LITR 3731: Creative Writing
Index to Sample Student Final Exams 2006

Final Exam Assignment

Below are links to complete final exam essays and excerpts from all other essays.

Sample Complete Final exams (in alphabetical order)

Patty Coleman, "Me, a Writer?"

Joe Cuellar, "Of a Personal Nature"

Neelam Damani, "On Becoming a Writer"

Karen Heidrich, "The Challenge of Sophisticated Writing"

Jonathan Moeller, "It Takes a Workshop"

JT O'Neal, "Out of the Writing Closet"

Impressive Excerpts:

Ron Burton

Creative Revising

            When I signed up for Creative Writing, I had no idea that it would become a class that would influence how I write for other class and outside of academia for my job.  I have become more conscience of not only what I write, but more importantly, how I present a work in terms of how an audience might perceive it.  I learned that to write “creatively” is to write with a sense of purpose beyond the purpose, i.e., to transcend the obvious to convey myself or my ideas in a nature that is fresh without burdening my reader with unnecessary filler.  As Devon Kitch mentions, it “forced me to think about different aspects of my writing,” and how I approach projects outside of a workshop atmosphere where other’s opinions are not readily available. . . .

Anissa K. Cantin

Discovering The Writer Within

 . . . Once I did my presentation to the class, I felt pretty good about my poem.  I saw its message clearly in my mind.  Then reality struck.  I read the poem and the comments were generally good but they still did not get the message that I had in my head.  The suggestion of the group was not to change the poem I had but to write additional poems from different points of view, such as the child patient who was being visited by the clowns in the hospitals.  So, at their suggestion, I wrote another poem and in fact have another in mind from the point of view of the clown’s wife.  This simple suggestion opened up a whole new train of thought for me.  Now, I actually jot down ideas for future poems and write a line or two here and there when I can.  I have never been a journal keeper and have probably lost more original ideas than I will ever come up with in the future but at least now I have a direction and a goal. . . .

With my story in print, the reality of my fear of showing it to others set in and set in hard.  I allowed my husband to have the first read.  He was polite and acknowledged the references to my life experiences but he gave me no comfort in what lay ahead, the peer evaluations.  As assigned, I passed my story along to three classmates for feedback and their comments were very helpful.  The biggest change based on their comments was the addition of an introductory paragraph to my story.  I thought the idea of each chapter starting with knock, knock, knock was an obvious theme but it needed the explanatory sentences right up front to be clear.  I think this will be an excellent addition in the end as my target audience is the young adult readers and they will need the prompt.  In fact, after these updates, I was brave enough to read the story to an eighth grade class I was teaching.  To my surprise, they liked the story and asked for me to read them more when I was finished with it.

This entire process was actually more beneficial than I had thought it might be for me.  I think I have found a bit more confidence on a personal level and will write on and off as time allows.  The biggest asset I have received from this experience, however, is the insight I will take into my future Language Arts classrooms.  As creative writing is a unit that is taught in junior high classes, I know feel confident in conducting a workshop with my students.  I appreciate the process that we used in the writing of our works.  I will use my own examples to show the students how the final piece is a struggle to get to and that it doesn’t come all at once.  A journal is also an element that I will stress for my students so that they do not loose the ideas like I have without making notes. 

In the end, I must both agree and disagree with the thoughts that 2005 creative writing student Devon Kitch made in his final exam paper.  She says that the art of writing creatively is “not a gift from the gods” but must be cultivated and that we as readers often take the art of these authors for granted.  I agree on all aspects except one. I think that God must give someone the initial talent to be a creative writer.  It is a difficult process but it has to start somewhere and that creativity is not easy to come by for everyone.  However, with tools and ideas found in classes like these, writers can be discovered in folks who never knew they had it in them. 

Marina Collier

I had an opportunity this year to share a writing prompt with some students from the school where I work this semester. One day, there was a little lizard on my van.  That little guy rode on my van all the way to work that day. I captured the lizard and soon Mango; the lizard became a 3^rd grade class pet. The children took that experience and wrote some of the best little accounts of Mango’s travels to school. For weeks, the children shared their thoughts with me about Mango until one day the teacher decided we needed to let him go. As a result, the students were able to write again about the new adventures Mango would have as a free lizard. This is the kind of experience I want to share with my own class some day. Hopefully, next fall. I will be teaching 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th grade at a local elementary school. I think it will be a very rewarding job and a great place to incorporate what I have learned in this creative writing class.

