I signed up for this class to fill an elective credit and to improve on a hobby I enjoy. This class has both been exactly what I expected and also not what I expected.
The first topic we covered was poetry and I have no shame admitting was this was my least favorite topic. What I also have no shame in admitting was how much I did enjoy some of the writing. I hate abstract poetry, I like a clear story and something I can easily figure out. My favorite poems are Eldorado by Edgar Allen Poe or Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Both are somewhat open to interpretation, but for the most part are straightforward. What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed writing abstract poetry. I’ve included them on the site under poems. Of all the ones I wrote during the poetry section, they were the ones I am the most proud of. The writing exercise was simple: choose words in the poetry packet that stuck out and then write poems using them. I did and tried to recapture the feelings I got from the words I chose. It was incredibly helpful writing poetry and something I might try again someday if I ever decide to write again.
The next topic was fiction and my favorite one that was covered. It was the whole reason I signed up for creative writing. The most influential writing for me was Everett’s The Fix. I loved how he incorporated details into his writing. It was at a level I have always striven to. When I write details, it feels forced, like: “The tall brunette stood there. She had blue eyes and tan skin…” It doesn’t flow well. In The Fix, you could practically hear the sound the fridge with the bad compressor was making without him directly describing. It was a style I attempted to emulate.
The last topic was the creative essay. What I enjoyed about that was how it combined poetry and fiction. It was able to tell a story to show the world how the author saw it. It was a completely new genre and I’m glad for the chance to have experience it.
When I signed up for this class, I wanted to become a better fiction writer. What I got was so much more, and I’m very glad I got the chance to take this class.
Katee's Writing 