Blog Schedule

I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Creative Writing - First Class

On Wednesday, the 21, despite not having set foot in a classroom in nearly 40 years, despite the flutterbys in my stomach and that kept leaping up into my mouth, I found the classroom and entered.

A few young faces were already there. "An elder student has entered," I said. I asked if anyone sat at any particular desk. They said no, any desk would do, that we'd probably put the desks in a circle anyway. Which we did.

There are thirteen students ranging in age from youthful 20's to a lady of 73. Our professor is a woman who has worked with/studied under such people as Allen Ginsberg and Tom Robbins, to name just two. She is also the founder of the Texas Heritage Music Foundation and knows a lot of people in the music world. She is a popular teacher.

I can see why. Her class is friendly, casual, open. She has a great deal teach. I think this class will be about finding creativity. All forms of writing are included. Poetry, short stories, travelogue, non-fiction, fiction. We are even expected to do a bit of performing.

If I had to describe her class in one word, it would be, Explore.

And so I begin to explore beyond my comfort zone, which is one of the things I need to do.

Here are a few pattern-breaking questions she gave us and which you can ask yourself.

1. Imagine a particular flower, such as a rose. What sound does it make?
2. Name your favorite song. What does it taste like?
3. What color is love and why?
4. What odor does fear have? What is the odor of hate?

Are you interested?






9 comments:

  1. Sounds like you are going to have a great class! What great questions . . . the first thing that came to mind on the rose question was clasical violin music. I'll have to think on the others a bit.

    Thanks for sharing and best of luck in the class. I'm sure you'll do very well. :D

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  2. What a wonderful first class. I wonder what synthesates (sp?) think about this exercise, which I think is neat.

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  3. Bish!!!
    I love that you are in this class. Great for you and I also think your classmates are lucky to!

    I'm going to write answers to those questions right off the bat without second guessing or revising (or checking spelling!)

    Deep breath:

    1. Imagine a particular flower, such as a rose. What sound does it make? My favorite flower is an iris. I think it sounds like an alto sax playing jazz.
    2. Name your favorite song. What does it taste like? One favorite song? I like the Porch Light by Vinx and I think it tastes like regret, beauty, the tanin after taste of strong red wine.
    3. What color is love and why? Love is sliver rainbow glitters swirls flying through the air all around you. Because it opens the soul to the real beauty of the world.
    4. What odor does fear have? rust
    5. What is the odor of hate? this one was really difficult for me... I ran through a few scents but none of them felt exactly strong enough to be hate - sour sweat, oil,musky old things stored away too long, rotten fish, Hmmm...something to think about.

    Are you interested?
    YES

    Thank you for sharing!!

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  4. ohhhh!!!! I wanna be in that class!

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  5. I love those questions! I had the same thought as Vijaya...I've always been interested in that (I can't remember how to spell it either :D)
    Have fun with the class - and keep sharing the exercises!

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  6. Sounds like a pretty cool way to explain how to use similes and metaphors in writing.

    Sounds like a great class. Enjoy every minute of it!

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  7. Wow, I loved the questions. It sounds like it's going to be a great class, Bish!

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  8. I'm glad you are enjoying your writing class so much...

    I love the questions....

    My particular flower would be a daisy and I think it sounds like the smooth sounds of a piano...romantic melody...

    My favorite song (at least one of them) would be Hypnotize the Moon by Clay Walker and I think it taste like...sweet chocolate melting on your tongue...

    What color is love and why...A greenish blue...you start out with your feet on the ground (green) and by the time you're in full bloom love, you are flying high in the sky...

    What odor does fear/hate have...Fear has the smell of lemons...It has a bite to it with a little sour aftertaste. Hate has the smell of rotton trash...everything in the trash started off fresh and full of life, but the more it aged, the more rotten the air around it becomes. And it is left up to us to take out the trash and breath fresh air again, just as it is up to us to throw out hate...

    I liked this exercise...it made me think...THanks...

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  9. Joan for me a rose sounds like small waves lapping on a sanding beach. I think the object of these questions is to not think too hard or too long.

    Vijaya, I'm ignorant as to what synthesates are. But as crazy young adults a group of us would go around and tell people, "Remember to sensate!"

    Angela, Wonderful answers to the questions! Thanks.

    Christy, I love to have you in the class with me.

    Thanks Adrienne, I will have fun.

    Thanks J.A. for stopping by. It is about metaphores and similes, but it's also about something more, tapping into something deeper, which is probably differnt for each of us.

    Glad you like the questions Rena.

    Brenda, thanks for answering the questions. I particularly like your color of love.

    MORE QUESTIONS WILL COMING!

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!