Monday 17 December 2012

Reading Reflection #11

(The buried life booklet) I was absent the day we read this so I read it on reading day. It's Amazing! @Cre8tiveHavoc #RR11

I loved the buried life story. It was so interesting and it sounds like something my friends and I would do. @Cre8tiveHavoc #RR11

Reading Reflection #12

(Bird by Bird) I am really enjoying this book, more of a story than a how-to on writing. Very funny! @Cre8tiveHavoc #RR12

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Weekly Reflection #10

I found writing twitter fiction fun but challenging. I think my strongest point in writing is description and imagery, and I found it challenging to keep my tweets under 140 characters. I started off really slow, but like all the other writing pieces I've done in this class once I got the hang of it things moved fairly quickly. This assignment definitely proved to me that I have to improve on keeping things short and sweet! I found publishing my work on twitter fairly easy.

I was absent on Thursday due to a big swim competition I had from Thursday to Sunday, and I was unable to read very much Twitter Fiction over the weekend, but what did surprise me from the ones I was able to read was how it was like a fair, and everyone had something to share.

This assignment did change my perspective of Twitter a bit. I didn't really know that Twitter could be used as  a creative tool, and I definitely didn't know it could be used for fiction! Other ways you could use Twitter could be maybe more like a blog or to promote yourself as an artist.

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Twitter Fiction



(Tweet #1) I sit in a wicker rocking chair in the middle of the field. The water comes down in sheets.

(Tweet #2) I want to get up. Run through the rain like I used to; smiling. A rainbow would be nice.

(Tweet #3) It’s so dark. All I can see is the smoke from burning bails curling up into the air, White on the black horizon.

(Tweet #4) The muck covers my boots, dirt turned to mud from the rain. This farm was never fit for crops. A good place to fly a kite though.

(Tweet #5) I sit there, close my eyes, and let everything go. I feel free.

(Tweet #6) The black above me morphs into something new. The colors of the rainbow stretch across the now blue sky.

(Tweet #7) I’m smiling now; my eyes shining with joy. A bright red kite drifts past me. I take hold.

(Tweet #8) The little red kite pulls me up, higher and higher. I look down at my farm. That’s when I see my body below.
____________________________________________________________________
(Tweet #9) It was cold. He stood there, bare-foot, looking at the dryer. He decided to jump in to a word of fresh, warm sweaters.

(Tweet #10) The snow slowly drifted down and landed on the abandoned streets. The lights reflected off the ice. What a wonderful world.

(Tweet #11) He sat on the sidewalk, playing guitar; His hat on one side and his dog on the other. Somehow, in that moment, life was good.

(Tweet #12) Finnegan stared down at his obese cat, lying on the couch, belly to the sky. “You have it all, don’t you?” He sighed.

(Tweet #13) Champ the cat looked up at his owner. Licking his lips, he thought “You have it all, don’t you?”

(Tweet #14) “One of these days I’m going to do something great” he thought. And so he did.

(Tweet #15) She sat in the tree, way above the busy schedule of the city. This was the only place she could think.

(Tweet #16) He had a bite. He set the hook, and reeled in. He was happy at first because he caught a big one, but sad when the big one ate him.

(Tweet #17) Paul looked at his masterpiece of an omelet. It was perfect; it even had a sprig of rosemary on top. He looked at the clock. Late for work. Again.

 (Tweet #18) The night I was batman was the best night of my life. Hanging upside down, fighting crime, driving the bat-mobile, all that jazz.

(Tweet #19) If I could fly, life would be complete.

(Tweet #20) He looked deep into her eyes, and in that moment, he knew he couldn’t live without her.

(Tweet #21) The look in his eye, the smirk on his face; the way he wears his leather jacket like he is all that matters. My loathing is almost uncontrollable.

(Tweet #22) I’m walking and it’s raining. That smell. That unexplainable sensation of freshness engulfs my whole being. I can do nothing smile and dance

(Tweet #23) She is surrounded by people who care for her more than she could ever know, yet in this moment she feels more alone than ever.

