Michelle's Creative Writing Page

Personalized Revision Plan!

mich119 — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:32:04 +0000

While reading chapter ten, two specific techniques that I plan to use when revising my drafts are limiting my time and not starting at the beginning. Limiting my time is something that will come in very useful. As the book states, a week of twenty minute daily revision sessions may be more useful to your piece than four hours on a Sunday night, where you end up frustrated, tired, and hating your work. I plan on trying this instead of waiting to the last minute to revise my work. I have realized that revision takes a lot of time and I plan on setting aside time each day to work on my pieces. The next technique I plan on using is revising my paper in the middle instead of starting in the beginning. The book encourages a reader to start in the middle because often readers do not like their first sentence. This discourages a person from reading the rest of the paper. I plan on revising my papers in the middle and then working on strengthening the beginning and ending. The two poems that I plan on revising are, “The Life of a Teacher,” and, “Why do college students have all of these animals?” In the first poem, I plan on adding more specific images to the instructions that a school teacher should follow. In the second poem, I plan on rewriting the entire piece and changing it to a different topic. I feel that I can write more about why I like the beach rather than why I like living in a house with many animals. For revising my short story, I would like to add in many new details about Anita’s life and the decision that she makes in the end that affects her life.

A collection of poems

mich119 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:24:52 +0000

Out of the poems I read from the packet, I enjoyed reading, “God Says Yes to Me” the most. This simple poem, wrote only in one stanza, made me smile after I read it. The author wrote about herself and asks questions about the way she acts. I figured it was a young girl since she talks about being melodramatic and wearing nail polish. I thought it was interesting how she referred to God as female. Her perception is different and unique. According to God, she believes that anything the young woman does is who she is. The poem is saying that a person is free to choose whatever decisions that makes him or her happy. A person should not let anyone tell them otherwise.

The next poem that I enjoyed reading was, “The Summer Day.” I thought that this poem had great imagery and vivid details. The questions in the beginning, really lead you to think about what the writing is asking. The description of the grasshopper really caught my attention. The way the author descriped the creature made it seem as though it was real life. The line, “Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face” lead me to feel as though she was human. The author then goes into talking about the importance of prayer and asks, “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?” The ending of the poem really forces you to reflect on your life since life is too precious and can be taken away in a second. I thought that this was a powerful poem.

This is a love poem for Morris St.

mich119 — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:33:17 +0000

This is a love poem for all the houses on Morris Street

built ever so closely to each other.

It is as though I can stick my hand out the window

and touch another house.

The black, gray, white, and orange cats

linger in the streets and backyards of these old, run-down houses.

People who live here are often flustered by the

amount of stray cats who rule the streets.

When the weather starts to warm up,

the homeless are always seen strolling down the streets with their Price Chopper carts.

They are in search of cans:

Soup cans, beer cans, any type of cans that they can cash in for money.

The people who live on this street try so hard to keep it clean;

however, since this is a college area, garbage is always cluttering the streets.

Red plastic cups and white paper plates are remains of garbage

from the night before.

When Summer time rolls around it is like a desert;

Not a person in sight.

Until then let Morris Street remain alive

and full of energy.

Opinions on “The Practice of Creative Writing”

mich119 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:44:15 +0000

“The Practice of Creative Writing” has been interesting to read. By reading the text and the different chapters assigned each week, it has helped me in this course in many ways. For example, it has taught me to write about what I see and to write about what I know. I learned that if you write about a topic that interests you then your creative writing piece will reflect on that because it will be very strong. While preparing a creative writing piece, this book also taught me how to write by using all of the five senses. I never really knew how this could bring a piece to life; however, after reading a chapter on senses, I noticed how much stronger a piece could be by adding in senses that add vivid details and make a reader feel as though they are there. I have enjoyed all of the sections we have read thus far. Although sometimes I feel like the information I read is common sense, I also learn many new things at the same time such as the importance of the editing process. Overall, even though I have not had the chance to read the entire book, I would recommend that you use it again. I had never been strong in creative writing, but after this course and with the help of this book, I am learning what it takes to write a piece that is going to catch the reader’s attention.

