Over the upcoming 15 weeks, you will not only become a better writer, but you will become a better person. Starting off, you will read a few short stories and annotate them to understand their deeper meaning. You will also be assigned chapters from the book “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. This book showcases what each individual elements a story needs to have, and how they pertain to life as a whole. Through understanding what a shitty first draft might look like, and finding out that everything is not as perfect as it may seem, you will understand why succumbing to change is vitally important as a writer. As a writer in this class, you need to understand that the first draft you write will not be your last. Change is important, especially in writing, as once you think of a new idea, you should use it to your full advantage. And do you remember those writing workshops you hated in high school? You will love these ones. For your first and second stories you will take part in a workshop where your peers will talk about what each other’s story is, things they liked, and questions/suggestions they may have. This will be the time where you think of new ideas you never would have before. Having someone see your writing through a different lens and provide constructive criticism will make your writing even more powerful in the future. You should also listen to everyone in your writing community. Every writer has their own ideas of what their work should look like, but listening to someone else critique it, will show you what needs to change or stay the same when you are writing. Even though you may think your writing does not need to change at all and is perfect the way it is, you are wrong. There is always going to be something to change or add to make your story even better. Also, you will love the artists book project. You will be able to go to the art studio and help your peers when they need it. You will be able to build your own book from the ground up in any way you choose, and make a video about it for one of your final assignments. Also, Cathleen Miller will teach you about all of the different ways artists can “showcase” their writing, and how not all of them may be presented as a typical book.
Never forget that constructive criticism is powerful, and will make you a great writer someday.
As someone who has a history of creative writing, I know you’re excited for this class. Keep an open mind about how you’re going to write this. I know you have a history of starting projects and leaving them unfinished, but with short stories you’ll have the opportunity to tie them neatly in a bow. Take a chance to that, but when a novel start is offered, I would take it. Writing has always come fairly easy to you, but don’t let that stop you from allowing genuine feedback on your work. I know as a younger kid you would’ve taken this kind of criticism and suggestion to heart, but I know you won’t do that. Make sure to listen well to all the advice you receive, and don’t hesitate to let that spawn new ideas for you. Make sure to look back on your work to review it, I know you like to just “get things right the first time” but reviewing your work will ensure that it gets better. That you’ll be able to improve on your own as well. Make sure to travel outside of your comfort zone this semster, write from points of views you aren’t familiar with. Growing up you always wrote as a girl your age. Explore a little! Get advice from people who live those points of view. And have fun with it, let your outside view of this character either give or take away their self-awareness, that makes for a more interesting character.
Your peers know what they’re talking about. For instance, Sarah is always a good choice to review your work. She notices detail and effort while also pointing out flaws and inconsistencies. Having her help will be very beneficial in the long run. Also don’t hesitate to review her work. Get a taste of a different writing style to see what makes it good. Phoebe is also a good resource to talk to when it comes to this writing. She really understands how to write exactly what she wants, and her style is uniquely different, which could help you expand your own. Each person in the class has helpful things to add to your story, so make sure to listen to all of them. When reading their stories, pay attention. Their pieces have been incredibly well written and meaningful. Just reading them out of your own enjoyment will be fun. Enjoy this class, as well as the talented people in it, their workshop will help you to understand how to push your writing further.
Dear past self,
I am writing to you fifteen weeks later after an entire semester in this class. The class and experience you’re about to have is drastically different from any writing class you’ve taken before this. This class is going to challenge you, and that’s okay it’s all a part of the process.
The experience is different for many reasons. Creative writing is different in so many ways than the journalistic writing you’ve been doing up to this point. But the process you’ll find is more enjoyable. You’re going to learn a lot about yourself and a writer in general. You’re going to struggle to find ideas to write about creatively and struggle with the development of characters. However, once you find them, you’re going to have no problem putting the story together and writing stories that are enjoyable for your readers.
As a writer in this class, you’re going to learn that the hardest part of writing is starting, especially in a creative writing/ short fiction setting. I think some of the best advice I can give you is to really dive into the process. Once you adjust and find your rhythm, you’re going to find that writing is much more enjoyable and not as stressful as you’re going to think at first. Another thing you should do as a writer is find time to write by yourself away from all distractions, you’re going to find that you’re able to get in a much better headspace this way and find that you write your best work this way. Finally, another thing I would say is don’t be afraid to find help with your writing. Have people read what you have and be open to criticism. Workshops aren’t as bad as they seem and be ready to have an open mind and be open to new suggestions that push your story to new places.
Finally, you should listen to everyone in the class when it comes to your stories. The collective group as a whole has a lot of different ideas and visions that can help propel your stories to new places and being open to accepting them is only going to make you write better stories as you go. It may seem like a scary process but everyone in the class is going through the same struggles in the class and learning from your classmates and professor is the only way to improve at what you’re doing. The more reluctant you are, the less success you’ll have.
Wish you the best of luck!
Sincerely,
Future self of about 15 weeks.
Over these next fifteen weeks, you’re going to grow significantly as a writer. You will write two short stories and make an artist’s book. You will also be tasked with helping others edit their work. As for any class you take, you will need to work on managing your time and balancing class work with clubs, internships, and work. For this course, in particular, you will work on elaborating on certain parts of your stories (this isn’t journalism— it’s ok to be wordy sometimes). You will learn that in order to write good short fiction, your story has to have some baseline of authenticity. Even if the story you’re telling isn’t true, the emotions, feelings, or characters must be based on some level of reality. You will learn that it’s not as scary as you think to be a vulnerable writer — it’s essential for good storytelling. Listen to everyone in the writing community; they are all full of new and exciting ideas, perspectives, and insights. Carefully take in all of the feedback you’re given, and be grateful for those who took the time to read and analyze your story. It’s also ok to take comments with a grain of salt occasionally. At the end of the day, you will be leaving this class far more comfortable with embracing the creative aspects of writing. At the end of the day, this class is not nearly as intimidating as it may feel to you right now. Although there will be moments of frustration and stress, you will walk away with valuable skills.
