LITR 3731: Creative Writing
Sample Final Exam 2005

Sherry Mann

This creative writing course has been really helpful. The textbook offered a lot of valuable and useful information. Through the presentations and discussions, I learned that creative writing can be pleasurable in a supportive environment. It can be taught without having to experience the fear of others invading our privacy. In addition, it can be taught in a student centered, collaborative, and constructive manner. Overall, this course has really enriched my knowledge about the important features and elements of writing poetry, fiction, and drama, and it provided me a great pedagogical way of teaching in the future.

I learned that creative writing can be a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the plays because we were able to participate in an even more active way such as moving around and pretending a role. I noticed that several students tended to naturally shift towards popular writing with the plays. The plays tended to be more comical, and the class wanted more of it. For example, in my play many students including the professor wanted more of the use of metaphors and similes by the student characters. This would create additional humor in the play making it more appealing to the audience. Therefore, I learned that to be a successful creative writer, you do not have to write a classic-like and memorable piece although it is highly encouraged. By allowing the students to write more comical pieces, it makes writing and learning entertaining, engaging, and even challenging. I really liked the chronological instruction in how the more serious writing began to the more relaxed writing. I am not sure if “relaxed” is the right word; it’s simply that the drama writing was a lot of fun because it utilized a lot of stereotypes among the peers in the classroom, and some students used their acquired knowledge of each of the students in order to create their play. I think if a teacher is going to teach drama in this way, then it is important to establish rapport among the students and teacher so that established trust exists among one another.

Having each of the students participate as a respondent at least once in asking questions as a part of the reading presentation really forced the respondent to do their part. The respondent was aware that the author and the class were depending on him or her to lead the discussion. The peer pressure makes a difference, and knowing that others are listening causes the respondent to carefully and intelligently choose appropriate and effective questions. The author also feels their work is respected in this type of learning environment because everyone attempts to offer constructive suggestions and feedback. Because the author knows that he will be sharing the same role the next week, then there seems to be an understanding that they are all in this together. The issue of the author feeling intimidated and embarrassed to share is lessoned because the students support one another. From this discussion, the author is offered all sorts of great feedback to work with in revising and editing their work. In addition, because the professor was watching and expecting the respondent to ask questions and the class to answer, the entire class was encouraged and motivated to participate. Again, this sort of learning environment is very student centered allowing the professor to act as a guide on the side, which is great pedagogy. This kind of pedagogy would be great for most educational levels, especially high school. I would like to teach 9^th graders, and I believe it is very important that these individuals learn to participate and collaborate as a team. This workshop helps build schema for students because they are learning from each others’ discussion and models of writing. They might see what works and what does not. They learn how another classmate creates his or her ideas—how the idea originated. They learn grammar because of either good grammar usage or they learn from the grammar mistakes of others, that is when another student corrects another student in a constructive manner. This idea goes with anything as well as far as making mistakes in the writing process such as wordiness, repetition, transitions, organization, and clarity.  I learned that critique is important in order for successful writing to occur. Sometimes the writer does not notice the downfalls or the successes in their writing without the input of others.

Just as the discussion over a class member’s piece of writing offered valuable information to all students, the textbook, Three Genres: the Writing of Poetry, Fiction, and Drama, by Stephen Minot, did the same, only it offered more specific, detailed, and traditional information. I enjoyed reading this book because I found the information practical and the language very lively, easy to read, and down to earth. Minot caused me to be more observant in my life experiences. I like how he stated, “don’t ignore your past”  (45). I now realize that this is a big part in how authors devise their writing. Minot offers lots of practical advice such as keeping a private journal of your feelings. Because of this book, it has inspired me to buy several journals for various personal purposes, but my main purpose of my journals is to capture the moment in time.  I also found helpful the advice that it is important to utilize fresh and effective language and images. I have not become a professional at this, but I am at least aware of this. I can keep this as a goal in mind when I write in the near future or revise my existing pieces of writing. In addition, I found poetry the most intimidating piece to write, but I thought Minot encouraged me to write and left me with a feeling of hopefulness. I liked the latter statement that “In some ways, discovering poetry seriously at this late stage is like taking up a new language. But mercifully the transition between learning the mechanics and developing the art is far more rapid”  (91). I would definitely like to use this textbook for my future classroom.

Just as having the leader for another student’s poetry, fiction, or drama, by having a student lead the discussion about the textbook, it really makes each student practice the skills of a teacher. We had to think of effective and useful questions to initiate and guide the discussion. In addition, the textbook contributed to our creation of effective comments or questions. For example, Mary Kay Clements made a comment connecting with the textbook concerning Karen Daniels's poem “Antique Lace”—“I believe this poem falls under the section of the book talking about drawing on Friends and Relatives (pg 47); it deals with a real-life person and the complex emotions that go with this particular person.” Because the class was required to read the textbook, many understood Clements’ comment, and were comfortable in adding further feedback.

I would also love to use this workshop style of instruction in my future classroom because it really creates a student centered learning environment. Because my goal is to become a 9th grade language arts teacher, I find the workshop beneficial because students need this as a necessary skill for their future. The workshop establishes a collaborative environment and allows students the opportunity to act as leaders. This gives the students a sense of ownership and control over the discussion. Because the teacher sacrifices his role to us, we, as students, understand that we matter, and it encourages us to speak. The workshop really brings the classroom together creating a sense of security and trust among each other. Writing is personal, so this kind of established environment supports this aspect. Because of my personal experiences in this class, I will acquire a better understanding of what my future students may be feeling when they have to write and share in the workshop environment. I will therefore be able to support my future students and encourage them appropriately. I plan to use the workshop when I teach reading and writing. I would alternate days in using the workshop. I would probably use it on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would incorporate a different style of pedagogy on the other two days to maintain variety and engagement of the students. I would devote a few weeks to creative writing, but as an English teacher, I must require expository writing, grammar, and reading. The workshop remains beneficial for any of these purposes. For example, if I planned a novel discussion, the workshop style would be great in having a student lead the discussion.

I feel so fortunate to have taken this creative writing course. I can now walk away knowing that I have several great models of poetry, fiction, and drama, practical pedagogical plans as a future teacher, and a wonderful textbook to rely upon and perhaps even utilize as a required textbook in my classroom.