Creative Writing Course — Topic 1.1. Introduction to creative writing: the first steps in creativity
Watch the video
1) Study the theory about creative writing.
2) Think and answer the following questions in written form:
- How and where we can apply creative writing skills?
- Where do you see creative writing in your daily life? Think of things like social media posts, personal blogs, or even the language in advertisements.
- What kind of language or style do you think makes writing feel creative or interesting?
- Why do you think creative writing often focuses on emotions, imagination, or storytelling?
- What types of details make a piece of writing more vivid or memorable?
The form for your answers: https://forms.yandex.ru/cloud/672e3fe5068ff0b823db5492/
3) Read the following texts and write a few notes on:
- what makes this text feel creative?
- what words or phrases stand out to you, and why?
- how does the writer make this text engaging or memorable?
Examples:
- From “Circle” by Madeline Miller
“Little by little I began to listen better: to the sap moving in the plants, to the blood in my veins. I learned to understand my own intention, to prune and to add, to feel where the power gathered and speak the right words to draw it to its height. That was the moment I lived for, when it all came clear at last and the spell could sing with its pure note, for me and me alone.”
2. From “Mean Girls” by Tina Fey (Based on the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman
“Karen: ‘So, if you’re from Africa, why are you white?’
“Gretchen: ‘Oh my god, Karen! You can’t just ask people why they’re white!’
“Regina: ‘Cady, could you give us some privacy for, like, one second?’
“Cady: ‘Sure.’
Cady makes eye contact with Janis and Damien as the Plastics confer.
“Regina (breaking huddle): ‘Okay, let me just say that we don’t do this a lot, so you should know that this is, like, a huge deal.’
“Gretchen: ‘We want to invite you to have lunch with us every day for the rest of the week.’
“Cady: ‘Oh, okay…’
“Gretchen: Great. So, we’ll see you tomorrow.’
“Karen: ‘On Tuesdays, we wear pink.’”
3. From “Angela's Ashes” by Frank McCourt:
“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.”
The link for your answers: https://forms.yandex.ru/cloud/672e4190f47e731825c3ca2f/