P.S. — don’t wait until the last minute to do your artist’s book.
Hey, how’s it hanging? I’m you about 15 weeks from now. I just want to tell you about the roller coaster you are about to experience. You have balls of steel to take on a class this far out of your comfort zone, so congratulations! You’re already one step closer to overcoming a major obstacle. However, don’t get cocky. This class isn’t going to be what you think it is going to be. I want to take a minute and tell you what you’re about to experience.
Let me tell you, you’re gonna be reading a lot of other people’s work, and you may feel extremely intimidated by their writing. I am telling you, do not be intimidated at all. The more time you spend in this class, the more you will realize that everybody has different styles of writing. You will also be given plenty of advice, feedback and criticism that you HAVE, not should, HAVE to use to make yourself a more dynamic writer. Writing the same old type of stuff is only step one of being a writer. Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird” offers you advice, after advice, after advice, covering every single part of a short story. From what makes a good plot, to what makes a strong character, to how setting plays a major part in your story. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either. Your peers in this class are here for you, no matter what. Just don’t make them mad.
Take advantage of their feedback, and use it when you finally start writing these short stories. Speaking of which, short stories and vastly different than the stuff you haver been writing in the past. You will be introduced to a completely new style of writing that you will master by the end of this class. As a writer, you need to be open to the feedback your friends and peers give you. You may know about your work than them, but don’t close your mind to just yourself. Open up your thoughts to bring others in, and use those thoughts to craft a bigger and better story next time.
Finally, your gonna have workshops, and a lot of them, but don’t stress. These ones are more free range and more interactive. You essentially read and note the stories of two other individuals, offering them feedback and saying what worked for you. When it is your turn, when you give this advice, never act like you know it all. Offer a potential change, give an encouraging compliment, do anything you can to make your fellow peers more comfortable in here. Speaking of peers, there are two people in your class that I highly recommend you listen to, as they know what they are doing. One is Tommy, who has a good soul, a passion for writing and will offer analytical strategies to everyone, and the other is Coco, who has taken similar classes and has the experience necessary to help you.
Listen to what these people are saying. They will save your life in this class. Don’t take anything for granted, allow yourself to be more free minded, and have a good time. You got this kid.
Sarah,
This class is going to be much different than you initially expected. While you start out with example short stories and reading Anne Lamott, soon enough there will only be workshops to base your work off of. I would suggest continuing to refer back to and continue reading Bird by Bird even though it is not part of an assignment, since that backbone of the class was just a way to launch ourselves into literary short fiction. You will have a good idea for the first story, the second one will be more confusing and experimental. This is where I would suggest looking back at short stories by published authors and Anne Lamott’s book. It is also good to listen to everyone’s perspective and ideas about your own work since they provide an outsider’s view on your writing. They show you how it would be perceived to others outside of the classroom walls.
Despite the frustration you will encounter with being inundated with workshopping/peer reviewing in this class, other classes, and writing fellows, it is important to remember how vital workshopping truly is even when you feel like there is no point. You have to understand that you are helping other people by putting eyes on their work even though you have 20+ essays, stories, and textbook chapters to read. Regardless of the combined workload, you will learn how to write a different genre, and open new pathways in your writing.
See you in 15 weeks,
Sarah.
Caitlin,
The understanding of creative writing that you will obtain from this class is one that you thought you already had. You were proven wrong fairly quickly, but that’s okay. That’s why you’re here. You will begin to see things in your writing as well as in other people’s that weren’t so obvious before. The way that you both read and write will somehow become even more analytical, and you will learn to let go of the academic traits that you have become comfortable with and to start using your voice. You will find out that you’re actually pretty good at writing creatively, and that you are not lacking any kind of imagination, which is what you came into this class most nervous about. It is truly and genuinely easiest to just start writing about absolutely anything that comes to mind. The ideas come out of the writing, not necessarily the other way around. The genres that you enjoy for consumption are not exactly the ones you enjoy writing about. It’s really difficult to write a good horror story—a traditional one, anyway—and it’s fine to not even really be interested in trying. The stories that you can write with ideas about your own life, your own personality, and your own fears, are much more powerful than something that you’re not close to. Knowing the personalities that you write about inside and out makes for really strong and distinct characters—be sure to know everything about this person before you start seriously writing about them. What the audience is never even told about this character is still an influence on them and their behaviors and choices throughout the story.
It’s really helpful to listen to the thoughts of other people during the workshopping process, because they can see things in your work that you can’t—this can either be really uplifting or really discouraging, but you will be fine either way. It will only make you better. Their suggestions and critiques will help you to revise your story in ways that make it more cohesive, and will create a better understanding of your setting, plot, and characters. You don’t have to take every suggestion that you’re given if it isn’t the right direction to the story, but it can be fun to be flexible and stretch your imagination to include these “what ifs.” Listen to the people whose stories are your favorites—clearly they know what they’re doing—but still have respect for the opinions of other writers whose stories didn’t really resonate with you. Your personal preference has no effect on their level of talent and it doesn’t negate their abilities.
Dear Future Me,
You wanted to take this class to learn about techniques in writing fiction. You are going to learn a lot about not writing for someone else but rather yourself. You’re going to learn about your own individual writing ideas as well as what your work looks like and sounds like to peoples ears. How to switch and try different perspectives in the forms of first person, second person and third. How much that can impact a story. Like when you switched around your persons in the first story to change it a bit and see what happens.