Joanna Ellis

Pride Leads to Success

            . . . I learned that Creative Writing does not have to be intimidating. I have always been afraid to write my thoughts and ideas for fear of being negatively criticized. Though I really enjoyed stretching myself with both forms of creative writing—poetry and fiction, I really preferred writing and reading poetry. I know that both elements, along with drama, are key forms of creative writing from which all other forms spring from; however, the poetry section’s effects on the class were the most interesting. It seemed that learning poetry first helped the class to bond in a way. This could be, in my opinion, because we all open ourselves up to everyone else when we write poetry. Even our book says that it is hard to write poetry about something that hasn’t really happened to you. This being the case, most, if not all, of the students who read their poems in class wrote about something that happened in their own life. The rest of the class noticed the need for sensitivity in addressing problems and suggestions within each piece, which helped us all learn how to peer review in a constructive, sensitive way. This knowledge is something I am leaving this course so appreciative of.

            Though the peer responses offered much help for student writers, our textbook offered a more specific list of guidelines and suggestions. For me, the book was the greatest help in learning how to use alliteration, imagery, and unobtrusive detail in not only poetry, but also in fiction writing. Having been inspired to write my poetry piece, and getting such a warm reception to it, I was more worried about writing fiction. I found the in-class discussions of the Minot’s ideas to be most helpful in finding my way through these aspects of writing. True he did say a few things that were purely his personal opinion and certainly not always appropriate, but they were very helpful in getting our minds to think about what works and what does not within our own writing. For example, Minot says that many times a writer will try and identify the speaker with elaborate words like “expounded John” or “blurted Ann” when simply using the word “said” would serve the same purpose because readers merely pass over that part of the text, looking only to be identified of the speaker. This is true sometimes, but not always. There was a situation in class where a woman wrote a few chapters of book that was intended for children. In the book she did use these elaborate words; however, she had purpose in using them—to help children learn to identify those words, and to help the person who is reading it out-loud know what kind of voice inflection to use. I have always been taught the way that Minot believes, but this event in class brought to light the fact that in Creative Writing there are no absolute ways of doing things.

            I really appreciate the way that the class discussions were led by students. Having students form discussion questions about the assigned reading or an author’s piece gets students involved. In getting involved, they form a sense of pride around what they are contributing to the class itself. Seeing the teacher sacrifice his role in leading discussions helps students to realize that they are more essential to the class’ functioning properly. I plan to find a way to implement these methods in my own teaching next fall. I also plan to use the writing workshops in my classroom. I want to see what it is like on the other end of things, while keeping in mind what it was like to be the fresh, new writer, afraid of what my peers and professor will think of what happens when I put my thoughts and ideas down on paper.

I want to make these workshops a part of my class’ weekly schedule. I will, hopefully, be working with fourth to eighth grade students, which will allow writing times almost every day. At least two of these writing times per week will be devoted to writing workshops where student will exchange their writing with at least three other students who will then read it and give feedback. Though we exchanged with only two other student, I would have liked to have had feedback from more. I think that, though I know our semester is limiting in many ways, there is a limited amount of response and suggestions that a person can get from two other beginning writers; however adding more respondents will help to increase chances of getting at least a few higher level responses and suggestions. I am just so convinced that getting students involved in the classroom with other students creates a feeling of pride, which produces success; this success will then produce more pride, etc; it is an endless, positive cycle that would be a waste of valuable understanding to dismiss. . . .

Charity English

          In my opinion, the most important and helpful aspect of the writer’s workshop course has been the revision account. I have enjoyed reading the revision account of others, not just to find out how the piece began, but also to help me utilize the revision same techniques in my own pieces. The revision account is a blue print that demonstrates each individual’s creative writing process. Some classmates only revised wording and phrases, while others completely reconstructed their works. I was in the latter category in both cases. But it is so important to be able to visualize the changes that have taken place in order to take that experience and knowledge into the next project.

Keely Flom

 . . . My biggest challenge with the class was the textbook.  What I mean by that is that I did not always agree with what Minot had to say about writing.  What I did have to accept was that this textbook was geared towards the college student and more academic creative writing.  The one thing that particularly stuck out with me was the criticism over the “seven deadly sins of fiction”.  I felt that for most people this was a good leaping off point for beginning writers.  The funny thing is that I think this is what sells and Minot was greatly against anything mass produced for profit.  The sad thing is that when people are starting to write these story lines are probably first to pop in their heads and like I said before it is not a bad jumping off point for the beginners. . . .

Mary Bel Garza

Poetry: So I Can Do It!

 . . . After I submitted it to Karen she helped by referring me to some examples on how to break up the poem to make it look like a poem. I worked on it and let it be for awhile then submitted it to JT and it turned into a totally different poem. By that time I had progressed in my pregnancy and was feeling a whole new set of emotions, and that is what led to the final poem. JT helped me create those emotions into my poem. This slow working progress and the “reading as the first step” and “six ways to jump start a new poem” is what helped me develop as a writer. I was fortunate that I had experienced classmates to give some real criticism.              

