Have students take a few moments, working individually, to write a creative paragraph in which they describe the appearance and character of an imaginary bank robber from the perspective of a police officer.
Though you don't need to have a neat concluding sentence for this creative paragraph (unless it is part of an assignment for school), you'll need to end the paragraph in some way to remind readers of what you had described and to leave a lasting idea of the person, place, or thing in their minds.
But Kendall, a Harlem writer, is certain that this sad, distracting spirit is keeping him from completing the great opus he has inside him — or at least the "numerous creative snippets, opening paragraphs and titles simmering in my idea journal".
Creative departures from the five-paragraph formula should be encouraged, but there is little evidence that creative flights, as such, impart clarity, depth or cogency of thought.
A strict three-paragraph format stifles creative arguments, complex logic, and parallel reasoning – skills that differentiate truly exceptional writing from merely good.
Evaluation / Assessment: Students will be evaluated based on completion of journals, participation in class discussion and free-writing exercise, and thoughtful creative writing piece and "historical context" paragraph.
Evaluation / Assessment: Students will be evaluated based on participation in class discussion, participation in writing exercises, thoughtful peer editing, and creative and well thought out formal and informal paragraphs on "proper" English.
If you decide to include longer paragraphs, you'll need to get creative with your presentation, since you won't be able to fit it all on the line.
This is the book that launched a thousand creative writing exercises, but its simple form — a hundred and fifty-five paragraphs of various lengths, all beginning with the phrase "I Remember" — is still, when you revisit it, a stark surprise.