When your stories get workshopped you’re going to ponder what you can add to them to change them and continue them. Whether it is something that was shared by a peer or something your brain just had a spiral thought from a sentence a person said. Which then you added to it from there. You’re going to learn that writing different genres have different factors to them. Next time to get the most from peer review is making sure that the story is staying on track and looking at sentence syntax errors which is unfortunately just how your brian works. Which you don’t notice because your brain was trained to write like that because of your LD. So in the future of writing anything fiction, you must reread it after a few months to take a step back and re-look at it. I know that listening to a peer review is hard for you because it goes to your weaknesses in learning. You are more visual learning so maybe next time having the story pulled up on your computer and making notes while peers are speaking and asking them questions on exact examples might be more helpful in the future when someone is telling you suggestions. Make questions based on the suggestions of your peers. As well as what your peers think the story is about to help you understand how to add to the story to further guide future readers to the plot you want to convey to them. Also pin point the point of your fiction story at the start and throughout the story.
12/3/24
Dear Kennedy, from Day 1 of the 2024 fall academic semester,
The next 15 weeks will be some of the most up and down emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging weeks in more than one way. Looking at the syllabus and the assignments that will come throughout the semester, the projects you will be on, and everything few and far between, it seems impossible. Having not been in an English writing class for over a year and a half now, it is terrifying thinking that you will be doing writing assignments constantly.
There will be moments where you have everything to write, and you are typing or writing away like a madman, and there will be moments where you have writer’s block, and you don’t know where to take your story or even where to start. This is where I recommend you look around you, find what you are passionate about, and look at the world and how awful and beautiful it is all at the same time. There will be moments where you won’t be able to find the right words, and this is where trial and error comes in; you have the resources and people to assist you and give you feedback.
Let the writers in your class and the stories you read inspire you. I recommend listening to Coco; although quiet and a lady of few words, she has great depth in the advice and word choices that she speaks and writes with. Her language is authentic and beautiful; listen to it, grasp it, understand it, and embrace it. Listen to Caitlin, another quiet member of the group, but she has a great point of view and grounds the author, bringing you back to Earth to see the reality of the bigger picture. She tells what pulls her in as a reader and what pulls her out; although sometimes frustrating from the author’s point of view, this information is pertinent to the development of a short story.
Let your creative mind flow; nothing needs to be perfect or polished; write about what you know and what your passion pulls you towards. You will make it through the semester one way or another.
-Kennedy
I am not sure what you expected coming into this class but you did it. You are going to have to overcome your shyness and your unwillingness to share your work because that is a requirement. Your work will be critiqued and commented on by your classmates but don’t worry, you’re not the only one who is not a fan of criticism. A few classmates have shared with you that they do not like being put under the spotlight, but they appreciate it because it helps them become a writer. It helps you. You are probably disagreeing with future me because you never thought you could ever share your stories with anyone. Not even your close friends. You asked your brother to read the story and because he was too lazy to read it, he inserted it into chat gpt to read it out loud for him. You were covering your ears in embarrassment as he decided to put it on with the entire family around but then you heard how good it sounded. The family agreed. And you did it. You shared your work, and you overcame it. It was definitely riddled with anxiety, but it was not so bad the second time around. Everyone is nice and they are not out to get you. They are out to help you possibly think about other ideas that you would never think of. They are stretching you and helping your story writing ideas grow. This class will help you become a confident writer and will empower and encourage you to continue to write. The comments you will read about your stories will make you glow and smile from ear to ear. Your professor is going to ignite confidence in your writing. After the first story you submitted, he sent you an email that you will probably never forget. “You are a writer.” Even though you love to read, you always hated writing papers and don’t get too excited because you still do, but now you can be sure that you are a writer. You’ve always dreamed of writing a story. And now you have two. They can be expanded and developed and possibly turned into a novel. Such is the case for your second story. You have dreamed of writing a Slavic fairytale retelling and you have an excellent start. Another interesting thing that may be a special addition for you. You are going to create an artist’s book for your story. I know how you love to be creative and scrap booky and now you have an actual art assignment for a creative writing class. All in all, you are going to learn that you absolutely can write and it is perfectly possible to one day be published.
Hello. As a writer, I believe that I gained deeper insight into both the short story genre and more familiar genres like science fiction and fantasy. The short story genre is really about significant moments that occur in one’s life or could plausibly occur in one’s life, and I would encourage you to contemplate the different themes of the stories and see how they connect to the human experience, even if your experience is vastly different. Through empathy and through our own experiences, even people with different stories to tell are all relatable on multiple levels. I also believe that you would benefit from listening to both your feedback as well as the feedback that others receive. Are there many commonalities in the feedback offered by the writing community? Are there many differences? How can the feedback that others receive apply to your story as well? Learning from all people is an essential and never ending aspect of life, and this class is a good opportunity to hone that skill. To further enhance the learning experience, I would also encourage you to discuss your stories with Professor Miller during office hours, where he will provide personalized feedback and engage in a fascinating discussion.
Regarding the topic you choose for the first story, think back to your life experiences. Which ones resonate, and why? Which ones are the most entertaining to talk about, the ones that you share with friends because they are amusing in retrospect. And how can you put a twist on your own personal story so that it forms a unique story that would be valuable for you and the class to contemplate? What lessons did you learn growing up, and how did you learn them? Think about all of this when reflecting on your first short story. Remember that short fiction is way different from science fiction and fantasy in that it is largely based on real life experiences. In fact, it is barely even fiction.
Regarding the topic you choose for the second story, feel free to think about more of your experiences, or perhaps think about your passions. How can your passions connect to making a good story? And how could this story be helpful in the future? What can it help you to think more about? How can science fiction and fantasy be combined in an amazing way that introduces fascinating settings and individual people who are human like and have human struggles and desires.
