Creativity and the Writing Process
download printable version: courtney-assignment-1.pdf
“Ideas are everywhere. There are ideas enough in any daily newspaper to keep a man writing for years. Ideas are all about us, in the people we meet, the way we live, the way we travel, and how we think about things.” Louis L’Amour
Part A: Synthesis/Analysis
After reviewing each reading carefully, select one of the following prompts and respond in a brief essay (about 500 words). Please be specific, and refer to all texts using appropriate citation conventions.
- One recurrent theme in our readings this week is that writing is a social activity; writers often rely on others to help them generate ideas, refine thinking, and polish final drafts. In your response, briefly summarize what each author says about the social aspects of writing. Next, using specific passages from the readings to integrate your discussion, explain the role that social interaction has had on your writing. Use examples when possible to illustrate your views.
- Bishop and Starkey write that beginning and experienced writers view revision in very different ways. Summarize this aspect of their discussion, and explain how this view of revision is similar to or different from the accounts of the revision provided by Lindemann and Nelson. Finally, based on your experience and using specific examples, explain how the readings confirm or challenge your thinking about the writing process.
Part B: Experiment and Reflection
Based on our readings and class discussion, modify the weakest aspect of your writing process and construct a brief (100-250 words) narrative about it. What happened? How did it feel? Did anything surprise you? How did the change impact the quality of the writing you produced? What other changes might you consider?
“Only writers in movies wait for inspiration. Real writers work on schedules, different ones for different writers, but always structured. Ask any writer you know.” Ed McBain