon. There are no restrictions on the number of stanzas nor on the syllable count for each line. In each stanza, the last word of the first line becomes the first word of line two, last word of line 2 becomes the first word of line 3, last word of line 3 becomes the first word of line 4. This is followed for each stanza. The rhyme scheme is abcb. Write 3 poems by the end of the period.

If everyone was happy
Happy as can be
The world would be a better place
Place for everyone to be free

Birds fly as they please
Please do not get in their way
Way of doing this is
Is to stay on the ground all day

To read is to gain knowledge
Knowledge one will keep forever
Forever prospering and understanding
Understanding what it takes to be clever.

Christmas

Write a story about a person looking back on their favorite Christmas. Include what the person got for Christmas, and what the day was like. Be descriptive in describing the scenes. For example, describe the Christmas tree, the snow, the presents ect. (May include dialogue) Minimum 450 words - due tomorrow.

I woke up to seeing big snowflakes falling outside my window, and everything was covered in heavy snow. I jumped out of bed and ran to my parent’s room.
“Wake up, wake up!” I yelled as I jumped on the bed.
“Merry Christmas” my mom said as she woke up.
“Get up, get up, Santa came.” I screamed
Mom and dad got up and went downstairs and told me to wait at the top of the stairs.
"Come down stairs now." Mom yelled up at me.
I came running down the stairs with excitement. When I entered the living room all I saw was the bright shinning Christmas tree and all the presents underneath. The lights on the tree shinned bright through out the living room, the ornaments sparkled with reflection from the lights. There were tons of presents underneath the Christmas tree for all three of us.
"Ok you want to start to open presents now." My mom asked me.
"Yes" I said with excitement.
"Ok you can go first." mom replied.
I started with the biggest present and then opened all the rest in random order. The presents were wrapped in different wrapping paper. Some had snowman on them, some had Christmas trees on them, and others were just plain red and green Christmas colors. As I opened the gifts I got exactly what I wanted. The new fire truck with working sirens and remote control, and I got all the other items on my list. After I was done opening all my gifts it was time for my parents to open there gifts. Once they were done we opened our stockings and I got tons of candy. We had a lot of time til our family came over so we cleaned up all the wrapping paper and I played with my toys as mom made breakfast. A few hours past til it was time for my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins to come over to exchange gifts and have dinner. I got ready as right before everyone showed up as mom made dinner. Once everyone got there we had dinner then exchanged gifts. Me and my cousins spend hours playing with our new toys as our parents talked, and spent time together. We walked our family out as the snow fell again and started to recover the road and side walk. Our family left and we went back inside and i played with my toys until i fell asleep on the couch from the long fun filled day.

Free Write

A 300 word Free Write due at the end of the period.

Story Based on Quote

Prompt: Use any quote and write a 500 word story about it. The quote can be from anywhere, but still needs to be appropriate. (No cursing allowed in the quote!) The short story can be in any point of view and is allowed to go over 500 words.

Due at the end of the period on Friday for Mrs. Ell’s class AND Mr. Kupiec's class.

Example: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives one.” –George R.R. Martin

“I’m sorry Ms. Callaway, but I’m not sure how to tell you this.” The doctor said looking over his clip board. “A valve in your heart has busted and there really is no way of fixing it.” I looked down at the ground shaking slightly, not fully sure how to process this information.

“I’m going to die?” I asked looking back up at my doctor. He looked back down to the clipboard and let out a defeated sigh.

“I’m so sorry Erica, but before I even came in here I made the nurses reevaluate the papers. I tried to even change the results myself but nothing can really change this outcome.”

“And I can’t get surgery for this?” I asked getting angry and a little frantic. “You’re telling me right now that there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop this?”

“No you canno-“

“And why not!” I screamed glaring at Dr. Richards.

“Because if we go in you won’t come out” He spat and then took a breath to relax. “Erica if we go inside to fix this valve there is a 100% chance of it not helping what so ever. It did not only split, but it ripped its self so far apart that to retrieve the other piece we would have to go down to you small intestines. We have no idea how this happened, but going off of a guess your body has become very weak and is starting to break down.”

“I- I can’t believe this. How long do I have?” I asked looking up to my doctor feeling as if it is the last time I’ll ever see him.

“Two weeks. Throughout that time you’ll feel your body getting weaker, but it won’t be severe. How the damage is happening you should just pass without pain.” He said looking at me with sad eyes. “Try to live up these next few days Erica. Do everything you’ve always wanted to do.”

“What else is there left for me to do?” I asked shaking my head. “I’ve already swum with dolphins, explored the Grand Canyon, and went to concerts. I’ve flown all over the world and gone to a different universe. Well actually multiple universes if you want to get technical. I’ve worked for the FBI, and also done some sketchy business. I’ve been a drug dealer and police officer. I have tamed lions and some of the largest beasts you’ll ever imagine. I’ve been treated like royalty and multiple occasions I have become the ruler of nations. I’ve fought in the army and suffered the most deadly of wounds. I’ve been reborn and found out all the secrets that have been hidden from us for years. I’ve had drinks with Caesar, talked about the planets with Galileo, painted out the meaning of life with Michael Angelo, and have danced in the presence of Queen Elizabeth. I have traveled everywhere, including Atlantis. Did you know that mermaids do exist?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I have be-friended mythical creatures, the strongest warriors and villains of all sorts. I say all this to ask. What else can I do?” I finished looking back at Dr. Richards.

He looked at me shell shocked. “I have no idea, but it seems like you’ve lived many lives.” He said still confused

I smiled lightly “Yeah I guess you could say that.”

