The Writing Workshop 9-05-18
Writing Workshop
Welcome to The Writing Workshop! =D My name is Carolyn, and I'm the Creative Writing Overseer.
The Writing Workshop is a special corner of the Navigator set aside for NorthStar Academy's lovely writers! Here, you can find prompts, writing tips, and a story/poem each month written by our own Creative Writing members! Start reading! Be inspired!
If you have any suggestions or comments, be sure to leave them in the Navigator Jabber so I can see them! You can also email me via FirstClass and tell me what you want to see in the next article!
Announcements
Permanently Tacked Up:
• If you want a Creative Writing folder of your own to post your stories in, just email me (Carolyn Sie) and I'll get yours set up. =D I hope to see a lot of new writers and stories coming in frequently!
• If you and some of your friends would like to start a storyline, email me and I'll set one up for you. Remember, it can be about anything!
• Make sure that you check out your friends' CrWr folders! They'd really appreciate your encouragement and feedback. =)
• Tell the newbies about our Creative Writing community! I know a lot of them are writers and can't wait to get out there and share their stories with us!
• Let us forever remember the numerous years and dedication of the previous writer of this column, Morgan Raines. #rememberingmorgan T_T
New Creative Writing Folders/Storylines!
• Out with the old, in with the new .Check out the new CrWr conferences, and if you want to you can re-live the old stories too. =D Our newest members are Alexis, Andy, Jaylene, and Rachel B! Go check their folders out. ^_^
Quote:
"If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word." - Margaret Atwood
Prompt 1:
"Watch for her jagged edges, son, for she is no sweet and dainty flower to be held."
Prompt 2:
"You said that this place was built to imprison something. What was it?" "Me."
Prompt 3:
"I told you already, we're never going back. Ever."
Prompt 4:
"Why is there a magic portal in the bathtub?!"
Prompt 5:
"You're like a blister; you only turn up when the hard work is done."
Prompt 6:
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Prompt 7:
They burnt their blood-stained clothing in the small forest just behind the school.
Prompt 8:
Everything good comes with a price tag. The price of his second chance was his eyesight.
Prompt 9:
You appear in an infinite white room with nothing but yourself and a piece of paper which reads, "You have been banned from existence."
Prompt 10:
One day in class, you decide to scream something in your head to catch mind readers. As you do, you see your crush flinch.
This month's writing tips is on a slightly different topic. Instead of focusing on writing itself, I've decided to focus on being in a writing community. Here's a snippet from the blog post I'm extracting this from. Enjoy reading!
Why You Need A Writing Community (And How To Find One!)
FEEDBACK
I think the word feedback scares people. It scares us…. Like, you know, in elementary school when the teacher would pass out the classes’ graded creative writing papers, and yours had red marks all over it and a barely passable grade that sent your GPA waaay down?
If you’ve got a group of people who really want to invest in you and your writing, you will never go through that again. They will want to help you, not give you a grade to despair over. Their goal should be to show you how to write better.
ADVICE
I came up with a quote for this one. Print it out. Tape it to your wall. It will be useful in life. Are you ready?
Good advice is better than stupid advice. -Abby Franklin, 2018
I’m pure genius.
To be a little more precise, advice is better coming from someone who knows what they’re doing than someone speculating from the outside.
Take, for instance, making a blog for the first time. Someone with no experience could tell you to go ahead and make a blog at the beginning of your writing career, while an experienced blogger may know that you should probably do XYZ before blogging for the first time.
FRIENDSHIP
When you have a friend who likes baseball, you might play or go to a game with them, right? If you agree, congrats! You found out why writing friends are important! Have some cake!
Writing friends are arguably the best friends ever, because they’re crazy weird and tend to be comical people because of it. But the best thing about them is that, if you’re a writer too, they’ll always be there to keep you going. And they are very persistent & passionate about it.
Plus, If you need extra ideas, a good name for a villain, or a good cry over a character’s death, they’re only a phone call or text away.
