Discuss an “Aha” from Creative Writing class.  

• Consider creative activities
• Consider walks/ talks / writing / elderly home / notebooks/ labs/ seminars / feedback, etc…

From creative writing, I have had quite a few “aha” moments, that have changed me and the way I look at things. One of the first things from this year that had me inspired to write were the walks to the river. The river walks have inspired me to take a look at my surroundings and view them in a different perspective. And by viewing things in a different manner, I was inspired to think back to my life and come up with ideas for my pieces. As well, after the walks to the river as a class, I was inspired to take a walk alone both to the river and into nature. And from there, I wrote my “R is for River” and “N is for Nature”. I just find the thought of spending time alone to write out in a beautiful place really calming and it just helps me release my stress.

Another moment from creative writing class that has changed the way I perceive the world was the visit to the Bow View Manor Elderly Home.  After visiting the elderly and after hearing the story of my elder, I was able to picture a story of a person who lived in a completely different generation than me. As well, I was able to see people who have made it through their lives, through all the obstacles and that just thought me to never give up because the end will be worth it.

I am just a human being who happens to think a lot, and I also happen to over-think about quite a few things which just adds to my stress. Creative writing has taught me that no matter what it is, just write anything that comes to your mind because you never know what amazing piece you can create out of it. And my writing my thoughts down, I am able to take out my stress and also have a few ideas for what I can write next.

What have you accomplished as a reader? What is your PLAN to read next?

As a reader, I have accomplished quite a bit this semester. I read twelve books this semester. In just five months, I read more than I have ever read in a year. Usually, I barely even used to finish a book in a month but creative writing has gotten me on track with my reading. I don’t want to give up this habit because I know it is going to benefit me in English 30-1 next semester. There are so many books I want to read next but I eagerly want to read the following books: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. These books have been on my reading wish list for a while and I hope to read them sometime at the beginning of next semester.

Discuss the best book you read this semester. 

Honestly, it is kind of difficult for me to pick out one book that I absolutely loved this semester. I have read quite a few books this semester that I completely love. I’m going list my top three books from this semester: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Little Bee by Chris Cleave, and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. All three books are of completely different genres and it is tough for me to pick one out of these three because I enjoyed all three.  The Glass Castle was a memoir about Jeannette Walls and the challenging life she faced growing up. She faced a hard life growing up but now, all those moments in her life shaped her as the person she is today. This memoir has inspired me to write my life stories without hesitation and without feeling judged by others. Little Bee was about a 16-year-old Nigerian refugee and a recent widow living in England. This was one of those books I just could not put down once I started reading. This book was just written so beautifully and it made me see life in different ways. I would honestly recommend this book to those who want to read a little something different from their daily reads. The reason why I listed Me Before You as one of the best books I read this semester is because this book had me questioning quite a few things about life and how many of us decide to take our life for granted without realizing anything could happen in the future. But along with that, it taught me to live my life to the fullest and it taught me to appreciate everything around me. Overall, I just want to say that none of these books disappointed me and they all taught me something different.

How does reading improve your writing?

Reading improves my writing because, by reading, I am inspired to write. Reading allows me to explore many different ideas that I can incorporate into my writing. By reading, I am given ideas that I can build off of and that I can emulate from.

What have you accomplished as a writer?  What is your PLAN to write next?

As a writer, I think I have accomplished quite a bit. Prior to creative writing, I barely ever used to write anything. I never thought about putting parts of my life onto a blog and putting my imagination onto a blog. I honestly never even thought of creating a blog in the first place. I have written both fiction and non-fiction pieces this semester and I explored different topics. I have written about my personal experiences, a non-fiction article on kindness, and pieces based off of what others experiences in this world. I want to continue addressing common issues in the world because I think they are important and they change the way I look at the world. I am not sure what I will write next but maybe a poem or a personal story turned into fiction. Wherever I find inspiration from next, I will take that path towards creating a new piece.

Will you take Creative Writing again? Why? Why not?

I wish I had taken creative writing earlier. If I took creative writing a semester for all my years of high school, my writing would have been so much better by now. I would have been inspired earlier and all the habits I got myself into, I would have done way earlier. Now that I am in grade 12, I won’t have a chance to take high school creative writing again. I absolutely loved this class as it has taught me a lot that I would not have learned otherwise. I wish that it was not my last year of high school because I really want to take creative writing again, with now one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Hunnisett. However, in university, I might consider taking some courses related to creative writing since I really want to explore writing a bit more.

What are your next steps to improve as a writer?

To improve as a writer, I am going to read on a daily basis. Reading is a habit I don’t want to give up on as it took me a while to finally love reading again. As well, I am going to write in my journal on a daily basis. I am going to pay more close attention to my surroundings and what is happening in my life to use as inspiration for my writing journals. Along with that, I will continue to post on my blog because I have learned that receiving feedback from others and posting my pieces has helped me gain confidence in my work.