Dream Job

Prompt guidelines:
I want you to write at least 500 words about your dream job. It can be realistic or not, as long as you explain why this is your dream job, what influenced you to always want to do this, and do you personally think that this is possible for you to pursue as a career.
Example:
Ever since I was little and able to talk, all I ever wanted to do was play sports all of my life. My dream job is to be a professional athlete in either the NBA or MLB. I think the main reason that this is my dream job is because sports are my whole life. Just about everything I do is influenced by sports. Decisions I make, places I go, people I meet, a huge part of all of this is being an athlete. In all honesty, I do not think I would be even close to the person I am today if it were not for sports. I have no idea what I would do with myself; I cannot picture my life without it. Another huge factor to this whole equation is my Dad. He is the one that got me into everything. Although my Mom was a very good athlete in high school as well, I like to think that I got my abilities from him, (just do not tell her that!). Without my father pushing me to be the best I can be in not only sports, but school and life in general, I would be nothing. He pushes me to be better every single day in everything I do. For that, I can never repay him.

I would have to say that my father and my desire to be the best and my hunger for competition are the reasons that I have this dream. A huge part of being an athlete is having the determination and the drive to win, no matter the circumstances. Failure is never an option, because if you see it as one, then you are not a true athlete. You should always strive to be the best. I feel that because my father was not able to pursue his dream due to things that happened to him in terms of his health, that it is almost my responsibility to pursue this dream for both of us, not just myself. I am not saying that this is not 100% my dream as well, but now I am playing for two, and not just one. He fuels my fire and my drive, and without him, I would not be able to do what I do today.

Personally, I feel that this is a realistic career choice for me. However, I have not looked very far into it other than fantasizing about it. I just go off of what other people tell me. Coaches and parents always tell me about the potential I have to play in college and what not. I love to hear people tell me that because I do not like to put those thoughts in my head. Of course I dream about it and wish that I was able to do all of that, but I prefer to stay focused on what is happening now as opposed to the future. Plus, I do not want to sound full of myself to other people. That is not the way I would want people to view me, and I hope they do not. I have my feet on the ground and I am keeping my head small. However, it is never bad to dream once and a while.

innocence

Innocence is viewed differently and can mean different things to different people. To some innocence can be lost at a specific age, and to others it takes a moment to lose innocence. What does it take to lose one’s innocence? Answer this question in any style that you’d like. Make your narrative, poem, etc., at least 400 words.
Here’s an example based on my point of view:
They told us beforehand that we were to have a new student. We waited for her to come in and smiled brightly at her. Lila cried the instance her mom brought her in the class. She was so loud and personally, I would be embarrassed. Her tiny face turned as red as a tomato, tears were streaming down her face, and substances were coming out of her nose. She was crying the whole entire time and the only reason she calmed down was because one of the teacher aids sat her on their laps. Every time she was asked to join the rest of us in an activity, she shook her head and returned to the verge of bawling. “Why does she not enjoy coloring like the rest of us? Why does she not want to play along? She’s a new girl, but hey, we’re all nice here. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. I am a really nice person and so is everyone around here. Well, everyone except Marissa…she can be a little feisty.” These are all the things that went through my head because I could not understand why Lila was so upset.
Three years later it was my turn to be the new girl though. There were two of us. I walked in the classroom and everyone seemed to stare at me. I was not happy at all, I missed my mother and I felt a knot building up in my throat. Before I could even think about crying though, memories of Lila crying popped in my mind. It was at that moment that I finally understood why she was so upset; she probably felt the way I was feeling right now. Ever since that day, I make it my personal job to make new students at my school feel as comfortable as they could. Stepping into another’s shoes was the moment that defined the end of my innocence. I no longer expect the world to be the way I want it to be and feel the way I do. Everyone feels different ways about everything, and before judging it’s important to understand why. Once you’re capable of comprehending this and once you’re aware of the varied perspectives society has about everything, you are no longer innocent.
This assignment is due Monday at the end of class.

Independence

Directions: Think back to when you were little, unable to do anything by yourself, always relying on someone else to help you or guide you in the right direction. Now that you are older you are capable of doing more on your own and start to crave independence. Why do you think we want to be on our own? Why do we crave this independence? And when we do finally get that independence, how do we react? Was it what you expected? More or less? Write a paragraph displaying how you feel about independence as a young adult and how it affects today’s society. Must be at least 250 words and have appropriate grammar.
Example:
What usually comes to mind when thinking about independence? Red, White and Blue, is what comes to my mind. Our country, all the lives that were lost for what is now known as freedom. Something that we all tend to crave at least every once in a while. Either its freedom from the law or just simply being free from the rules that your parents have made for their household. Nowadays, teenagers or young adults tend to want this freedom; independence from the nest is what I really mean. We want to be able to do what we want and when we want and how we do it. We want what we can’t have. And when we finally do get it we don’t want it anymore. But tough luck kiddo once you get it, once you’re on your own there are no take-backs. You’re stuck with it. Now it has not always been this way, our country used to not be so strict. There was no age limits to buy/drink alcohol or have tobacco, everyone just kind of did it. But the U.S. has caught on to this and the harmful effects of the use of such things. Teenagers have caught on to this as well and ways to get by without getting caught. But most of them aren’t as lucky as the rest; most of them in fact have to pay the consequences of the laws in which they broke. Now independence isn’t all about the ability to drink and smoke, maybe in a teenagers mind but there also comes a responsibility. A responsibility that even some adults cannot even fulfill. Think. Once you’re eighteen what are you going to do? Drink, party, smoke, stay out all night? No. you will need the basics, food and water because without that you can’t even live. So you will have to first find a job, in which then you will be able to pay for shelter (we all need to have a place to sleep and if there is bad weather coming up you will need to have a roof over your head so you don’t get sick. Because if you get sick then there goes your job as well as your food and water.) Once you get a job you will find that there is really no time to party and drink because you will be expected to be at your job, after all you are “independent” now. The main reason we want to grow up so fast is because we are constantly being told what to do and when to do it, we really have no say in anything either it being the color of your hair or what you do on a Friday night but the thing is, do we even really want to be on our own? Do we want to have to be responsible for every little mistake that we do? Or can we wait a little while and learn how to cope with all of this? Now America, next time you wish that you were older and independent think again because there is a lot more to it than what you think.