Poetry 180

mich119 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:28:29 +0000

Out of the five poems that we had to read for class, the two that I enjoyed most were, “The Summer I was Sixteen” and “The Cord.” I chose these two because I thought they both did a very good job on depicting youth which I can relate to. In, “The Summer I was Sixteen”, I enjoyed reading it because it reminded me of a typical summer afternoon in which how a teenage girl would spend their day. The first sentence of the poem immediately caught my attention. “The turquoise pool rose up to meet us, its slide a silver afterthought down which we plunged, screaming, into a mirage of bubbles.” Although it was a simple sentence, the image caught my attention and leads me to want to read more about the poem. Every sentence that I read in the poem had excellent details and provided me with a very vivid scene of that particular image. The poet wrote about a day in the life of a teenage girl’s experience in the summer. “We spread our chenille blankets across grass, pressed radios to our ears, mouthing the old words, then loosened thin bikini straps and rubbed baby oil with iodine across sunburned shoulders, tossing a glance through the chain link at an improbable world.” This sentence was my favorite in the poem because young girls act like they do not have a care in the world. Getting a bronze tan is the top of their worries at this time of their life.

“The Cord” was also a poem about a teenage girl’s life. It seemed like she was at that age where her parents didn’t understand her and she used the phone as a means of communicating with her friends. She stated, “I spoke to friends who recognized the language of our realm.” At this time in a girl’s life, the phone is a very big deal and it is hard for parents to say anything about being on the phone all the time. Like the poet stated, her mother never complained about the cost of the phone bill each month. “Perhaps she thought it was the only way she could reach me, sending me away to speak in the underworld.” I thought the mother was very understanding of her daughter’s desire of always needing to talk on the telephone. I felt like as long as the daughter was in her room the mother always knew where she was and could get to her whenever she needed her by pulling the cable of the phone which would lure her daughter back to her.

The third poem I decided to choose from the list was poem number seventy-five titled, “To a Daughter Leaving Home,” by Linda Pastan. I chose this poem because it reminded me of memories of when I left for college and my mother and I reflected back on moments that were important in my life. Even though this poem was short and sweet, I thought the poet did a great job on using a flashback. The mother went back to when her daughter was eight years old as she watched her for the first time ride her bicycle. This was a significant moment in both of their lives. For the daughter, she proved to her mother that she did not need her help as she peddled along on two wheels. For the mother, she watched her daughter expecting that she would need her assistance; however, the mother watched in amazement as she realized she had to let go. In the lines, “screaming with laughter, the hair flapping behind you like a handkerchief waving goodbye,” it seems to me that the mother is having a hard time in seeing her little girl grow up. This was probably the first experience in which she dealt with watching her daughter become independent. Since the title of this poem was, “To a daughter leaving home,” I feel as though her daughter is older now and going off to college. The mother is probably experiencing the same troubles of seeing her daughter off as she did on her bicycle. I enjoyed this poem because so many mothers have problems letting their kids become independent because that is a sign that they are growing up and most mothers hate to think that their children do not need them as much as they used to. http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/075.html

Personal Universe Deck of Cards

mich119 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:26:02 +0000

1 word I love: Lollipop

1 sound: roar

1 taste: pop corn

1 smell: roses

1 texture: rigid

1 action or motion: sprint

1 abstract concept: faithful

1 concrete noun: dragon fly

1 place: Miami, Florida

1 misc: chandellier

Reading Response-poetry

mich119 — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:09:50 +0000

In the first poem I read titled, “Introduction to Poetry,” by Billy Davis, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I thought it was kind of confusing; however, after reading it over several times I noticed that the poet begins with how he wishes his students would be imaginative, daring, and inquisitive in their exploration of poetry but doesn’t go the way he wants it. I feel that the poet hints that all teachers do is beat an interpretation out of poetry readings. This association is true, in my opinion, because when I was learning poetry in school I was taught to read for interpretation instead of imaginative reading. I feel that too much emphasis is placed on reading for meaning and analyzing every detail instead of letting the students have fun and explore a poem’s meaning on their own.

The poem, “The Boy,” by Marie Howe was about a poet writing about the relationship between her and her brother. She seemed to have looked up to her brother since he was older than her. I thought that the siblings did not seem to have a great relationship with their father. Since the poet always had to run and find her brother so her father could shave his head, I thought that they did not like their father. The brother would not speak to anyone after his father cut his hair. I was not sure if it was because of the hairstyle or if there was more that I just did not pick up on. In the end, the brother appeared to have left the house for good when he was old enough to leave. The line, “I was the girl. What happened taught me to follow him, whoever he was, calling and calling his name,” lead me to believe that the poet had a close bond with her brother that she never wanted to see fade away.