You’re taking this class because something is missing. You say the same things you always say, grossly underrepresenting how important and how essential something is to you. I know what you’ve said so far- you’re taking this class because you miss writing, because you used to be good at it, because you don’t want to lose it. No. You know exactly why you’re taking this class and it was never that complicated. Because writing saved you. Stories saved you. Language saved you. You wouldn’t be here without it, and even if you were you’d still be like you were before, and that might be worse. Reading, writing, speaking, creating, listening. Mrs. McCormac, Mr. Kaz, Mr. Chittendan, Mr. Conte, Mrs. Wenal, they didn’t give you this gift so you could repay them by leaving it all behind. They didn’t teach you how to write your mind out onto a page, to dissect your thoughts, to break down a problem into its pieces and find its truth so you could forget. So you could decay back into the person you were before, forgetting the very essence of what makes Thomas Norgang, you.
So, how will this go? You probably won’t be surprised to learn that you severely underestimated how hard something is, as you tend to do. Reality will strike and that 5 you got in AP Lit will feel longer ago than ever. It won’t happen the way it used to, and that shouldn’t surprise you. Your brain, which once was a place where words lived rent free and romped about like some great literary creatures, has pushed these pathways to the margins. In their place is science. It’s beautiful, Incredibly vast, and someone within it is the secret to everything you want. But it has taught you very little about who you are and so you forgot. So yes, it will be hard at first, but in time the words will come. They will be different but they will come.
So, first off, just write. Don’t worry about what people will like, you will come to find that people will like your writing when you like your writing. Don’t worry about being worse than you used to be, that’s a poor excuse for giving up. Enjoy the art your classmates make, enjoy the variety of what people choose to create. And for Christ’s sake listen to Coco, she knows more than you and always will. Don’t just write a story that feels good enough for your classmates, write something you feel they will be proud of. And then, when it’s over, please don’t go back. Don’t stop writing. Don’t stop exploring. Don’t give up. Find your next adventure, and go live it.
It is the first day of your creative writing class and I am guessing you are nervous. Nervous about coming up with ideas for short stories and having to have the class workshop it. But I look back and realize I should never have been nervous about those things.
A big thing as a writer I realized to help with your writing in short stories, is to make sure you write about what interests you and what you think you can write well. The beginning I was thinking of short story topics that I thought other people would like. But then I realized if I wrote what I think others will like it won’t be my best work and I won’t be able to really absorb my work and know my characters. So for my first short story the topic I chose was something I was interested in and knew I could write about it well, and when I had to workshop it others ended up liking it as well. I would also say writing characters that might have a piece of you with them I think makes the story more personal to you and make you proud of the story you created.
A piece of advice I would offer is to not hold back from your writing because you are nervous to workshop it and have others read it. Before this class I would write my little stories and could never ever think about someone else reading them because I was so afraid of what they would think. But now ending the semester having people read my work gets me excited to see what they think and feel about my story. I loved getting feedback on what people liked about my character or how accurate my storyline was with a heavy topic, it made me so much more confident with my writing.
In the writing community, the people you should listen to are the people workshopping your story. Everyone has different opinions, and hearing them all about what they like, don’t like, or mention something you should change makes your work even better. People can catch things that you might not have noticed, so listening to t your writing and those around you in class is a huge help with growth in your writing.
Dear Chloe,
Hi! How are you? You’re just starting your sophomore year, and you’re taking creative writing this semester. I know you’ve always loved to write, but you’ve never done anything like this before which is quite exciting. If memory serves me you are probably going into this course thinking you’re going to write more of the same serious fiction you always write. Something about grief, something heady, but I encourage you to lean into the side of your writing you don’t normally express. Your professor is going to give you a story that will make you think differently about the literary importance of stories about teenage girls. Think about that. Then write them.
Also- think about your process. I know you love to freewrite, but don’t be afraid of incorporating revision into your creative work. It’s what Professor Burt has been telling you about your art, and this is no different. One hundred sketches make a good piece, so don’t be too attached to those first ideas, instead use them to improve and create things that are even better. While you’re in class, always do the freewrite. You might not be in the mood, but it’s where your ideas in and out of class will come from.
Listen to everyone. Every story, every comment, every idea, has something to teach you. You’re in a class with intelligent people, who will think of things you have never considered before, so listen carefully to their perspective, your writing will improve a lot from their comments that let you see your work from a different point of view. Try to have fun, and don’t take yourself too seriously-
I know how much you’ll adore writing the freewrites, as you always do in Professor Miller’s classes, but maybe look up once in a while, there are other perspectives to indulge in and it took you until mid-October to realize that! Either way, you’ll accomplish wonderful stories over the 15ish weeks in room 318, and this semester you won’t have as many emergencies as previous ones- good job on attending class!
We’ve met wonderful people who we’ve inspired to hone their crafts within and outside of the writing field- I hope even now that they continue their climb in pursuit of ambitions only their youth and discipline can motivate. You, on the other hand, have learned to lean into metaphors, but also how to balance them alongside physical settings.
Yes, the freewrites have helped, and we no longer feel intimidated with sharing personal work with peers unlike previous classes where peer review is at the center of every creative work. But most importantly, you’ve cultivated raw human connections through the vulnerability that sharing art bares. You should listen to Chloe, she always has wonderful feedback for everyone in the classroom and has been able to truly think outside of the box and then further.
On a more intense side note, not that I have to remind you of this, don’t listen to your friends and family back home telling you that being an English major will get you nowhere. If your peers up here and Professor Miller and Professor Ramey see talent in you, let that manifest because support systems are all that really matter. I’m glad so many of our friends over the past 15ish weeks have supported you in your writing endeavors- you should have decided to talk to Tommy sooner, he specifically has really good advice! It’s okay to lean on people for feedback, too. People outside of New Jersey who are equally as into the arts will gravitate towards you. They care about your works and your writing, remember that!
15 thoughts on “FINAL JOURNAL!”