Childhood

Assignment: Write 250 words about one of your first childhood memories. Go into detail about where you were when this event happened, talk about every detail that you can remember. This assignment is due at the end of class on Friday.

Example: I can remember the day like it was yesterday. I was in preschool and I was on the playground playing with my friends. I wanted to go on the rocket ship and everyone was on the other playground toys. When I was in the rocket ship I felt something on my arm, it hurt a lot. I started to cry so my teacher came over and told me I had to go inside. Once I got inside my teacher said I got stung by a bee. She got an ice pack and put in on my wound and gave me a lollipop. The lollipop was cherry flavored, I remember. I loved that cherry flavored lollipop, it made me feel better. My teacher called my mom to see if I was allergic to bees. This was the first time I have ever been stung by a bee, so my mom didn’t know. My teacher told me to go lay down in the nurses room. I didn’t feel sick my arm only hurt. A few minutes later my mom came to pick me up. We had to go to the doctors to make sure I wasn’t allergic, because that wouldn’t be good. When we got to the doctor I remember seeing all the animals on the wall, I liked to look at them. After the doctor saw me she said I wasn’t allergic, it would just hurt for a little bit. The nurse let me pick a sticker. I picked a princess sticker it was sparkly and I stuck it on my shirt. The next day at preschool I showed my friends my cool new sticker. They were all jealous.

Addiction

Assignment: Write about someone who has an addiction of some sort. You could be the one with the addiction or you could be witnessing someone with an addiction. The addiction could be one that they are able to stop or can’t break away from. Can be any style of writing you choose. Must be at least 250 words.  This assignment is due at the end of the period.
EXAMPLE:
Sip after sip
Cup after cup
Bottle after bottle
Too much was just never enough for him
I would sit there as I watched him pull his expiration date closer and closer
Why was he doing this?
The outcome wasn’t going to be anything beneficial
Temptation has got him by the tongue
And she wasn’t letting go anytime soon
Not only was he harming himself, it was the people around him, as well
But he would never remember
It was as if these horrific moments never happened
He was a monster
An uncontrollable, terrifying monster
There was just no stopping him
As much as he said he wanted to stop
Something in his mind just wouldn’t let him
Alcohol was what he thrived off of
He wouldn’t let anyone take that away from him
As he’s here racking up on bottles and feeling good
We are racking up in tears and bruises
Aggression came with this monster
Why was it that the one in the wrong is the only one feeling good?
Here my family and I were suffering as he watched and laughed it off with another beer
This just wasn’t right
No matter how mad I would get at him, there was still a soft spot in my heart for him
I knew that this wasn’t him
This was just the monster that came with the alcohol
This just needed to all come to an end
But sadly, the path that it was taking I don’t think would ever stop
Temptation brought out the monster and she wasn’t going to tame him

Bucket List

 




Create a list of all of the things you want to do before you die. No less than 50, but of course there is no maximum number. If you already have a "bucket list," revise it and check off the items you've completed, adding new ones to the list. For each item, try to give a reason. For example: "I want to visit London so that I can experience a Shakespeare play at The Globe."
Due at the end of class tomorrow.

Your Own Prompt

Your assignment for today and tomorrow is to come up with your own idea for a writing prompt.  You must include an example to help your classmates. Your post will be graded on the following:

• Clarity of directions
• Proper use of sentence construction, spelling, and punctuation.
• Inclusion of example.

I would like to use your work for potential assignments in future classes, so keep that in mind when you are working on this.

The length of the assignment you create should take no more than two days for the class to complete.

Young Playwright's Competition (optional assignment)

The Theater Project’s 12th Annual Young Playwrights Competition

Now Seeking Submissions from NJ High School Student Playwrights

Open to all NJ secondary school students, ages 13 to 18.

All entries must be received by January 20, 2014

(NJ) -- The Theater Project, an award-winning drama company, is conducting its12th annual Young Playwrights Competition to encourage the next generation of theater practitioners and audiences by honoring student work and bringing it to life. Not many 13-18 year-olds have an opportunity to have a play they wrote performed in a reading by professional actors, but the three of them who win the Competition will get that chance.

 

While performing in Cranford and Maplewood, The Theater Project has been encouraging young writers from around the state over the past dozen years. Past winners have gone on to pursue degrees in theater and playwriting, and they often return to The Theater Project to present prizes and share their journeys with the newest honorees.

 

The competition is open to secondary school students aged 13-18, and will culminate in a performance/awards ceremony in March, 2014.

 

“In tough economic times, the arts sometimes get short shrift as people struggle to make ends meet and schools see their budgets shrink,” says Theater Project producer Daaimah Talley. “But when kids lose out on arts experiences, they miss opportunities to develop critical thinking and reading skills that are needed now more than ever –- we want to make sure that kids know how important their creative endeavors are by showcasing them in front of the community.” Winners and runners-up will see their work presented to an audience and receive prizes in addition to recognition.