(Tweet #24) The eighty-year old man smelled of prunes and pea soup, just the way he liked it.
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(Tweet #25) The gun felt cold and heavy in his hand. He looked at the stranger behind the cash register who was refusing to “put the money in the bag”

(Tweet #26) “I’m sorry friend” he sighed as he pulled the trigger. He hated his job.

(Tweet #27) He never got used to the sound of a gunshot echoing through the silence, or a limp body hitting the floor. Even in his line of work.
____________________________________________________________________
(Tweet #28) Sam stood there and looked himself in the mirror. He looked like a man, in his suit, with his classy beard and slicked-back hair.

(Tweet #29) Sam was a man, and he was ready to live the rest of his life with his lovely bride.
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(Tweet #30) He looked out on to the beautiful city below him. It made him happy because he realized how amazing life is. He smiled.

(Tweet #31) My first sip of water in three days tastes like the purest thing on earth. It's impossibly good.







Wednesday 14 November 2012

Personal Addition

Another intriguing activity I found on Soul Pancake was called Are You A Perpetual Misfit: list three ways you may never fit in.

1. I don`t worry; everything will be okay

2. I never rush

3. I enjoy all the insignificant things

Personal Addition

I was on the Soul Pancake website and I chose to do an activity called Blood Boilers: List your life`s top three irritants. Mine are:

1. Lack of imagination

2. Rudeness 

3. Ignorance 

Monday 5 November 2012

Writing Reflection #8

Newspaper Blackout Poetry

I had a lot of fun with Newspaper Blackout Poetry. I had never heard of it before, and I'm glad I got the chance to try it. I found it really interesting how two people could look at the exact same page of a newspaper and come up with two poems that were nothing alike. It really said something about the author. 

I had a lot of trouble getting started with my Newspaper Blackout Poetry. I would have a great beginning and not be able to find an ending, or I would have a good ending and not know how to start it. I blacked out a lot of newspaper before I found my final products. One time I actually had a finished poem, and I accidentally blacked out a word that I needed. I couldn't even remember what the word was! 

I was pretty discouraged after that, but something clicked and all of a sudden I was on a roll. I am proud of my final three poems, and I might even do some more!


Writing Reflection #8

Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott
Pages 1-13


After finishing The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I just didn't think I could jump right into another piece of fiction. Instead, I chose to start reading a writing book called Bird by Bird. I've never read a writing book, but I thought I should give it a try; I'm so glad I did!I also thought it would be a good choice to select a book about writing, because our next writing assignment is twitter fiction. Bird by Bird is great so far. There is so much humor, and it makes the book fun and light. It is not just a list of how to write, it is a story of her life as a writer, and tips that could help you in your writing career. 

Something I really like about the book is that the author doesn't glorify her life. At all. She speaks the truth about being a writer, and the hardships it includes. She talks about the things she loves about writing too, but she doesn't try to convince you that it's for everyone. 

I'm not very far into the book yet, but I can already tell It's going to be good. I can't wait to read more!

Monday 29 October 2012

Weekly Reflection #7

The Perks of Being a wallflower 
Stephen Chbosky
Pages 120-213 (The End)


The Perks of Being a Wallflower was an incredible book. It made me laugh so much, and in some parts almost cry. It's one of those books that you want never to end, and when it's over you feel hollow. I would've finished the book in one night, but I restrained from reading at home, and when in class I read very slowly and just took everything in. I'm glad I did. I finished two weeks ago, and the day after I finished it I saw the movie. The movie was a really good movie, but was nowhere near as good as the book. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was so full of feeling, and the characters were so real. 

The ending of the book was so great, yet so disappointing. One of my favorite details is that you find out who Charlie has been writing to, and it is someone he doesn't know. I think that that was a perfect touch, because it could really be anyone; even the reader. 
The fact that aunt Helen was bad all along, and was the reason Charlie was in the hospital and had issues, was a great twist. I really liked how it wasn't obvious, and wasn't a reoccurring subject in the end. I didn't even realize it before I saw the movie, but after I re-read the end and everything made sense. I can't believe I didn't catch that!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is now my second favorite book ever, and I will probably read it again. Thanks Ms. McLauchlan for recommending it to me!


