- Choose from the creative topics below. Write a paper based on the rubric below. E-mail drafts to the staff member that you are working with. See the staff page on this website if you don’t know his/her e-mail address. Papers should be 3-4 pages typed, double spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins.
- Will need to complete 4 creative papers for 2.5 credits
Creative Writing Prompts – Courtesy of www.writingforward.com
- You're digging in your garden and find a fist-sized nugget of gold.
- Write about something ugly-war, fear, hate, or cruelty-but find the beauty (silver lining) in it.
- The asteroid was hurtling straight for Earth...
- A kid comes out of the bathroom with toilet paper dangling from his or her waistband.
- Write about your early memories of faith, religion, or spirituality; yours or someone else's.
- There's a guy sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper...
- He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw...
- Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird swooped down...
- The detective saw his opportunity. He grabbed the waitress's arm and said...
- There are three children sitting on a log near a stream. One of them looks up at the sky and says...li>
- There is a magic talisman that allows its keeper to read minds. It falls into the hands of a young politician...
- And you thought dragons didn't exist...
- Write about nature. Include the following words: hard drive, stapler, phone, car, billboard.
- The doctor put his hand on her arm and said gently,
You or the baby will survive. Not both. I'm sorry.
- The nation is controlled by...
- You walk into your house and it's completely different-furniture, decor, all changed. And nobody's home.
- Write about one (or both) of your parents. Start with
I was born...
- The most beautiful smile I ever saw...
- I believe that animals exist to...
- A twinkling eye can mean many things. Start with a twinkle in someone's eye and see where it takes you.
- Good versus evil. Do they truly exist? Are there gray areas? Do good people do bad things?
- Write about your body.
- Have you ever been just about to drift off to sleep only to be roused because you spontaneously remembered an embarrassing moment from your past?
- Get a package of one of your favorite canned or boxed foods and look at the ingredients. Use every ingredient in your next piece of writing.
- You are in a deep sleep and all of sudden hear loud sirens sounding in the neighborhood...
General Essay Rubric
| CATEGORY | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Organization- 20 pts | Details are placed in a logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader. 19- 20pts | Details are placed in a logical order, but the way in which they are presented/introduced is either repetitive or does not hold the reader's interest. 17- 18 pts | Some details are not in a logical or expected order, and this distracts the reader. 11- 16 pts | Many details are not in a logical or expected order. There is little sense that the writing is organized. >10 pts |
| Meets the Guidelines for the Assignment – 20 pts | Exceeds all the guidelines laid out in the assignment rubric. 19- 20 pts | Meets the guidelines laid out in the assignment rubric. 17- 18 pts | Meets about half of the guidelines laid out in the assignment rubric. 11- 16 pts | Meets less than half of the guidelines laid out in the assignment rubric. >10 pts |
| Content- 30 pts | There is one clear, well-focused topic. Main idea stands out and is supported by detailed information. 28- 30 pts | Main idea is clear but the supporting information is general. 23- 27 pts | Main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information. 16- 22 pts | The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information. >15 pts |
| Grammar & Spelling 10 pts | Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. 9- 10 pts | Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. 7- 8 pts | Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. 5- 6 pts | Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. >5 pts |
| Sentence Structure 10pts | All sentences are well-constructed with varied structure. 9- 10 pts | Most sentences are well-constructed with varied structure. 7- 8 pts | Most sentences are well-constructed but have a similar structure. 5- 6 pts | Sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling. >5 pts |
| Audience- 10 pts | The reader’s questions are anticipated and answered thoroughly and completely. 9- 10 pts | The reader’s questions are anticipated and answered to some extent. 7- 8 pts | The reader is left with one or two questions. More information is needed to “fill in the blanks”. 5- 6 pts | The reader is left with several questions. >5 pts |