 

In addition to having their work performed, the first, second, and third place authors will receive $300, $200 and $100 cash prizes.  Three additional student writers will receive Honorable Mention certificates.

“Putting words together in a meaningful way is not only about communication, but also fosters the critical thinking skills so necessary to success in education and the workplace,” says Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina.

 

The competition was inspired by a generous donation from Linden resident Bill Mesce, Jr., an award-winning playwright and screenwriter, whose recent short story collection, PRECIS, was published by Stephen F. Austin University Press. He is also the author of OVERKILL: THE RISE AND FALL OF THRILLER CINEMA, and writes regularly about film and television for the award-winning website, Sound on Sight.  Mesce says about the competition: "It is not only impressive but inspiring to see these young people applying themselves to an art form that has always been about a command of language, and a bit awesome to see how well they carry it off."

 COMPETITION GUIDELINES (also available at http://www.thetheaterproject.org/young-playwrights-competition.html):

Only one entry per author. Entry fee: $5

Scripts must be typed in play format.

All submissions must be 10 to 25 pages (excerpts of longer work are OK!).

Original work only, no adaptations.

All entrants must be NJ residents in secondary school.

Entries MUST be received by January 20, 2014

HOW TO ENTER: By January 20, 2014, submit a 10 to 25 page script according to the guidelines above to TheaterProject@AOL.COM with a 50-word biography of the author, contact information and the name of school currently attended. The $5 entry fee can be paid at our web site: TheTheaterProject.org.

 All questions can be directed to The Theater Project at 973.763.4029 or by email at THEATERPROJECT@aol.com.

Lie Poem

Write a poem about yourself (or someone else) in which nothing is true. The poem should be a minimum of 15 lines, in any style you want (however, a minimum of 8 words per line are required). Due at the end of the period.

Face

Your assignment is to go online and find a picture of an adult face that interests you. Study it. Then write a piece, in poetic or narrative form, that describes what experiences have shaped that face. Why does it look the way it does? What has this person gone through? Create a story for the individual and the marks upon their face.
Make sure to copy and paste the link to the picture at the top of your response, as a reference (since you cannot post images into the comment section).
Length - 400 words.
Due - Thursday

Hint: Search for "portrait," since the word "face" has some issues.
 

I Can't Believe This Happened...

Make a list of five things you're afraid of happening to you. Then write a story or poem in which one of them happens to your character..

Your story or poem should be a minimum of 500 words and is due at the end of class tomorrow.

Impossible button

Write a 200 word piece in response to the following prompt: if you could design a button that could perform any function, what would it be and why?

Superhero

"If I were a superhero, I would..."

• You may discuss your powers, your motivation, your backstory or origin
• You may describe a day in the life of you as a superhero
• You may describe if/how you would hide your identity and from who
• You may describe your costume and the reasoning behind it

Due at the end of the period on Monday - 400 words total.

Free Write

Write in any style and about anything you want. A minimum of 250 words. Due at the end of the period.

Ghosts

In the spirit of Halloween...create a short story of 750 words or more with the below in mind. Due at the end of class on Wednesday.

A man who sees ghosts checks himself into a mental institute, not realizing that the facility has been closed for almost thirty years.

Dialogue

Write a dialogue between two or more people during a conversation when they do not think they are being observed. You can pretend to overhear their actual words, or alternately, fill in words that you interpret them saying based on gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Imagine, perhaps, adults when they do not think the children can hear, or the "nice" kids being mean when not watched. Be creative - you may write you assignment in script form, but be sure to include the descriptions of movement and expression.

Minimum of 500 words. Due tomorrow at the end of class.

Cave

Four friends on a nature hike discover a deep cave, complete with running water. As they go deeper and deeper into the cave, they find strange objects–human skeletons, an old computer from the early 80s, a gas mask, and strange mango-sized orbs that emit a glowing blue light.

Write a story that incorporates the scenario. The story should be a minimum of 1000 words, due at the end of class on Tuesday. Remember to split your post into several sections to fit it on the blog.

My Life Flashed Before My Eyes

Pretend you are experiencing the final moments ofyour life.  What do you see as your life flashes before your eyes?  Think of moments and people that have been significant to you in some way.  Write a piece in any style you'd like.  It must be 300 words.  It is due at the end of the period.

Here's an example:

There's a pulse of light that wipes everything away, a flash before darkness comes.   Outside sound becomes silent.  All is now interior; I am left to twist inside myself in these seemingly eternal seconds.  First, FEAR.  I see myself at five, perched atop the bathroom counter, voices calling to me in the darkness.  I see the faces of my wife and son, and they fade; I hear the sound of a flock of birds taking flight.  A tear falls into the exterior silence with an impact that could shatter time itself.  I hear the dull thump of the kick drum before the onslaught of sound; I see my brother's consistently solemn nod from behind his kit, backlit by shin-busters on some makeshift stage.  He urges me on.  I swallow hard, and feel the dryness in my throat.  His hands go above his head, and everything shifts.  I stand over my grandmother's bedside, her face green and gray, her skull shrunken and littered with the same peachfuzz we mistook as a sign of hope only weeks earlier.  Her tongue is swollen and she coughs out the candle of her own life.  I shudder and blink; I see my mother's resilient smile somewhere from a driver's seat, sometime before responsibility put its claws in me.  I feel warm and passive.  The armies of friends and enemies march by.  Sometimes I see the same face in both uniforms.  An M-80 blasts; it is the last day of school, children spring the length of Gavornick Park, their laughter slingshots into a crystalline blue sky.  I feel the peerless freedom of childhood.  I let go.  The world goes blank, and holds.  The moment blisters, swirls with gaseous intensity.  All of my life was meant for this.  This is the moment, pregnant with the potential energy of some violent star, light years away, folded anxiously inside itself, until..