Sunday 21 October 2012

The Weakerthans

The Weakerthans are an alternative band from Winnipeg, and they are one of my favorites; mostly because the lyrics of their songs are the best poetry I've ever heard.



Left and Leaving

My city's still breathing (but barely it's true)
through buildings gone missing like teeth.
The sidewalks are watching me think about you,
sparkled with broken glass.
I'm back with scars to show.
Back with the streets I know.
Will never take me anywhere but here.
The stain in the carpet, this drink in my hand,
the strangers whose faces I know.
We meet here for our dress-rehearsal to say "I wanted it this way"
wait for the year to drown.
Spring forward, fall back down.
I'm trying not to wonder where you are.
All this time lingers, undefined.
Someone choose who's left and who's leaving.
Memory will rust and erode into lists of all that you gave me:
a blanket, some matches, this pain in my chest,
the best parts of Lonely, duct-tape and soldered wires,
new words for old desires,
and every birthday card I threw away.
I wait in 4/4 time.
Count yellow highway lines that you're relying on to lead you home.

Monday 15 October 2012

Writing Reflection #4

I am almost done all six of my six word memoirs, and it has been a hard assignment. I had some trouble with putting all that I wanted to say into six words, but when I managed to it felt great. I like how it's like poetry, and how it challenges you to think outside the box. I think my favorite part of the whole assignment was putting my six word memoirs to pictures. There is so much that a picture can say, and it may have even been easier if you chose the pictures then the six words!

I enjoyed this assignment very much, it was great!

Monday 1 October 2012

Six Word Memoir #6



For my 6th and final six word memoir, I chose to incorporate the words “the dog didn’t die after all”. I matched it with a picture of my grandparents in Mexico, where they own a house. They reside there all winter, and it is always the highlight of their year. Their dog, Nellie, was diagnosed with cancer. My grandparent’s love Nellie very much, and it would be really hard on them if she had died. My whole family likes pets very much, but I think that my grandparents care about their pets more than anyone else I know. They just wouldn’t be the same without them!    

Six Word Memoir #5

I chose the words “no shoes too big to fill” for my 5th six word memoir. Those words mean a lot to me because I have big dreams, and want to go amazing places, and do great things in my life. The picture is of a pair of shoes on the beach in Gimli. I matched it with this memoir because the picture takes place in Gimli, and many of my best childhood memories are from there. If I go places in life and be successful as I aspire to do, I will never forget laying on the beach with my best friends talking about our future.

PS. The shoes are my sister’s

Writing reflection #3


I really enjoyed working on six word memoirs. It’s challenging to think of something with exactly six words, but so rewarding to think of something great that can be said in such a short format. I really like the whole idea of micro-forms. It challenges you to think creatively to tell a whole story or express a big idea, and it was very hard for me to get my story across in just six words. I chose to work in the classroom, and I worked well. I didn't get as many ideas as I wanted to on my paper, but I was thinking for the whole time.

I am really enjoying blogging. It is hard to find time to post on my own, but I use it very productively in class. It is a very useful tool for writing because it is like a notebook that you can use on the go, and on your phone. This week my goal is to post some personal editions to my blog. To achieve this, I am going to be always thinking of things that I could post, and things that would be interesting for other people to read. 

Sunday 30 September 2012

Six Word Memoir #4


For this six word memoir I selected the words “some friends happen for a reason”. I did so because friends are very important to me, and I think that a lot of them do happen for a reason. The picture is of one of my best friends and me in the airport, on our way to a big swim competition. My team is like a big family, and I’m good friends with everyone. I am happiest when I’m with my swimming friends.  

Six Word Memoir #3



I chose “Follow the leader to the end” for my third six word memoir. I chose those words because I would do anything for my friends. The picture is of me and two of my best friends. I don’t have a cottage, but my family goes to our friend’s cottage in Gimli almost every weekend over the summer. My fondest summer memories take place in Gimli, and I miss it already. I can’t wait until next summer!