Dear future me,
Over the upcoming 15 weeks, you will not only become a better writer, but you will become a better person. Starting off, you will read a few short stories and annotate them to understand their deeper meaning. You will also be assigned chapters from the book “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. This book showcases what each individual elements a story needs to have, and how they pertain to life as a whole. Through understanding what a shitty first draft might look like, and finding out that everything is not as perfect as it may seem, you will understand why succumbing to change is vitally important as a writer. As a writer in this class, you need to understand that the first draft you write will not be your last. Change is important, especially in writing, as once you think of a new idea, you should use it to your full advantage. And do you remember those writing workshops you hated in high school? You will love these ones. For your first and second stories you will take part in a workshop where your peers will talk about what each other’s story is, things they liked, and questions/suggestions they may have. This will be the time where you think of new ideas you never would have before. Having someone see your writing through a different lens and provide constructive criticism will make your writing even more powerful in the future. You should also listen to everyone in your writing community. Every writer has their own ideas of what their work should look like, but listening to someone else critique it, will show you what needs to change or stay the same when you are writing. Even though you may think your writing does not need to change at all and is perfect the way it is, you are wrong. There is always going to be something to change or add to make your story even better. Also, you will love the artists book project. You will be able to go to the art studio and help your peers when they need it. You will be able to build your own book from the ground up in any way you choose, and make a video about it for one of your final assignments. Also, Cathleen Miller will teach you about all of the different ways artists can “showcase” their writing, and how not all of them may be presented as a typical book.
Never forget that constructive criticism is powerful, and will make you a great writer someday.
Good Luck!
-Liz
Dear Grace,
As someone who has a history of creative writing, I know you’re excited for this class. Keep an open mind about how you’re going to write this. I know you have a history of starting projects and leaving them unfinished, but with short stories you’ll have the opportunity to tie them neatly in a bow. Take a chance to that, but when a novel start is offered, I would take it. Writing has always come fairly easy to you, but don’t let that stop you from allowing genuine feedback on your work. I know as a younger kid you would’ve taken this kind of criticism and suggestion to heart, but I know you won’t do that. Make sure to listen well to all the advice you receive, and don’t hesitate to let that spawn new ideas for you. Make sure to look back on your work to review it, I know you like to just “get things right the first time” but reviewing your work will ensure that it gets better. That you’ll be able to improve on your own as well. Make sure to travel outside of your comfort zone this semster, write from points of views you aren’t familiar with. Growing up you always wrote as a girl your age. Explore a little! Get advice from people who live those points of view. And have fun with it, let your outside view of this character either give or take away their self-awareness, that makes for a more interesting character.
Your peers know what they’re talking about. For instance, Sarah is always a good choice to review your work. She notices detail and effort while also pointing out flaws and inconsistencies. Having her help will be very beneficial in the long run. Also don’t hesitate to review her work. Get a taste of a different writing style to see what makes it good. Phoebe is also a good resource to talk to when it comes to this writing. She really understands how to write exactly what she wants, and her style is uniquely different, which could help you expand your own. Each person in the class has helpful things to add to your story, so make sure to listen to all of them. When reading their stories, pay attention. Their pieces have been incredibly well written and meaningful. Just reading them out of your own enjoyment will be fun. Enjoy this class, as well as the talented people in it, their workshop will help you to understand how to push your writing further.
Have fun!
Love, Future Grace
Dear past self,
I am writing to you fifteen weeks later after an entire semester in this class. The class and experience you’re about to have is drastically different from any writing class you’ve taken before this. This class is going to challenge you, and that’s okay it’s all a part of the process.
The experience is different for many reasons. Creative writing is different in so many ways than the journalistic writing you’ve been doing up to this point. But the process you’ll find is more enjoyable. You’re going to learn a lot about yourself and a writer in general. You’re going to struggle to find ideas to write about creatively and struggle with the development of characters. However, once you find them, you’re going to have no problem putting the story together and writing stories that are enjoyable for your readers.
As a writer in this class, you’re going to learn that the hardest part of writing is starting, especially in a creative writing/ short fiction setting. I think some of the best advice I can give you is to really dive into the process. Once you adjust and find your rhythm, you’re going to find that writing is much more enjoyable and not as stressful as you’re going to think at first. Another thing you should do as a writer is find time to write by yourself away from all distractions, you’re going to find that you’re able to get in a much better headspace this way and find that you write your best work this way. Finally, another thing I would say is don’t be afraid to find help with your writing. Have people read what you have and be open to criticism. Workshops aren’t as bad as they seem and be ready to have an open mind and be open to new suggestions that push your story to new places.
Finally, you should listen to everyone in the class when it comes to your stories. The collective group as a whole has a lot of different ideas and visions that can help propel your stories to new places and being open to accepting them is only going to make you write better stories as you go. It may seem like a scary process but everyone in the class is going through the same struggles in the class and learning from your classmates and professor is the only way to improve at what you’re doing. The more reluctant you are, the less success you’ll have.
Wish you the best of luck!
Sincerely,
Future self of about 15 weeks.
Dear Past Emily,
Over these next fifteen weeks, you’re going to grow significantly as a writer. You will write two short stories and make an artist’s book. You will also be tasked with helping others edit their work. As for any class you take, you will need to work on managing your time and balancing class work with clubs, internships, and work. For this course, in particular, you will work on elaborating on certain parts of your stories (this isn’t journalism— it’s ok to be wordy sometimes). You will learn that in order to write good short fiction, your story has to have some baseline of authenticity. Even if the story you’re telling isn’t true, the emotions, feelings, or characters must be based on some level of reality. You will learn that it’s not as scary as you think to be a vulnerable writer — it’s essential for good storytelling. Listen to everyone in the writing community; they are all full of new and exciting ideas, perspectives, and insights. Carefully take in all of the feedback you’re given, and be grateful for those who took the time to read and analyze your story. It’s also ok to take comments with a grain of salt occasionally. At the end of the day, you will be leaving this class far more comfortable with embracing the creative aspects of writing. At the end of the day, this class is not nearly as intimidating as it may feel to you right now. Although there will be moments of frustration and stress, you will walk away with valuable skills.