I did not enjoy reading, “The Man into Whose Yard You Should Not Hit Your Ball”, by Thomas Lux. I am not very good at interpreting poetry so I am guessing that it was about a boy telling us a story about his neighbor. The boy described how he watched his neighbor mow his lawn each time and how he enjoyed doing it. The winter was the only time that his neighbor wasn’t outside because it is impossible to mow your grass in the winter when there is snow on the ground. I thought it was mysterious that the poet didn’t know what his neighbor’s wife did for a living. It leads me thinking about different occupations she may be involved in.

Three Completely new ideas…

mich119 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:23:07 +0000

The sun began to set over the horizon. Anita and Mike were cuddled up on a Burberry blanket that Anita always had in the back of her car for occasions like this. They sat facing the water and watched the wave’s crash onto the shore. Anita loved being on the beach just before the sun was about to set. The sky was beautiful and the ocean breezes made her want to be in a man’s arms that would welcome her and hold her close. Anita had told Lea to bring the kids home from practice today and that she would be home shortly after her session at the gym. This was one of the many different excuses that she made up to shield her children from the truth. Jeff would be working until ten at the office which left Anita some time before rushing home. Mike held Anita close and whispered that he never wanted to let her go. They often came to the beach mostly because no one would spot them together there, but also because they both felt so content. Anita never wanted to leave; however, reality always snapped back to her. He always begged her to leave her husband and be with him, but after a while he stopped asking Anita because he knew it was not going to happen for a while. Anita explained that now was not the right time and that she had accepted the fact that this was how their relationship would be for now. When they were almost in the complete darkness and all that was heard was the crash of the waves, Anita knew it was time to pack up and return home. She kissed Mike passionately and looked forward to seeing him again in three days.

A soccer mom carpools, drives her kids to soccer or little league, volunteers at their school, does snack days, and play dates. This is just the typical routine that Anita follows each day. She wakes up and cooks the kid’s breakfast and is out of the house by eight. Anita drops the children off at a private school that they attend. In the afternoon Anita runs errands and volunteers at the kid’s school if they are having an activity that day. She is very much involved with her children’s lives. At three o’clock she picks up the children and they return home. They live in a neighborhood with tons of families and children the same age as hers. She invites the kids over to her house for a swim in the pool while Anita and the mother’s sit poolside and gossip about what is new in the neighborhood. Usually three out of the five nights a week, Anita is bringing the children to the soccer field. Sounds like a typical soccer mom; however, while she is at the practices Anita finds ways to sneak off and see her secret lover.

Anita walks in the back door carrying bags of groceries. After she unpacks them all she walks upstairs to her bedroom and finds Jeff sitting at their computer. Anita is confused as to why Jeff is home on a Tuesday afternoon at one o’clock. He must have parked his car in the garage because Anita left hers out back since she was going to pick up the kids soon from school. Jeff stared at her with a puzzled look. “How could you do this to me, Anita? My best friend? Out of all the people to pick?!” shrieked Jeff. Anita knew she was caught and her heart sank to her chest.

“Please, Jeff. Just hear me out. It was only for a couple of months. You are never around anymore and Mike was there”, cried Anita.

Jeff got up from the computer chair and took his hand and cleared everything off the computer desk. He was clearly in a fit of rage over his discovery. His eleven years of marriage were now over. He did not understand how Anita could hurt him this bad and cheat on him with his best friend.

“I have given you the world and this is how you repay me?” asked Jeff.

Anita just stood there frozen still. At that moment she did not have any words. Her secret had finally come out and part of her could not help but feel relieved. However, the dreaded feeling that Jeff would leave her with nothing started to overcome her. Jeff gathered up his belongings and told Anita that he would be staying at a hotel. Just the sight of Anita disgusted him. He proclaimed that he wanted a divorce and was going to seek custody of the children. He told Anita that she could stay in the house since she had no where else to go. The moment that Anita hoped would not happen for a very long time, has finally arrived….quicker than she ever imagined.

Dear Megan,

Although after today’s class I chose not to hand in my paper and will be handing it in on Wednesday, I received many good ideas from my peers that will help me enhance my draft. I discovered that I need some more action scenes so the reader has a clear idea as to what is happening at that particular moment. I thought my facts that I found on soccer moms were very interesting and show the type of character that Anita is portrayed as in my story. I look forward to writing my third copy of this piece and seeing how my ending turns out.

