Question 1

At the beginning of the semester, we looked at different ways that writers find their inspiration or subject matter. You observed five “somethings” of your choice for the Alien Anthropology assignment, and for the Creator’s Subject Part 1 assignment, you chose four “somethings” that connected with culture/history, a liminal space or transition in your life, a place, and a social issue that you feel passionate about.

How did any or all of this work its way into your Final draft? What did you use–directly or indirectly–from those earlier lessons and assignments in this Final draft?

Or, which of the categories influenced your Final draft the most, and why?

Question 2

Think back to your Creator’s Subject Part 1 writing. In that assignment, you created metaphors by connecting a “something” with a bigger concept: culture or history, liminality, a place, and a personal passion (there, a social issue you feel strongly about).

What metaphor(s) did you work with for your Final draft of your story or poetry?

Your metaphor(s) very likely connect to the theme(s) in your draft. What did you want to say, explore, or illuminate through your story/poetry?

Why is this message or subject important to you and to the readers you want to reach?

Hint: It’s okay if you didn’t originally write with a specific audience in mind, but by the time you write your “final” draft, you should have revised with a good idea of who your preferred readers are (or at least their demographics).

Question 3

Name 2 craft elements in your work that give it the most impact, and explain in detail what you were trying to accomplish by using those craft elements the way you did. Name the craft elements, and discuss why you chose to focus your revisions on these specific craft elements. How do they connect back to the message you want to send to your target audience?

Elements of craft for fiction writers: plot, setting, point of view, tense, imagery, dialogue, characterization

Elements of craft for poets: rhythm, meter, rhyme, form (also line breaks, enjambment, end stops, etc.), imagery, turns (a.k.a. “voltas”)

Question 4

In general, how did the writing process work for you? What challenges did you face as you wrote and revised? What risks did you take? What did you learn from any “mistakes” you made along the way? How did our class’ focus on creativity and creative thinking help you to overcome the challenges you faced, take those risks, and finish your draft?

Question 5

Discuss what creative thinking/innovation skills you learned in this class might be useful or necessary in your academic discipline or career field. What concepts or skills from ENG 226 can you apply in those situations to help you solve problems, answer complicated questions, or innovate new ideas or solutions? (Look through the readings and exercises from the early weeks of our class to find specific ideas, skills, activities, etc., that can help you address this question. This prompt asks you to use both critical and creative skills to apply what you’ve learned in our class to life outside of class. Creative Writing really does build skills beyond storytelling and poetry!)