P.S. — don’t wait until the last minute to do your artist’s book.
Good luck,
Future Emily
Dear Past Jack,
Hey, how’s it hanging? I’m you about 15 weeks from now. I just want to tell you about the roller coaster you are about to experience. You have balls of steel to take on a class this far out of your comfort zone, so congratulations! You’re already one step closer to overcoming a major obstacle. However, don’t get cocky. This class isn’t going to be what you think it is going to be. I want to take a minute and tell you what you’re about to experience.
Let me tell you, you’re gonna be reading a lot of other people’s work, and you may feel extremely intimidated by their writing. I am telling you, do not be intimidated at all. The more time you spend in this class, the more you will realize that everybody has different styles of writing. You will also be given plenty of advice, feedback and criticism that you HAVE, not should, HAVE to use to make yourself a more dynamic writer. Writing the same old type of stuff is only step one of being a writer. Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird” offers you advice, after advice, after advice, covering every single part of a short story. From what makes a good plot, to what makes a strong character, to how setting plays a major part in your story. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either. Your peers in this class are here for you, no matter what. Just don’t make them mad.
Take advantage of their feedback, and use it when you finally start writing these short stories. Speaking of which, short stories and vastly different than the stuff you haver been writing in the past. You will be introduced to a completely new style of writing that you will master by the end of this class. As a writer, you need to be open to the feedback your friends and peers give you. You may know about your work than them, but don’t close your mind to just yourself. Open up your thoughts to bring others in, and use those thoughts to craft a bigger and better story next time.
Finally, your gonna have workshops, and a lot of them, but don’t stress. These ones are more free range and more interactive. You essentially read and note the stories of two other individuals, offering them feedback and saying what worked for you. When it is your turn, when you give this advice, never act like you know it all. Offer a potential change, give an encouraging compliment, do anything you can to make your fellow peers more comfortable in here. Speaking of peers, there are two people in your class that I highly recommend you listen to, as they know what they are doing. One is Tommy, who has a good soul, a passion for writing and will offer analytical strategies to everyone, and the other is Coco, who has taken similar classes and has the experience necessary to help you.
Listen to what these people are saying. They will save your life in this class. Don’t take anything for granted, allow yourself to be more free minded, and have a good time. You got this kid.
Chin up,
Future Jack
Sarah,
This class is going to be much different than you initially expected. While you start out with example short stories and reading Anne Lamott, soon enough there will only be workshops to base your work off of. I would suggest continuing to refer back to and continue reading Bird by Bird even though it is not part of an assignment, since that backbone of the class was just a way to launch ourselves into literary short fiction. You will have a good idea for the first story, the second one will be more confusing and experimental. This is where I would suggest looking back at short stories by published authors and Anne Lamott’s book. It is also good to listen to everyone’s perspective and ideas about your own work since they provide an outsider’s view on your writing. They show you how it would be perceived to others outside of the classroom walls.
Despite the frustration you will encounter with being inundated with workshopping/peer reviewing in this class, other classes, and writing fellows, it is important to remember how vital workshopping truly is even when you feel like there is no point. You have to understand that you are helping other people by putting eyes on their work even though you have 20+ essays, stories, and textbook chapters to read. Regardless of the combined workload, you will learn how to write a different genre, and open new pathways in your writing.
See you in 15 weeks,
Sarah.
Caitlin,
The understanding of creative writing that you will obtain from this class is one that you thought you already had. You were proven wrong fairly quickly, but that’s okay. That’s why you’re here. You will begin to see things in your writing as well as in other people’s that weren’t so obvious before. The way that you both read and write will somehow become even more analytical, and you will learn to let go of the academic traits that you have become comfortable with and to start using your voice. You will find out that you’re actually pretty good at writing creatively, and that you are not lacking any kind of imagination, which is what you came into this class most nervous about. It is truly and genuinely easiest to just start writing about absolutely anything that comes to mind. The ideas come out of the writing, not necessarily the other way around. The genres that you enjoy for consumption are not exactly the ones you enjoy writing about. It’s really difficult to write a good horror story—a traditional one, anyway—and it’s fine to not even really be interested in trying. The stories that you can write with ideas about your own life, your own personality, and your own fears, are much more powerful than something that you’re not close to. Knowing the personalities that you write about inside and out makes for really strong and distinct characters—be sure to know everything about this person before you start seriously writing about them. What the audience is never even told about this character is still an influence on them and their behaviors and choices throughout the story.
It’s really helpful to listen to the thoughts of other people during the workshopping process, because they can see things in your work that you can’t—this can either be really uplifting or really discouraging, but you will be fine either way. It will only make you better. Their suggestions and critiques will help you to revise your story in ways that make it more cohesive, and will create a better understanding of your setting, plot, and characters. You don’t have to take every suggestion that you’re given if it isn’t the right direction to the story, but it can be fun to be flexible and stretch your imagination to include these “what ifs.” Listen to the people whose stories are your favorites—clearly they know what they’re doing—but still have respect for the opinions of other writers whose stories didn’t really resonate with you. Your personal preference has no effect on their level of talent and it doesn’t negate their abilities.
Dear Future Me,
You wanted to take this class to learn about techniques in writing fiction. You are going to learn a lot about not writing for someone else but rather yourself. You’re going to learn about your own individual writing ideas as well as what your work looks like and sounds like to peoples ears. How to switch and try different perspectives in the forms of first person, second person and third. How much that can impact a story. Like when you switched around your persons in the first story to change it a bit and see what happens.