            The main reason I so excited that I took this class and learned what I did is because it has added to my idea of how I want to teach my students. I agreed with Karen Daniel’s idea written in her 2005 Final Exam, she states, “Participating in the workshops in this class has helped me to obtain an idea of what I want to do with my own students.  I believe that it is far more beneficial to students for a teacher to assign fewer papers with more time for revision, rather than to assign a high volume of writing”.

Heidi Gerke

The Impact of Creative Writing

 . . . The largest wake-up call I received in writing, was the idea of the writing process. Karen Daniel from the 2005 Creative writing class said it rather well in my opinion.

The most profound discovery for me was finding out that creative writing is hard work for everyone.  I am an avid reader, and the knowledge that what I read in a day can take months or years to write is humbling.  I have always been under the impression that fiction is the result of some divine inspiration that I do not have the secret to.  Finding out that writing is a real job that writers sometimes have to make themselves do is both comforting and disturbing.

This is something that never really quite occurred to me. Most of the things I’ve written have had little revision throughout its life. In fact, my poetry especially has never even been poked at with the revising eye. I had been under the impression that once things were written; it was, as you wanted it to be. The book caught my eye especially on this matter. “We have all seen movies in which the musician or poet is suddenly seized with inspiration and after a few glorious minutes whips out what will become a world-renowned work of art. It’s a myth, a total fabrication” (142).

            The idea was mind blowing and amazing to me. It was also true. Many people rely on what they hear about the writer, rather than truly looking into what it takes to being a writer. So, this class objective really had something to say to me as it was stated in the lecture notes. It was for us to, “To inculcate the attitude that each ‘draft’ or ‘manuscript’ presented or submitted is always a ‘work in progress’” (Course objectives 8-28). Along with a great deal of instruction in poetical terms and strategy, this had to have been one of the greatest things I learned that has changed my view on my own work. . . .

            Overall, there has been a great deal of fine-tuning going on in my ideas of writing. I have learned ways to hammer out different aspects of both my poetry and my fiction writing. And most of all, I have learned the necessity of revision and just what purpose it serves. This class dug me out of a rut of tradition and opened my eyes to things I stubbornly refused to address. I believe it has certainly helped me for the better. I have always believed that there is always room for improvement, but I do not think I have actually used that saying until this class. I hope to carry over these ideas and ‘tools’ to my future projects. I also hope to grow in my creativity and continue to do so, because no writer will ever be perfect. And to get comfortable enough to say that would only hinder progress and changes that could totally change a writer completely. The importance of peer revising is also important. I couldn’t have made such valid changes without them. In the end, I have to thank Dr. White for his help in my writing. And maybe one day, I will accomplish my dream of wanting to write a book and thank him properly.

Tami Gilley

The Rookie

            When I was first introduced to this class I was a little intimidated.  It seemed as though most of the students were in their final semesters and already had a wealth of Literature experience.  I quickly learned that for the most part everyone still had some learning to do.  Some of the students in the classroom amazed me with how well they were able to pick up on small details that helped change the course of one’s writing.  Another asset for the class was the use of the book The Three Genres.   Although the book was a bit repetitive at times, it was still a valuable tool for future assignments.  I was able to take information from both of these sources and produce assignments that actually turned into an interesting read.

            One particular item that continued to resurface throughout my poetry writing was some ideas for my free –verse poetry.  Monet explained how the use of auditory devices could work really well for this type of poetry.  This was new to me because I always just went in the direction of basically writing my free-verse in the form of a free write.  Since I have invited alliteration to some of my pieces, I now see direction for my poems. 

Laura Guerrero

My Creative Learning

            . . . With my experience in this course as an author, discussion leader, final exam reviewer and class participant I was able to see different styles of poetry as well as fiction.  It was interesting to help others in their creative writing process.  Everyone in class seemed to be respectful and mindful of others.  During my presentation of my fiction piece, I kept in mind that this was constructive criticism and not to get discouraged about my writing.  I felt that my classmates had great ideas for my revision process and I tried to give my classmates suggestions at times when they were presenting to the class.  In reviewing the sample final exams from 2005, I came across Daniel Davis’s exam.  I liked that he found some of the stories in the Three Genres text easy to relate to.  Daniel was able to relate the Sausage and Beer story to one of his own personal experiences. Daniel discussed how something that was important in his life affected his reading and how others would appreciate it when he was writing his own fiction.  Through my own experiences I was able to understand what Daniel was talking about.  Through reading and relating life experiences to my readings, I am able to enjoy what I have read.  Revise revise revise.  I like that Daniel brought this up because I too have this in my mind and I know I will keep this in mind as I continue my own creative writing.                 