End Word Poem

Write a poem of twenty original lines that contains end words that when extracted from the rest of the poem, stand as another poem.  Here's an example:

He carries unbalanced parcels of sorrow

As his silent shoes move among masses like empty measures

No one hears the echoes, the throbbing cadence of memories

Now relegated to the faceless insignificance of amplified light, blown out

A loud white storm, no one else knows what it sounds like

This is the point when reason and knowledge become cruel

The empty, un-reflected truth rains down like beatings,

The poison of logic is administered

To the servants he left his soul to

Intelligence, sentience, introspection, those

agents that render the mind helpless

When the hunched beast of emotion descends on men

in times most trying

When there is no one to talk to

Finally, he falls down on the cold ground, a slave to the process

The machinations of his own mind, in the onslaught of grief

Ottava Rima

Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, the ottava rima later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. The lines follow a rhythmical pattern of iambic pentameter (un-stressed and stressed syllables alternating) with an abababcc rhyme scheme. Each stanza is comprised of 8 lines, with the first six encouraging the unwinding of the imagination, while the last two rhyming lines (cc) often give a short pause to rest before continuing and express a truth. Write one ottava rima of 3-5 stanzas by the end of the period.

Example of iambic pentameter:

The da-DUM of a human heartbeat is the most common example of this rhythm.

A standard line of iambic pentameter is five iambic feet in a row:

da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM

The tick-TOCK rhythm of iambic pentameter can be heard in the opening line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 12:
"When I do count the clock that tells the time”

 Example of an ottava rima:

Our Canine Paladin

We're sure the robbers shudder in the night (a)
just thinking of our canine paladin, (b)
while Lucy sniffs the air for signs of plight, (a)
in every nook and cranny that's within (b)
her boundaries, in case intruders might (a)
ignore the risk of scratched or punctured skin. (b)
Alas, we've seen the mighty Lucy hide (c)
behind us when she hears a noise outside.(c)

Portraying fearlessness is just a show,
for terriers project their self-esteem
for all to see, from breeding long ago,
they are the leaders of their home regime.
From safety Lucy barks to let them know
to keep this house apart from any scheme,
but with a simple knock she hits the floor
with body wags for any at the door.

No One Knows

Write a three hundred to five hundred word story about a  character who has a secret.  You can take this in any direction you like.  It is due at the end of the period on Thursday. (For Mrs. Ell's class due Friday - do the ottava rima first)

Pantoum

Pantoum

The pantoum is a poem of indefinite length made up of stanzas whose four lines are repeated in a pattern: lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are repeated as lines 1 and 3 of the next stanza, and so on as shown below.

___________________________(Line 1)
___________________________(Line 2)
___________________________(Line 3)
___________________________(Line 4)

___________________________(Line 5) - same as line 2
___________________________(Line 6)
___________________________(Line 7) - same as line 4
___________________________(Line 8)

___________________________(Line 9) - same as line 6
___________________________(Line 10)
___________________________(Line 11) - same as line 8
___________________________(Line 12)
And so on...

Part of the pleasure of the pantoum is the way its recurring lines gently and hypnotically twine in and out of one another, and the way they surprise us when they fit together in unexpected ways. Write a pantoum comprised of 6-8 stanzas, with meaningfully intertwined lines. Try to create an unexpected juxtaposition between the lines to achieve surprise or irony.

Example from Christopher Lane:

A man outside my window

The cat meowed and purred
I kneel by the fire
The darkness comes soon

The cat meowed and purred
She walked between my legs
The darkness comes soon
The stars will guide my way

She walked between my legs
She ran into the house
The stars will guide my way
I walk the beaten path

She ran into the house
Hiding away from me
I walk the beaten path
Stone, sand, and shell

Hiding away from me
The man peeks out
Stone, sand and shell
I stumble to the ground

The man peeks out
He hides behind the tree
I stumble to the ground
I'm running out of steam

Night turns to day
I kneel by the fire
Tapping at the glass
A man outside my window

Sestina

Sestina

The sestina has six unrhymed stanzas of six lines each in which the words at the ends of the first stanza's lines recur in a rolling pattern at the ends of other lines. In the diagram below, the letters A-F stand for the six end-words of the sestina. The sestina concludes with a tercet (three-line stanza) that also uses all the six end-words, two to a line.

Stanza 1:
__________A
_________B
_________C

In this Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop, the six simple end-words are:
A: house
B: grandmother
C: child
D: stove
E: almanac
F: tears

__________D
__________E
__________F

Stanza 2:
_________F
_________A
_________E
_________B
_________D
_________C

Stanza 3:
________C
________F
________D
________A
________B
________E

Stanza 4:
________E
________C
________B
________F
________A
________D

Stanza 5:
_______D
_________E
________A
________C
_________F
_________B

Stanza 6:
________B
_________D
__________F
_________E
__________C
_________A

Tercet:
________A ___________B
________C __________D
________E ____________F

Cinquains

Cinquains

Cinquains

This is another short poetic format with a set syllabic structure. 

Line 1 = 2 syllables

Line 2= 4 syllables

Line 3= 6 syllables

Line 4= 8 syllables

Line 5= 2 syllables

Construct ten of these.  They are due at the end of the period.

lune

Lune

The lune is a three-line poem with a specific syllable count (3,5,3) in each line. Its format is based on the Haiku, with changes in the amount of syllables to accommodate the style of the English language. Traditionally, these poems were meant to express a simple truth, and usually incorporated nature. You may write your lunes on any topic you like. 