When your stories get workshopped you’re going to ponder what you can add to them to change them and continue them. Whether it is something that was shared by a peer or something your brain just had a spiral thought from a sentence a person said. Which then you added to it from there. You’re going to learn that writing different genres have different factors to them. Next time to get the most from peer review is making sure that the story is staying on track and looking at sentence syntax errors which is unfortunately just how your brian works. Which you don’t notice because your brain was trained to write like that because of your LD. So in the future of writing anything fiction, you must reread it after a few months to take a step back and re-look at it. I know that listening to a peer review is hard for you because it goes to your weaknesses in learning. You are more visual learning so maybe next time having the story pulled up on your computer and making notes while peers are speaking and asking them questions on exact examples might be more helpful in the future when someone is telling you suggestions. Make questions based on the suggestions of your peers. As well as what your peers think the story is about to help you understand how to add to the story to further guide future readers to the plot you want to convey to them. Also pin point the point of your fiction story at the start and throughout the story.
12/3/24
Dear Kennedy, from Day 1 of the 2024 fall academic semester,
The next 15 weeks will be some of the most up and down emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging weeks in more than one way. Looking at the syllabus and the assignments that will come throughout the semester, the projects you will be on, and everything few and far between, it seems impossible. Having not been in an English writing class for over a year and a half now, it is terrifying thinking that you will be doing writing assignments constantly.
There will be moments where you have everything to write, and you are typing or writing away like a madman, and there will be moments where you have writer’s block, and you don’t know where to take your story or even where to start. This is where I recommend you look around you, find what you are passionate about, and look at the world and how awful and beautiful it is all at the same time. There will be moments where you won’t be able to find the right words, and this is where trial and error comes in; you have the resources and people to assist you and give you feedback.
Let the writers in your class and the stories you read inspire you. I recommend listening to Coco; although quiet and a lady of few words, she has great depth in the advice and word choices that she speaks and writes with. Her language is authentic and beautiful; listen to it, grasp it, understand it, and embrace it. Listen to Caitlin, another quiet member of the group, but she has a great point of view and grounds the author, bringing you back to Earth to see the reality of the bigger picture. She tells what pulls her in as a reader and what pulls her out; although sometimes frustrating from the author’s point of view, this information is pertinent to the development of a short story.
Let your creative mind flow; nothing needs to be perfect or polished; write about what you know and what your passion pulls you towards. You will make it through the semester one way or another.
-Kennedy
Hey Kat,
I am not sure what you expected coming into this class but you did it. You are going to have to overcome your shyness and your unwillingness to share your work because that is a requirement. Your work will be critiqued and commented on by your classmates but don’t worry, you’re not the only one who is not a fan of criticism. A few classmates have shared with you that they do not like being put under the spotlight, but they appreciate it because it helps them become a writer. It helps you. You are probably disagreeing with future me because you never thought you could ever share your stories with anyone. Not even your close friends. You asked your brother to read the story and because he was too lazy to read it, he inserted it into chat gpt to read it out loud for him. You were covering your ears in embarrassment as he decided to put it on with the entire family around but then you heard how good it sounded. The family agreed. And you did it. You shared your work, and you overcame it. It was definitely riddled with anxiety, but it was not so bad the second time around. Everyone is nice and they are not out to get you. They are out to help you possibly think about other ideas that you would never think of. They are stretching you and helping your story writing ideas grow. This class will help you become a confident writer and will empower and encourage you to continue to write. The comments you will read about your stories will make you glow and smile from ear to ear. Your professor is going to ignite confidence in your writing. After the first story you submitted, he sent you an email that you will probably never forget. “You are a writer.” Even though you love to read, you always hated writing papers and don’t get too excited because you still do, but now you can be sure that you are a writer. You’ve always dreamed of writing a story. And now you have two. They can be expanded and developed and possibly turned into a novel. Such is the case for your second story. You have dreamed of writing a Slavic fairytale retelling and you have an excellent start. Another interesting thing that may be a special addition for you. You are going to create an artist’s book for your story. I know how you love to be creative and scrap booky and now you have an actual art assignment for a creative writing class. All in all, you are going to learn that you absolutely can write and it is perfectly possible to one day be published.
Hello. As a writer, I believe that I gained deeper insight into both the short story genre and more familiar genres like science fiction and fantasy. The short story genre is really about significant moments that occur in one’s life or could plausibly occur in one’s life, and I would encourage you to contemplate the different themes of the stories and see how they connect to the human experience, even if your experience is vastly different. Through empathy and through our own experiences, even people with different stories to tell are all relatable on multiple levels. I also believe that you would benefit from listening to both your feedback as well as the feedback that others receive. Are there many commonalities in the feedback offered by the writing community? Are there many differences? How can the feedback that others receive apply to your story as well? Learning from all people is an essential and never ending aspect of life, and this class is a good opportunity to hone that skill. To further enhance the learning experience, I would also encourage you to discuss your stories with Professor Miller during office hours, where he will provide personalized feedback and engage in a fascinating discussion.
Regarding the topic you choose for the first story, think back to your life experiences. Which ones resonate, and why? Which ones are the most entertaining to talk about, the ones that you share with friends because they are amusing in retrospect. And how can you put a twist on your own personal story so that it forms a unique story that would be valuable for you and the class to contemplate? What lessons did you learn growing up, and how did you learn them? Think about all of this when reflecting on your first short story. Remember that short fiction is way different from science fiction and fantasy in that it is largely based on real life experiences. In fact, it is barely even fiction.
Regarding the topic you choose for the second story, feel free to think about more of your experiences, or perhaps think about your passions. How can your passions connect to making a good story? And how could this story be helpful in the future? What can it help you to think more about? How can science fiction and fantasy be combined in an amazing way that introduces fascinating settings and individual people who are human like and have human struggles and desires.
