Tutor – Kristi Tiller
Through a variety of writing exercises, prompts, and discussions, students will explore different creative writing genres including fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Emphasis will be placed on honing writing techniques such as character development, plot structure, dialogue, and narrative voice. By the end of the course, you’ll have a portfolio of original work and the confidence to continue your writing journey. We may even create our own books! We will also read a few fantasy novels as this type of literature in particular involves imagination, strong techniques, and a lot of fun! While this genre might be questionable for some, when read in an environment with a Christian worldview, we can approach each text with care and examine it as critical thinkers. Fantasy offers us a rich experience, and it can also be an invaluable tool to influence our own writing.
Textbooks
Title: The Creative Writer, Level Two: Essential Ingredients
Author: Boris Fishman
Publisher: The Well-Trained Mind Press; 1st edition (September 20, 2012)
ISBN-10 : 9781933339566
ISBN-13 : 978-1933339566
Title: The Creative Writer, Level Three: Building Your Craft
Author: Boris Fishman
Publisher: The Well-Trained Mind Press (February 15, 2013)
Publication date : February 15, 2013
ISBN-10 : 1933339578
ISBN-13 : 978-1933339573
*We will use Level 2 for the fall semester (Aug-Nov) and Level 3 for the spring (Jan-April).
Novels
As long as you have a copy of these novels to bring to class, you may purchase physical copies,
e-books, or find these at your local library (or home bookshelves!). I have listed ISBN numbers
to help locate the books online, but any complete version is fine. Used bookstores such as The
Happy Bookstack, McKay’s, or Thriftbooks (online) are great places to look.
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Justur, Jules Feiffer
ISBN-10 : 0394820371
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
ISBN-10 : 9780786838653
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
ISBN-10 : 054792822X
Impossible Creatures, Katherine Rundell
ISBN-10 : 0593809866
This is a newer book and currently only available in hardcover; a paperback will be released at the end of August, so you can hold off on purchasing this one if you’d like to wait for that edition.
(Please do not purchase these books before the in-person Registration Day in May.
This course is suitable for all levels, but the target grade range is 8th-10th.