Please write 10 lunes. They are due at the end of the period. 

Haiku

Haiku

The haiku is a three-line poem with a specific syllable count (5,7,5) in each line. Traditionally, these poems were meant to express a simple truth, and usually incorporated nature. You may write your haikus on any topic you like.

 

You must write ten of these by the end of the period.

Parody

Your assignment is to create a parody of the song of your choice.  In other words, take a song you know, and change the lyrics to make them humorous.  Choosing one humorous topic as the theme of your parody is the most successful way to attack this task.

There are numerous examples on the internet...YES, FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW YOU ARE ALLOWED TO "SURF THE NET."  View a few examples.

This assignment is due tomorrow at the end of class.  When you post, be sure to include a link to the song you are parodying.

Have fun.  Yes, it's difficult.  And yes, EVERYONE has to do this assignment.

Amnesia

A plane is flying from Australia to Los Angeles. As the passengers disembark, they start to experience amnesia–that is, all of the passengers except one. The farther they go from the plane on which they flew, the more severe their amnesia...

Create a story that addresses the above scenario. Develop the conflict and characters over several days of work. The tone and style of the piece is up to you; however, it must be a minimum of 1500 words and due at the end of class on Monday.

Dystopia Story - an Idea Gone Wrong

Revisit the atrocities of the past in a story. You can either write it as a historical fiction (i.e. something that happens in the period in which the atrocity was practiced– like slavery, Holocaust, general lack of rights and freedoms) or as something that’s happening in a different form (with obvious corollaries) today, or in a future setting.
Think of the novels The Giver and Animal Farm as examples of this. Your story should be a minimum of 1000 words and is due Wednesday. You will have to break up the post into several comments in order to get it to fit.

Weekend

Write a story that takes place during the course of a single weekend.  It should start from the moment the bell rings on Friday at 2:36, and finish sometime on Sunday night.  You can take this in any direction you'd like.

Your story should be 700 words or more.  It is due at the end of class on Friday.

If I Could Go Back

What would you choose if you could go back and change one moment in your life?  Write 200 words in response to this prompt.  It is due at the end of the period.  You may use any format you like.

Bi-Directional Poetry

Bi-directional Poetry

Your assignment is to create a poem that can be read both forwards and backwards.  It is a challenging assignment that can bring a multitude of benefits to your writing; it can open up the possibility to perceive new possibilities in word structure, as well as add depth and dimension to a single poetic concept.

This assignment also teaches the importance of comma placement. Since your poem has to be read both forwards and backwards, reorganization reagarding comma placement becomes crucial in making your poem readable in both directions.  For today's part of the assignment, do not include any commas.  We will return to the comma placement portion at a later time.

Because this assignment is so difficult, I only ask that your poem be a minimum of seven lines, with a minimum of three words per line.  It is due at the end of the period.

Here's an example I constructed to help guide you:

Peaceful and quiet
eternal sleep makes it so
death is transformation
soon comes change
pain wilting slowly
like dying flowers
ending is beginning

Highlights with Soundtrack

Your assignment is to choose 10 highlights from your life.  For each moment, choose a song that  would appropriately accompany that moment.  Then, for each moment, write 1 to 3 sentences explaining your song choice for that moment.

EXAMPLE

MOMENT: 10th grade, a crisp fall night.  I remember being sprawled out on the front lawn of my buddy's house, staring up at the stars, talking for hours with a person I had only known vaguely before that time.

SONG: "Are You Lightning?" by Nada Surf.  I chose this song because it conveys the sense of the glorious confusion that often accompanies a new relationship.  There is a feeling of anticipation and the slight undercurrent of trepidation that comes along with opening yourself up to someone new.

MOMENT:  Also 10^th grade, oddly enough.  Dead middle of Christmas break.  One of my best friends was heavily addicted to drugs, and had been hiding it from me, fearing my judgment.  We had argued about it.  As a gesture of good faith, she walked a mile across town in 2 feet of snow, the day after having major knee surgery, to carry me the pipe she had been using; her thinking was that this would prove she was done with this stuff for good.  I remember feeling sadness upon recognizing the futility of the whole gesture.  I appreciated it, but I was not about to fool myself about it.  I could tell she wanted me to tell her that I trusted her, that this was all she needed to do to make things right, but I just couldn’t.  It was a hard truth.

SONG: “Soma” by The Smashing Pumpkins.”  Musically, the spacy introduction of this song always conjured the feeling of Christmas lights, strung out on cold rooflines, blinking, magical.  I think of her walk in the snow and hear that music.  The way the song crests, the way it swells, even the screechy vocals remind me of a truth one can’t ignore. 

MOMENT:   January, at a young, purposely non-specified age.  I was at a social gathering of sorts, and it was “somewhat” rowdy.  At the absolute apex of the evening, which was at a friend’s house, the craziest kid I knew at the time got into a fight with his girlfriend.  He was in a “somewhat altered” state of consciousness.  I could see it escalating.  He was standing in the corner of a screened-in porch, and suddenly he decided to just leap backwards.  He smashed through the screen, and reverse face-planted on the concrete, splitting his head wide-open.  The chaos that ensued when the “social gathering” guests were informed that an ambulance was on the way can best be described as “the stuff of legend.”  Half-filled cups flying into bushes.  Various glass receptacles being tossed down the hill in the backyard.   By the time I had made my escape, I wasn’t completely aware that I had made my escape.  Luckily, I had the assistance of a friend, who literally saved my life that night; she pulled me back as I tried to cross the street, and missed being hit by a truck by about 6 inches.