-Michelle

“Girl” and “Along the Frontage Road”

mich119 — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:28:33 +0000

I really enjoyed reading the story, “Along the Frontage Road,” by Michael Chabon. I had to read this story two times to fully understand and grasp the main idea. After reading it over the second time, I had a much better understanding. This is a story about a father and a son and loss. It begins with the narrator recounting his memories of the past. Since we have been working with using flashbacks in our writing this was easy for me to pick up in the story. When he was a child he would watch his father carve the Halloween pumpkin with the precision and the passion that only a surgeon possesses. The story then flashes back to the present. The narrator needs to get out of the house for a while with his son. Halloween is still a few weeks off, but he decides that a trip to the frontage road pumpkin patch would be a good distraction for them both. The speaker recognizes the horrible relationship between Andre and his father while they are there. All Andre ever received was ill treatment. Andre was expected to obey and to be nearly invisible. The very act of asking for a pumpkin was met with anger. Rarely would broken relationships like these be acceptable in earlier years where family ties were much stronger. I thought the author did an excellent job of characterization because even though this was a short piece, I felt that I had a great sense of who everyone was. I see this author writing about more memories and flashbacks that have occurred in his life.

“Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid was somewhat difficult to read in the beginning. It seemed to be just a list of suggestions over and over. After reading the entire story, I figured that it was a dialogue between a mother and daughter. The mother seemed to have been offering her daughter guidance in life and the proper ways to act and behave. She did not want her daughter to grow up to be a slut which surprised me that the writer would use such a harsh word. In the end when the author wrote, “You mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let you near the bread?” was somewhat confusing. I did not know what the author was trying to say.

“What If?…”

mich119 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:46:59 +0000

What if Jeff divorces Anita after finding out about her cheating on him? Both of them would be affected; however, in different ways. Jeff would be upset about the divorce because Anita was such a stunning woman he thought he would share the rest of his life with. However, he would soon get over her and move onto a new ravish looking woman to enjoy his lifestyle with. Anita, on the other hand, would be extremely lost over the divorce. She would have to say goodbye to their three million dollar home and her luxury lifestyle that Jeff provided her. Anita does not have any of her own money saved and she would have to resort back to her old lifestyle. This would be a real shock to her because Anita has forgotten what it is like to live from paycheck to paycheck. For the past eleven years it has been nothing but designer clothes and products.

What if Jeff decides not to divorce Anita because he does not want her to be with any other man but himself? Jeff would rather have his wife be miserable with him rather than divorcing her and letting her go. After finding out about Anita’s secret love affair, Jeff would offer her a compromise. Since he knows how much Anita thrives on having money, Jeff will not divorce her and Anita can continue living the way she does. He will allow this under one condition. He doesn’t care if Anita doesn’t love him anymore the way she used to. All he wants is for his wife to sleep by him each night and show him affection even if this means that Anita must pretend. Jeff has always been power hungry and now that he has control over their relationship, this invigorates him. Prior to finding about the affair he had no knowledge about Anita’s secret life. He was aware that they had been having trouble with issues of him not being home more, but he never guessed that Anita would go find affection elsewhere. Especially in the man who he thought was one of his closest friends.

What if Jeff was also having an affair like his wife? When Jeff found Anita’s sexual emails he was surprised, but he could not have been mad at her because he was doing the same thing behind Anita’s back. Jeff had been seeing one of his business clients when he went to Puerto Rico each week for business. She was only seventeen years old, and never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he could get a girl as good looking as her. She was 5’6 with the perfect body. She had long brown hair with piercing green eyes. This young girl reminded him of Anita back in the day when she didn’t have a flaw to her body. Even today, after all of Anita’s plastic surgery’s she is still stunning, just not like she used to be. After finding out about Anita’s love affair, he knew he could not do anything about it. They would continue living as the “perfect family” with their amazing house, wonderful kids, and glamorous lifestyle. Only in the inside would Anita and Jeff know that this was all just an allusion.

Lists:

What’s on your character’s nightstand? Anita enjoys energey drinks so you can usually find a Red Bull along with her cell phone because that is usually always attached to her ear.
What are they reading? Anita likes to keep up with celebrity gossip so you can always find a copy of People magazine right beside her bed.
What’s in their closet? Anita’s closet is filled with designer brands such as Prada, Gucci, Coach, and Versaci. These are only some of the many to name a few.
What’s in their refrigerator? Anita believes in keeping healthy so she likes to buy organic products. She believes in healthy snacks so she feeds her children plenty of fruit and foods with low sugar and salt.
What’s on their “To Do” list? While the kids are at school and Jeff is at work, Anita runs errands such as grocery shopping, and mainly shopping since this is her favorite hobbey. When the kids return home from school, Anita attends all soccer practices and drives the children back and forth.