Part A: You, the Writer
What have you improved as a writer?
I believe my ideas have improved as a writer, as well as my attention to detail. Before, the stories I wrote were quite conventional, and didn’t really explore single moments. Now I feel I have refined my ability to write stories that are intriguing and unconventional. Furthermore, I feel as if I am much more polished than I used to be in terms of focusing on elaborate, and detailed scenes. I feel as if my writing has finally separated from me and I can write without fear of judgement ( my journal writing is different since it is a lot more personal); thus, my writing has been able to fully capture the essence of a concept/plot.
How would you explain your voice? What is stylistic of you?
My voice is strange because it is neither my own nor is it distinct to one genre. My voice shape shifts, depending on the type of story I am trying to write. However, the voice that I have currently is a bit enigmatic and confounding. What is unique to my writing is the absurd, or intricate metaphors that I weave throughout all my pieces. I love symbolism, alliteration, and describing things in a way that is obscure.
As a mentor writer, what advice would you give to future creative writers?
Don’t just write: Craft. I have learned that through being more mindful about my word choice, sentence structure, and overall thought process when writing. The more time I spent analyzing and curating, the better my writing turns out. Give yourself time to research, and genuinely meditate on your writing. Your brain is full of wonderful, distinct ideas, and you need to take the time to let them blossom.
Future goals and plans regarding writing?
Since I’m going into English and Creative writing, I have a lot of writing in my future. I plan to write novels, articles, but mostly plays and screenplays.
Part B: You, the Blogger
What do you think about your blog?
I am quite fond of my blog since it really reflects me on a neutral level. In the past, I have made blogs to match a sort of theme or explore a single concept. Now, this blog really represents all aspects of me and the stories I want to explore.
Which student blogs impress you the most?
I may have a bias here. However, no matter what he says, he is such a good writer and the little musings he posts are brilliant. He’s great if you just want some light, yet thoughtful writing.
Queen B. Weird. Wacky. Her blog is fantastic if you need to escape or emulate.
Absolute madman. Brings back classical forms of poetry and I love it.
*YOU CAN SEE THESE ON MY SIDE BAR*
What professional bloggers have you explored?
I don’t actively follow specific bloggers but I love blogging sites such as Medium and Brainpickings.
Part C: You, the Student
“Aha” Moment from Creative Writing
The biggest realization I had from creative writing was when we emulated quotes from the beginning. I thought it was an awesome warmup which prepared me for the rest of the class. I was able to discover books/writers I had never heard of through this exercise. I also got a lot of inspiration from guest speakers like Sam Beavers, Chris Metcs, and Jade Bartlett.
What have you accomplished as a reader? What is your plan to read next?
Honestly, I have accomplished one thing as a reader this semester and that is reading Crime and Punishment. It is genuinely such a challenging piece of literature: in terms of writing, and content. The fact that I finished it, despite how long it took me, is a feat. I guess it’s the best book I’ve read this semester since it’s the only book I’ve read this semester. It really messed up my morals and reminded me why Russian literature is absolutely brilliant and (one of the best). Reading has helped me enhance my vocabulary and different stories/ characters have become foundations for my own. I plan to read a lot more canon and also pleasure books this summer to prepare me for university. I want to read Boy Erased by Garrand Conley, Night by Elie Wiesel, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, Orlando by Virginia Woolf, and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
What are your next steps to improve as a writer?
Just read more. I want to get back into the habit of reading 2-3 books every month to help me generate more stories and also help my writing style and voice. I also plan to journal more and collect breadcrumbs along my path to university.
Part D: You, the Fan
This semester I kind of stepped away from history and wrote a lot of realistic/modern pieces. I 
think it is because I was inspired by Dreamspyre and the guest speakers. Studying published authors like Franz Kafka, Allen Ginsberg, and Oscar Wilde has made a major impact on my writing. All these brilliant writers have inspired me to try different voices, explore new genres, and try different styles. I’m glad I did Franz Kafka because I feel like he’s a little underrated in the writing world. If I were to do this seminar again then I would have loved to do Leo Tolstoy or Emily Bronte! They are both writers whom I adore, so it would be marvellous to study them. Historical fiction, experimental fiction, and 19th century literature really interest me, so Kafka was an unfamiliar yet comfortable choice. I learned a lot from writers like Chris Metcs, who came to talk to us, and from Kafka who really motivated me to just write about what I’m passionate about.
My emulation from Kafka: https://curtaincall.edublogs.org/franz-kafka-a-writers-seminar/
I definitely intend to read more from Kafka, specifically his novel, The Trial.
Part E: You, the Critic of your work
I wrote this story in response to me leaving for university in the fall. The title “an expected journey” reflects that, as well as reminds me that I have a whole future ahead of me. This piece was written from the perspective of a girl leaving her mother to go to university. The theme is moving on, as well as uncertainty. My main purpose in writing this piece was to help cope with my own fears of leaving home and I wanted the audience to relate to the mother and the daughter – based on their own personal experiences. My mom influenced me, as well as any scene in a movie where someone leaves their loved on via train. I really wanted to focus on describing imagery and movement in a different way. For example: “The knuckle of her thumb slides under her eyes, collecting moisture, ” , and ” My palm connects with the window and an object impresses into my flesh. It feels metallic and intricate.” Overall, this piece means a lot to me on a personal level since it relates to my own “expected journey” and how it will affect my mother and myself.
vincent in love (the severed ear series)
This post is my masterpiece. I wrote it as my final fiction piece and I am the proudest of it. I was inspired by Vincent’s very sad love life and how he deals with the lack of love in his life. I loved researching his experiences as an artist and I had a lot of fun writing this piece. The particular post focuses on when Vincent Van Gogh chopped off his ear. There were many speculations on how and why Vincent did this, so fact checking was my biggest difficulty. This man led a very convoluted life. I really wanted my audience to be immersed in Vincent’s world so I included a lot of descriptive imagery and many metaphors like, “a crimson flower blossoming in an empty, wheat meadow,” and “his ear squirmed like a bird escaping the jaws of a fox. ” I hope people enjoy reading this piece just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
thank you, Ms. Hunnisett for two amazing years in creative writing- ILAG
