WEDNESDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 2012
Good Evening Ladies and Gents.
Today saw my return to the Creative Writing Class that is held weekly at the local High School. It runs for the next ten weeks and quite frankly, I can not contain my excitement!
Have you ever seen that episode of Friends where Monica goes with Phoebe to an evening literature class (titled The One with Ross’s Sandwich) You can watch a clip here (The Monica part starts at 4.57) Well, I’m not on the extreme level that Monica is demanding pop questions, but I do share her enthusiasm. So much so, I could not wait until the end (not for the class to be over – oh no) but because our homework assignments get handed out! True Geek!
The first half of this class was a bit of an ice breaker – a round robin of the table where you introduced yourself, what you wanted out of the class and what you had been reading. I loved this bit as I love getting to know people and I love learning about fellow class mates. This term, there are no Y Chromie’s (apart from the teacher) – it’s a full on Ladies at Literature.
One of the women in the class informed us all that she had a condition called Dyspraxia. I had never heard of this and I was relieved when someone else piped up and asked her about this. She explained that it was a condition that affects the planning of movements and co-ordination. She explained she had difficulty remembering the next movement in a sequence and that it causes her to be clumsy; falling over or bumping into people. She also explained it made her quite naïve. Her goal was to be able to write about her experience, not only for herself but for others who have the condition. It was really admirable listening to her as she wants to put a positive spin on it; showing others with he condition what they can do and bringing awareness to it
I made a note to google this and I have located details about it here.
FROM THIS SESSION – ADDITIONS TO MY TO READ LIST:
* The Forsyte Saga – John Galsworthy
* Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities – both by Charles Dickens
HOMEWORK
This weeks homework is a two parter and is studying Semi Autobiographical writing; where you draw on your own experience and bring imagination to it (Miss Pooshoe certainly springs to mind).
We looked at two writer’s who appear to have written semi-autobiographical books; Charles Dickens David Copperfield and Ernest Hemingway A Farewell To Arms.
The first part that we need to have ready for next weeks class is ‘Plot Outline’:
* 1 page of bullet points of the beginning, middle and end
* Draw from a real experience (whether it be your own/family/friend)
* Add fictional bits to it
* Take it in a different direction to what happened in real life
We will then discuss as a class and then pick a scene that makes up part two of the homework assignment; which has to be written in approx 750 words to read out at class the week after.
Hmmm now which of my ridiculous real life experiences should I pick and how to elaborate on them (I somehow don’t think much elaboration will be necessary)…..
Love Missuswolf xxx
Missuswolf 
Very exciting Gemma, I loved creative writing class, Dickens is my fav author ever
I am yet to read a Dickens book (I know, very naughty not to have done that by now) so Great Expectations is going to be imminent on my reading list.
No its not naughty of you at all I have never read the grapes of wrath or any thing that Hemingway has written, but do yourself a favor and read A Christmas Carole by Dickens you will be glad you did.
Another one added to the ‘To Read’ list. I will make it seasonal and read it November time, get geared up and excited for Crimbo woohoo
I have read that book since I was 10 every year at Crimbo ( I had to google what that meant lol) so I have read it 33 times I can pretty much recite it lol