SONG:  “Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down” by Scott Weiland.  I’m not even a huge fan of the artist, but this song typifies the silliness and disorientation that goes along with my night.  It falls all over itself; it is sloppy.  The groove lumbers along like a dizzy sloth.  It’s perfect.

  

This assignment is due at the end of class on Monday for Mr. Kupiec's class and by the end of class on Wednesday for Mrs. Ell's.

Literary Device Poem

Literary Device Poem

Write a thirty line poem that has at least ten syllables per line.  Your poem must include the use of each of the following literary devices.  If you are unfamiliar with any of these terms, look them up online.  This assignment is due at the end of the period.

Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Hyperbole
Simile
Metaphor

Mrs. Ell's class - due at the end of class on Friday.

Spectrum Bio

1. Write a short bio about yourself - max 2 paragraphs. What you include is up to you, but here are some suggestions:

• your name, age
• favorite activity
• personality
• friends. family
• things that are important to you
• plans for the future
• why you write

Make a list of the following things IN ADDITION TO the bio. DO NOT include these in the bio.
1. Favorite quote and the source
2. Favorite books and authors
3. Birthday
4. Appropriate personal picture (can be with friends and family) emailed to Mrs. Ell (elll@dunellenschools.org)

Missing

Scenario: You wake up in the middle of the night, and your most treasured possession is gone!  What is it?  Where did it go?  Why?  Write a short story of 700 words in response to this prompt.  It is due at the end of class on Monday for Mr. Kupiec's class and at the end of class on Tuesday for Mrs. Ell's class.

300 word free write

Your assignment is to write whatever you'd like.  It must be 300 words.  It is due at the end of class today.  (Thursday)

Want to Play a Game?

Focus on a memory of a game that you played when you were a kid. It could be chess, it could be paintball, it could even be Cowboys and Indians– anything where you really got into the game. Start by writing about the experience itself, and then make it more real. Suddenly you are the king, the soldier, the intrepid native out to reclaim his lands! Use descriptive detail to imagine a surreal experience.

Response should be a minimum of 500 words and is due at the end of the period on Friday.

TIP FOR BLOGS: Write your response in Word first - for the purposes of spellcheck and to save your progress between days (and if you need to take it home to work on) - then copy and paste into the comment section on the blog.

Welcome to Creative Writing 2013-2014

Creative Writing is an elective course that centers around several different types of writing. Students taking this course may expect to encounter a variety of assignments, ranging from short poetic formats, to TV scripts, to novellas. The focus of the course is to provide a creative outlet for students while refining and reinforcing writing skills.

Due to the fact that one cannot grade a student on his/her amount of creativity, students will be assessed according to the total number of assignments completed. Students will also be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate mastery of each format introduced. As in any other class, work ethic and attention to detail are integral to a student's success in this class.

The purposes of this blog are multi-faceted. Often, assignments and prompts will be available for perusal on the blog and supplementary materials and creative inspiration posted by the teacher. The blog is also a venue to communicate with your classmates in reference to constructive criticism, to introduce assignments you would be interested in doing, as well as posit specific prompts of your own.

The only rules that need be followed is that we respect one another's particular vein of creativity and use the site for academic and creative purposes only, maintaining the proper voice, grammar, and tone for each assignment.

Word of the Day

Construct a short story of at least 500 words (due Friday) revolving in some manner around the word of the day found on this website. You may also use the words and phrases in the "Related Searches" box towards the bottom of the entry as alternate inspiration. Remember, you can use the word(s) as setting, as theme, as character or any other element related to literature.

Writing Prompt Generator - 500 words

Go to the Prompt Generator website (by clicking on the link). Cycle through the various possible story openers that the website generates. Once you have settled on one that strikes your fancy, copy it into a word document (making sure to put it in quotes to indicate which portion is not your original creation) and write a story of 500 words inspired by the fragment.
Due at the end of class tomorrow (Tuesday).

This Year

Reflect on your school year.  Length requirement is 250 words

Free Write

Your assignment is to write something in any format.  Your length requirement is 250 words.

Final Review Day 6:

The format is Ottava Rima.  You must construct two

Final Review Day Five

Your assignment is to write 1 pantoum.

Final Review: Day 4

Your assignment is to write 1 sestina.

Final Review Day 3

Construct 10 lunes.

Final Review Day 2

Your assignment is to write 10 cinquains.

Final Exam Review

In preparation for the final exam, you must construct 10 haikus today.

Why the fire?

Standing in the dark at the foot of the property, I watched.  It was hard to believe.  I shielded myself from view, leaning against one of the many pine trees in the woods that ran up to my backyard.  I had gone through with it.  I had burned down my house.

Write a 500 word story using this passage as a starting point.  It is due Thursday.  It must be free of errors.

Free Write

250 words if you are done with bio. Post here.

Spectrum Bio - NOT OPTIONAL

The last time this assignment was attempted, it was completed incorrectly. Please follow the directions.

1. Write a short bio about yourself - max 2 paragraphs. What you include is up to you, but here are some suggestions:

• your name, age
• favorite activity
• personality
• friends. family
• things that are important to you
• plans for the future
• why you write

Make a list of the following things IN ADDITION TO the bio. DO NOT include these in the bio.
1. Favorite quote and the source
2. Favorite books and authors
3. Birthday
4. Appropriate personal picture (can be with friends and family) emailed to Mrs. Ell (elll@dunellenschools.org)

I must have these ASAP so that the "Spectrum" editors can complete their work. If you would rather email me the whole thing rather than post it here, that is fine too.