Yeah, writers are pretty awesome.
ENCOURAGEMENT
We all get into those awful writing slumps sometimes. You guys know those days when you can’t seem to get the plot together or can’t write another word, and those dry seasons where nothing good seems to be happening.
One of the best parts of having writers around you is that they understand. They get it. Maybe they have tips on how to help, and maybe they don’t. But a good writer will always encourage you to keep going in your journey.
To read the full post, head over to https://whenwordsfly.com/2018/01/01/writing-community/
(In the full post, it talks about an online Christian writing community too, which you should totally check out!)
We have a super cool, exciting story by Jaylene for this month! Check out her Creative Writing folder in Creative Writing > The Creative Writers of NSA > Jaylene > Fire and Ice for more!
Fire and Ice: Part One
“Small fire! I said to set a small fire!! This is not small!!!” Helplessly, I stared at the blazing inferno raging around me. Thick smoke filled my nostrils, and I coughed, glaring harshly at the apologetic boy in front of me.
“This is all your fault! What part of ‘small’ do you not understand, you idiot!”
“I’m sorry-“ he tried.
I interrupted, “This is your first task, and you’ve already proven to be a miserable wreck! Tell me, what do I do with you?!”
He hung his head, looking dejected, and for a split second a small part of me wanted to pat him on the back and tell him everything would be okay, but I maintained my chilly facade. I had had it harder during my own initiation. If he wanted to join the league, he must pass the pre-training.
“I can’t believe they assigned me to train him,” I muttered under my breath. Extending my palm, I aimed a perfect spray of ice at the roaring flames. Immediately, they disappeared with a hiss, and I closed my palm, turning to frown at my protégé.
He winced.
I smiled, satisfied with his reaction. “Now,” I said firmly, if you want to get better at this, you need to practice. You want to join the league, don’t you?”
“Yes,” he gulped, his eyes wide. I took note that they were the color of pure honey. Suddenly disgusted with him, I began stalking back and forth.
“You were selected from your clan – only you! And here you are, making horrible use of your gift. This is only the pre-training! What will you do when – IF – you ever get to the real thing?”
My voice had risen, and I struggled to keep it down, noting the way his hands were smoldering with a fiery glow.
Hmmm. Maybe that was the way to get this to work. Furiously, I began to pace faster.
“You soggy biscuit!” I barked. “Are you useless?! You were chosen for a reason, but I’m starting to doubt you! Show me what you can do, or you’re done here!”
His eyes began to shimmer with burnt orange sparks, and he clenched his flickering fists.
“SHOW ME!” I roared. That was all it took. With a terrifying cry, the boy opened his palms to the sky. Perfectly sized flames sparked to life in his hands, and he forgot his anger, gaping in awe. I congratulated myself on our success.
“Very good,” I approved. “You can stop now.” When he didn’t, I impatiently laid my palms on his, expecting my ice crystals to extinguish the heat right away. Instead, the blazes grew stronger and I gasped, feeling warmth for the first time in my life. It was... strangely addicting. I was paralyzed by the brand new sensation. The frost in my hands were melting into warm water, but I scarcely noticed it.
We stared at each other; the two of us in harmony for a few seconds that seemed infinite. What was this unfamiliar warmth in my hands and my bones? But before I could say anything, the heat suddenly dissipated and my palms were freezing cold again. I stepped back, feeling the frostiness return to my eyes.
“That is all for today.”
“Wait.” He placed a hand on my arm, and I froze, aware of the tantalizing warmth that beckoned to me. “I don’t even know your name.” Stiffening, I shook his hand off and faced him.
“That is the point of it all,” I replied, my voice hard.
“Point of what?” he asked desperately, but I flung a non-deadly icicle at his leg and disappeared into the fog as I had been trained to. He asked too many questions. I’d have to be careful.
That's all for this month! Hope you enjoyed reading, and don't forget to leave feedback. =D
So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight U_U
- Carolyn Sie