Language Arts Through Creative Writing, taught by Beth Roberts, will discuss short story ideas and strategies. Students will write three short stories by brainstorming ideas through journaling or group exercises in class, developing characters with full background and motivations, and outlining the plot where climax action and resolution happens. Students will analyze comedy, drama, sci-fi, and thriller genre/writing techniques and decide on two styles of writing or two mixed styles of writing for their short stories. Students will discuss different angles and writing perspectives in class and learn tricks of writing to create conflict in an unusual way. Students will read the book by Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, and discuss the book as well as the author’s life. This is a class where imagination is always the priority, and nothing is too outrageous to be said. Students will walk away confidently that their thoughts are always worth writing down, which can lead to one of the greatest stories ever told.

Group and Individual Activities in Class:

• In class students will watch a few minutes from one of the three Master Class presenters, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Sorkin and/or Michael Lewis. Samuel L. Jackson on character development, Aaron Sorkin on intent and obstacles in story writing, and Michael Lewis philosophy, leaving yourself open to new experience, staying curious, and looking for friction between perception and reality.

• Students will spend a great deal of time through various group or classroom activities developing a single conflict that has a strong opening and ending conclusion.

• Students will act out a conflict in class to help define a character.

• Students will learn to walk, speak, and move differently than themselves to help bring a potential character to life.

• Students will read The House of Mirth and will discuss its literary work, as well as the author's personal life.

• Students will discuss in class each week one thing they wrote or discovered about their world from their journal or various questions the teacher assigned throughout the weeks ahead.

• Students are required to journal at least a paragraph per day five days a week and discuss in class how journaling led to a new character, plot setting, conflict or theme in their writing.

• Students will create scenes or plots points by using a comic book blank book (student’s knowing how to draw is not needed). This creative strategy helps students learn to slow down, manage, and balance the pace of action and tension in storytelling.