Mothers and Madness

Respond to this quote, either in an essay format (non-fiction, explaining the quote and how it applies to your life and the observations you make around the world) or with a fictional story (creating characters and situations that demonstrate the quote).

Due at the end of Wednesday's class. 500 words.

"I believe that always, or almost always, in all childhoods and in all the lives that follow them, the mother represents madness. Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we've ever met." - Marguerite Duras

Free Write

Due Friday at the end of class - minimum of 400 words.

Short Story - THE BLOG IS WORKING

A woman/man returns to her/his abandoned childhood home and finds evidence inside that reveals the keys to an unsolved family mystery. Make sure to develop setting, plot, character and conflict. Include a plethora of descriptive details, meaningful dialogue, and figurative language to showcase your mastery in creative writing.

Due to the Book Sale chaos, the story's deadline has been extended to Tuesday March 12, 2013. A minimum of 1000 words.

"You deserved it."

Write a mini-story of at least 300 words that incorporates this quote.  It is due at the end of the period.

April is National Poetry Month

To commemorate National Poetry Month, April 2013, the Raritan Valley Federation of Libraries and the Middlesex Public Library will be sponsoring a Poetry Anthology. Poets whose work is chosen for the Anthology will be invited to read their work at one of the participating library’s Poetry Celebration in April.
Poetry submitted to Middlesex Library will be posted on this website as well.

Participating libraries include:
Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Clarence Dillon Public Library, Dunellen, Franklin Township, Middlesex Public Library, New Brunswick and Raritan Public Library.

Interested persons can call the Reference at 732-356-6602 for more information. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 15. 
CLICK HERE for the submission form and rules.

Short Story

Start story with: “He/She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled…”

Due at the end of the period on Wednesday. 600 words.

Face - Mr. Kupiec's Class

Your assignment is to go online and find a picture of an adult face that interests you. Study it. Then write a piece, in poetic or narrative form, that describes what experiences have shaped that face. Why does it look the way it does? What has this person gone through? Create a story for the individual and the marks upon their face.
Make sure to copy and paste the link to the picture at the top of your response, as a reference (since you cannot post images into the comment section).
Length - 400 words.
Due - Wednesday

Hint: Search for "portrait," since the word "face" has some issues.

Bucket List

Create a list of all of the things you want to do before you die. No less than 50, but of course there is no maximum number. If you already have a "bucket list," revise it and check off the items you've completed, adding new ones to the list.

Free Write

Please post yesterday's assignment since the blog is now working again. For today, you have a 250 word free write.

"Moving On"

The prompts below are a few suggestions for the theme of "Moving On;" you are free to go off in any direction you like with them. The response will be due at the end of class on Tuesday, and should consists of a minimum of 300 words.

• Look ahead to graduation. How will things change?
• Transition from innocence to "adult life"
• Getting past a previous relationship
• Trying to rise above a negative experience from your past

Past and Present Story

The instructions are to write at least 500 words (between today and tomorrow), starting in the present moment, going back to some moment in the past, and then returning to the present. In this way, both past self and present self are revealed in a very short space. It can be autobiographical or fictional. Due at the end of the period on Friday.

One Syllable Words Story

Write a story of around 100 words using only one-syllable words. Meaningful and powerful writing does not have to contain impressive words; often, writers are too worried about sounding intelligent that they focus too much on "big" words and "big" themes. However, there are times when simple, direct prose has more power.
For example, basic words such as bed, earth, stars, bone, yard, house are all simple words, but they're also rich with emotional potential.

Examples:

The boy sat on the dock and wept.
He cried for the loss of love. A tear in his heart so big it seemed too much to bear.
He glanced up at the fish in the lake and wished to be with them. To be free with them for a few days is all he asked for. To not think about the life he must face. He would not go back to the house. Not back to the home where he knew her. Where her bones would be lain. Not back to the house where his mom had died.


"Dear God," she wrote, "I have been good all my life. I lived in a way I thought you would want. Be it man or beast, I treat all with love. But I ask, is life how it should be? And," she went on, "Why did you leave?" She paused on the next words. "Did you leave me?" she asked in her head, "or did I leave you?" She threw the note and pen to the hard floor and cried. "Who left who? Do I have a soul? Is this life all there is?"
 She feared the truth she knew.

Words, words, words! Breaking the Box

Your assignment is to take the following words, and ONLY the following words, and use the period to create a coherent poem with them. The idea of this assignment is to let your creativity be resourceful enough to overcome incredibly rigid parameters.  It is due at the end of the period.  You can repeat any of the words on the list.

Nymphs
Ceiling
Limousine
Flashed
Leaving
Given
Only
Dedicated
Wish
Swollen
The
If
Night
Cradling
Inspecting
Ferocious
Pardon
Your
Blinds
Then
Faces
And
Dead
Gone
Of
For
With
A
Like
In
To
That
Shadows

Valentine's Day Story

Write a short story with a reference to Valentine's Day in some significant manner. This could be in the form of a love story or an anti-love story, or it could recall any significant events that have taken place on this date, your choice. Due at the end of the period on Friday.
(Mr. Kupiec's Class, the length requirement for the piece is 500 words.  It is due Friday.)

Superhero

"If I were a superhero, I would..."

• You may discuss your powers, your motivation, your backstory or origin
• You may describe a day in the life of you as a superhero
• You may describe if/how you would hide your identity and from who
• You may describe your costume and the reasoning behind it

Due at the end of the period on Monday - 400 words total.