Discuss an “Aha” from Creative Writing Class

No Red Ink:

I make so many grammatical mistakes, its not even funny. No red ink has been very helpful and has taught me many rules I never knew of. Grammar is something that I have been weak at since the beginning of time, and I am still working on improving it. The lessons and interactive learning mechanism were very useful, and I will continue to use this tool until I have further mastered all my GUMPS. Over the past two years, having done so many no red ink assignments as helped me find more mistakes in my writing. Once you acquire these skills, grammatical mistakes are much more noticeable.

Reading Ladder:

Honestly, I loved and enjoyed doing the reading ladders. Since it was the last semester of grade 12, I took on a lot of easy reads – I read just for enjoyment. It was really relaxing and giving reviews on each book was satisfying. Also, having a reading ladder provided a little bit of structure to my reading schedule; it really helped with tracking all the books I was reading and setting goals to reach a certain amount of pages each day pushed me to read as much as I could.

Bow View Manor:

Initially I was disappointed and stressed about this assignment; the lady we got did not answer well, and we had very little to write a piece from. However, the second trip was an eye opener for me. We sat down and read the letter to her; her initial comment was why we wrote this for her and then she said thank you and accepted it whole heartedly. After this quick exchange, we just sat and talked about her life and traveling. Marta, our interviewee, was nearing her 100^th birthday and I was in utter shock and disbelief of the stories and memories which are held within 100 years. Marta talked about traveling and interacting with different cultures and the importance of learning. Through it all, I listened with intent, but there was one thing that I especially liked: “There are good memories and bad memories in life; we learn from the bad memories.” I will forever remember this.  

Edworthy Park:

I’ve always loved our visits to Edworthy Park. I don’t always get a ton of writing done, but the peaceful atmosphere was a soothing medication for all the stress of grade 12! In particular, loved our last visit to Edworthy where we wrote down our quotes on the rocks. I wrote a couple of my quotes on rocks that were embedded into the sand/dirt, that way it would stay there for some time. Anyways, as we were about to leave, a person spotted out my rock and pointed it out to others that were with her. Together the bend down to read the quote and smiled approvingly. Although it may have been a small gestured, I felt validated and honored to have shared my work to the public.

What have you accomplished as a reader? What is you PLAN to read next?

I’ve explored a variety of genres this year and have familiarized myself with the works of many well-known authors. This includes Margaret Atwood, Nicholas Sparks, Charlotte Bronte, etc. Opening up my choices to different authors was very enlightening and I enjoyed the various writing styles, formatting and diction. By reading multiple novels, I have noticed a significant development in my diction and the complexity of my writing. I’ve learned how to properly integrate metaphors and other stylistic choices into my poems and stories. It is true when they say that books are the key to knowledge!                                The best books I have read this semester are, The Red Tent and Dovekeepers. Both these books were written based on the historical events of the nation of Israel. My childhood stories were of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the forefathers of Israel, and it was very interesting to hear an in-depth perspective of these characters. The Red Tent was especially captivating because of the feminine perspective that is very prominent. The bible holds records of the roles of man and mostly follows their life. Although this novel was factious, it was interesting to read a rather accurate interpretation of womanhood in the early centuries.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  My favourite book of this year was Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. So for my future reading list, I want to read other novels by Charlotte Bronte, specifically, Villette and The Professor. Both these books were written shortly after Jane Eyre. Although Bronte writes in Old English, the story line is intense and holds your attention.     

        

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What are your next steps to improve as a writer?

I want to start journaling; just take five-ten minutes per day to reflect and write. Writing improves with practise and revising. I also want to practise detailing works; I want to explore different methods of descriptive writing including, imagery, comparisons, and the use of vivid descriptions through the five senses. Along with this, I will also be working towards improving grammar. Grammar is the stepping stool in writing, this needs to be better before delving into other details or goals.