Jenna Teacher

Creative writing was always a difficult idea for me to teach because grading someone's creativity is sooo hard to justify.  Here are some creative writing assignments I've designed to help focus the students' ideas as well as clearly outline gradable-expectations.

Valentines Day

Another essential part of a story is CONFLICT!! Without a conflict, it would be difficult to find the point to your story. The story that you are going to write is going to be about Valentines Day. The only catch is that you cannot use the words LOVE, HEART, FEBRUARY, FLOWERS, ROSES, CHOCOLATES, BALLOONS. Have fun and remember to focus on CONFLICT

Conflict:
Man vs. Man
2 guys fighting, sporting events, war
Think of a movie/story

Man vs. Himself
Psychological diseases, conquering fears, figuring out who you are
Think of a movie/story

Man vs. Society
Fitting into a group, fighting racism, fighting governments
Think of a movie/story

Man vs. Nature
Getting eaten by a bear, tornadoes, earthquakes, disease
Think of a movie/story

Man vs. God
Dealing with circumstances, disease, trying to do the right thing
Think of a movie/story

Your story should be no longer than one typed, double spaced page.

Your story should be about Valentines Day without using the words LOVE, HEART, FEBRUARY, FLOWERS, ROSES, CHOCOLATES, BALLOONS.

What kind of conflict is in your story?

The sniper slipped soundlessly through the fresh leaves. His skin pricked up as he sensed his target nearby. He couldn’t see him in the deep blackness of the moonless night but he had a 6th sense that had kept him alive all these years. A slight shiver in the bushes below let him know that his target was moving. His agility let him slip down the backside of the tree, the scent of oak leaves fresh in his nose. He silently slipped around the base of the giant tree to find a gun barrel 2 inches from the bridge of his nose. It was the last thing he saw.

His breathing felt thick to him and his footsteps sounded heavy. He hunkered down into the bush outside his living room window. The fear was on his tongue like a heavy syrupy drink. He physically felt the presence of the assassin in the tree but couldn’t muster the courage to do anything about it. The only calming thought was the .270 hunting rifle. He could smell the gunpowder as he held it against his face. His knees shook and he saw the man lower himself from the oak. He scampered toward the tree and pointed the gun. His fear overcoming him, he pulled the trigger.

After he’d vomited on his lawn, the man sat down to contemplate the circumstances that had gotten him to this point. Five years ago, he’d been approached by government officials who had offered him his freedom in exchange for his services as a mule for transporting sensitive documents. They’d forced him to leave his job as an accountant and compensated him well but the toll on his family had been irreparable. The FBI had taken everything important in his life from him. Now they were trying to take his life.

He stood up and decided to walk away from this whole mess. He started down the road as a light rain started to fall. The wetness felt clean at first and then the wind started to blow. The rain soon changed to a thick, wet snow. He felt his eyebrows freeze and the area around his mouth and nose began to chap because of the moisture in his breath. He had no idea how far he’d have to walk but knew that without a coat he wouldn’t make it for very long in the plummeting temperatures.

As he trudged down the empty a road, headlights suddenly appeared in the distance. He wanted to hide but couldn’t muster anymore of the lies. A police cruiser highlighted him with his headlights and pulled up next to him. The officer asked if he was okay. The man didn’t know what to do. If he told the police about the dead assassin on his front lawn, his life would be immeasurably more complicated and he would almost certainly end up dead. If he kept walking he would definitely end up dead tonight. He didn’t know what the right thing to do would be. Could he redeem himself somewhat if he started to tell the truth now?