Dear Tommy,
You’re taking this class because something is missing. You say the same things you always say, grossly underrepresenting how important and how essential something is to you. I know what you’ve said so far- you’re taking this class because you miss writing, because you used to be good at it, because you don’t want to lose it. No. You know exactly why you’re taking this class and it was never that complicated. Because writing saved you. Stories saved you. Language saved you. You wouldn’t be here without it, and even if you were you’d still be like you were before, and that might be worse. Reading, writing, speaking, creating, listening. Mrs. McCormac, Mr. Kaz, Mr. Chittendan, Mr. Conte, Mrs. Wenal, they didn’t give you this gift so you could repay them by leaving it all behind. They didn’t teach you how to write your mind out onto a page, to dissect your thoughts, to break down a problem into its pieces and find its truth so you could forget. So you could decay back into the person you were before, forgetting the very essence of what makes Thomas Norgang, you.
So, how will this go? You probably won’t be surprised to learn that you severely underestimated how hard something is, as you tend to do. Reality will strike and that 5 you got in AP Lit will feel longer ago than ever. It won’t happen the way it used to, and that shouldn’t surprise you. Your brain, which once was a place where words lived rent free and romped about like some great literary creatures, has pushed these pathways to the margins. In their place is science. It’s beautiful, Incredibly vast, and someone within it is the secret to everything you want. But it has taught you very little about who you are and so you forgot. So yes, it will be hard at first, but in time the words will come. They will be different but they will come.
So, first off, just write. Don’t worry about what people will like, you will come to find that people will like your writing when you like your writing. Don’t worry about being worse than you used to be, that’s a poor excuse for giving up. Enjoy the art your classmates make, enjoy the variety of what people choose to create. And for Christ’s sake listen to Coco, she knows more than you and always will. Don’t just write a story that feels good enough for your classmates, write something you feel they will be proud of. And then, when it’s over, please don’t go back. Don’t stop writing. Don’t stop exploring. Don’t give up. Find your next adventure, and go live it.
Dear, Quinnly
It is the first day of your creative writing class and I am guessing you are nervous. Nervous about coming up with ideas for short stories and having to have the class workshop it. But I look back and realize I should never have been nervous about those things.
A big thing as a writer I realized to help with your writing in short stories, is to make sure you write about what interests you and what you think you can write well. The beginning I was thinking of short story topics that I thought other people would like. But then I realized if I wrote what I think others will like it won’t be my best work and I won’t be able to really absorb my work and know my characters. So for my first short story the topic I chose was something I was interested in and knew I could write about it well, and when I had to workshop it others ended up liking it as well. I would also say writing characters that might have a piece of you with them I think makes the story more personal to you and make you proud of the story you created.
A piece of advice I would offer is to not hold back from your writing because you are nervous to workshop it and have others read it. Before this class I would write my little stories and could never ever think about someone else reading them because I was so afraid of what they would think. But now ending the semester having people read my work gets me excited to see what they think and feel about my story. I loved getting feedback on what people liked about my character or how accurate my storyline was with a heavy topic, it made me so much more confident with my writing.
In the writing community, the people you should listen to are the people workshopping your story. Everyone has different opinions, and hearing them all about what they like, don’t like, or mention something you should change makes your work even better. People can catch things that you might not have noticed, so listening to t your writing and those around you in class is a huge help with growth in your writing.
From,
End of semester Quinnly
Dear Chloe,
Hi! How are you? You’re just starting your sophomore year, and you’re taking creative writing this semester. I know you’ve always loved to write, but you’ve never done anything like this before which is quite exciting. If memory serves me you are probably going into this course thinking you’re going to write more of the same serious fiction you always write. Something about grief, something heady, but I encourage you to lean into the side of your writing you don’t normally express. Your professor is going to give you a story that will make you think differently about the literary importance of stories about teenage girls. Think about that. Then write them.
Also- think about your process. I know you love to freewrite, but don’t be afraid of incorporating revision into your creative work. It’s what Professor Burt has been telling you about your art, and this is no different. One hundred sketches make a good piece, so don’t be too attached to those first ideas, instead use them to improve and create things that are even better. While you’re in class, always do the freewrite. You might not be in the mood, but it’s where your ideas in and out of class will come from.
Listen to everyone. Every story, every comment, every idea, has something to teach you. You’re in a class with intelligent people, who will think of things you have never considered before, so listen carefully to their perspective, your writing will improve a lot from their comments that let you see your work from a different point of view. Try to have fun, and don’t take yourself too seriously-
– December Chloe
Hey Coco!!!!
I know how much you’ll adore writing the freewrites, as you always do in Professor Miller’s classes, but maybe look up once in a while, there are other perspectives to indulge in and it took you until mid-October to realize that! Either way, you’ll accomplish wonderful stories over the 15ish weeks in room 318, and this semester you won’t have as many emergencies as previous ones- good job on attending class!
We’ve met wonderful people who we’ve inspired to hone their crafts within and outside of the writing field- I hope even now that they continue their climb in pursuit of ambitions only their youth and discipline can motivate. You, on the other hand, have learned to lean into metaphors, but also how to balance them alongside physical settings.
Yes, the freewrites have helped, and we no longer feel intimidated with sharing personal work with peers unlike previous classes where peer review is at the center of every creative work. But most importantly, you’ve cultivated raw human connections through the vulnerability that sharing art bares. You should listen to Chloe, she always has wonderful feedback for everyone in the classroom and has been able to truly think outside of the box and then further.
On a more intense side note, not that I have to remind you of this, don’t listen to your friends and family back home telling you that being an English major will get you nowhere. If your peers up here and Professor Miller and Professor Ramey see talent in you, let that manifest because support systems are all that really matter. I’m glad so many of our friends over the past 15ish weeks have supported you in your writing endeavors- you should have decided to talk to Tommy sooner, he specifically has really good advice! It’s okay to lean on people for feedback, too. People outside of New Jersey who are equally as into the arts will gravitate towards you. They care about your works and your writing, remember that!
With love,
Coco