Advanced Creative Writing
Looking back at ourselves as authors

Expressive and reflective writing – such as the type we do in Advanced Creative Writing – can be a unique tool for gaining insight into ourselves and defining who we are. Use the following questionnaire to explore yourself as author and person. Take your time and really think about your responses; we may be revisiting this later. Reponses should be in paragraph form, single spaced, and neatly written, though it doesn’t have to be in full MLA, Final Copy form.

1. (1-2 paragraphs) Give a brief overview of your own writing process – describe how YOU do it, not how you think I want you to do it. Why do you think you do it this way? What advantages does your process have? What disadvantages?

2. (1-2 paragraphs) Look back on all the pieces you’ve written so far for this class. Which is your favorite? Why? Which is your least favorite? Why? Which would you call your best? Your worst? Explain.

3. (1-2 paragraphs) Similar to #2 but NOT the same: which of your writings so far was/is most meaningful to you? How so? Do you see any connection between how meaningful a piece is to you and how well you write? Explain.

4. (2 paragraphs) Have you discovered anything about yourself in writing or looking at your own writing so far this year? Your thoughts, your feelings, your style? Describe these discoveries.

5. (4-5 paragraphs) “Talk” specifically about any one piece you’ve done – analyze it the way you would any other piece of literature. For starters, what techniques do you use? What effects do those techniques create? What’s your theme? Did you intend that theme? What does that piece of writing say about you? What might it inspire in a reader? Is that what you want your reader to think/feel? What motivated you to write it? Etc . . . N.B. This one will take some work since it takes time and writing to express an analysis of a piece of literature.

6. (1 paragraph) Pull this all together: write a conclusion to this activity that summarizes the insights you have gained about yourself as writer and person by doing this activity.

Remember: Take your time and really think about what your are doing as a writer!