Melissa Jones

 . . .  In listening to the class’s critiques throughout the semester, the most beneficial comments about a person’s written work is that it is unclear.  If something does not make sense to one reader, then it will probably be unclear to most other readers and, therefore, it needs to be clarified.  I have also learned that giving positive feedback is just as important as suggestions for change.  Flattery is not the goal of a revision, but neither is tearing someone’s hard work to shreds – there needs to be a blend of both. 

When it came time in the semester to get up in front of the class and read my prose, it was lengthy, scary, and helpful all at the same time.  Having a peer sit at the front of the room with me was reassuring.  It was as though that person was on my side no matter what the rest of the class said about my piece – an ally holding my hand while I stand in front of the firing squad.  After the in-class critique was finished, I found that the more suggestions and opinions I received, the better my prose turned out.  I only had two people look over my poem (mostly because I was not proud of it), and the final product lacked because of it.

I know exactly how some of my students will feel the first time they share their writing with classmates, but if it helps them become better writers and turn out better papers, then it is worth it.  My heart was racing when I read my prose aloud – and even after as I listened to everyone’s opinions – but it was more beneficial than traumatizing. 

Heather Meza

If You Ask Me…

This has got to be one of the most fascinating classes I have ever taken.  While most professors preach about group projects and hands on and teamwork and the like in the first few meetings few hold true to form or promise.  This class held up its workshop format from beginning to end.  I think that at times certain people would dominate and at times it felt like people were trying to change your work for you, not give constructive ideas to help you refine it in your own style.  But when you consider that most were new to the openness and lack of professor direction, it ran rather well. . . .

I do not think it is nearly as effective to learn how to write without doing it and sharing it with others.  I have a much greater appreciation for many genres, and a much deeper appreciation for what it takes to write literature rather than a story.  It is hard to write to such a level and not be alienating to so many others.  I think this should be a required course early in a literature degree, as I feel it will help to build appreciation for all the stuff that must be read later, if not for the subject or style then at least for the work that goes into writing a piece of literature that is good enough to be taught for years.  I have learned so much about my ability to write creatively, and to be constructive with others, I will never again say that something was “pleasant”, and most importantly about being part of a group that despite many difference can all come together to accomplish a task.  If you ask me, no matter what your course in life is at some point you will inevitably need to work with people you don’t really know, like, or understand, and you will have to get along well enough to get the job done.  You will have to participate in some form of a workshop, and whether it happens everyday, or one time, I think each one of us walks away learning a little bit more about how to get through it.

Rosalinda Ortiz         

Looking Back at Creative Writing

Literature 3731: Creative Writing has been the most interesting class I have taken in my college career.  The class differed from my other classes because it was the students that were more in control in each class session.  It wasn’t a lecture class, but everyone had to interact with each other and give each other criticism.  The thing I have learned is that everyone has unique talent when it comes to creative writing.  Most importantly, writing takes practice and that is the only way you can get better at it.  I do wish we would have had the chance to attempt writing Drama. I know we had to cut the section out, but I would have enjoyed writing and listening to it. The book, Three Genres, was a great instrument for explaining how to write poetry and fiction, but it was a little hard to follow the book’s instructions on writing. 

Sheila Rhodes

 . . . Taking this course has helped me to develop my critical thinking and writing skills.  It has also enabled me to take constructive criticism in a more positive way.  I as writer need to remember, I am not being criticized for my work, but that the criticism is to help me to develop my work.  I have learned to put feelings on paper and express them from my point of view, but also from a point of view that others will be able to envision, capture, and appreciate.  I must admit it was hard at first, especially when I wrote my poem.  I felt that it was written from my point of view and that everyone was trying to change it and make it into something that they wanted.  It wasn’t until I wrote my manuscript that I started to appreciate the feedback from responsive readers and take into account their notes and changes that needed to be made.  And although, I could not change everything without writing an entire book, it helped me to develop the story line.   I was somehow able to delve deep into my imagination and come up with an ending to something, that when I sat down to write, I had no idea where it was going. In the beginning, I didn’t feel feedback from others would help me as a writer but, it did and in more ways than one.  Ultimately, I was able to write with the candor of any beginning writer, take the criticism, and use it to my advantage. . . .

Demra Trube

Developing the Writer

            Taking this Creative Writing class has taught me a lot Creative Writing and about literature in general. Our textbook, Three Genres by Stephen Minot, the experience I had in the “workshops” we did, and just writing and revising has taught me a lot. I took a Creative Writing class a few years ago at a different college. I believe I learned more in this Creative Writing class than in the other one. In my other Creative Writing class we didn’t have the draft exchanges or presentations in front of the class; we just wrote our stories or poems and turned them into the professor. The professor would grade them and leave some comments. I did like how much I was able to write for that class. I felt like I was being more creative because he forced us to write either a story or a poem every week. . . .