Creative Writing: What are our values?
It's time for some creative writing. Using the prompt below, please take the time to write a short
response to the prompt and when you are finished share with [Insert point of contact with
email address] and let him know if it is ok to share your work on here with your fellow students.
Please don't feel as if you have to share your work, it is optional.
Prompt: Write about three values that are important to your family.
Use the following instructions to help construct your creative writing activity.
1. What are values?
Values are ideas or principles that we believe to be important to our lives. For example, many
people believe that Honesty is a good value to live their lives by. So that being an honest
persons means being fair and truthful. For a list of values and ideas, see the attached list.
2. Outline your essay.
Take the time to outline what you want to say and organize your thoughts before you sit down
to write. Most people skip this step, but all careful and good writers take the time to outline
what they want to say and how they want to present their ideas to others. For this creative
writing challenge, I am asking you to create and write an informative essay, these essays ask
that you provide an introduction that states your purpose clearly and what you conclude in a
few sentences. The next paragraphs should be a discussion of the three values that you and
your family believe to be important. Finally, the conclusion should restate in different words
what you say in the overall essay, reiterate why the values are important to you and your
family and why your audience should consider them.
For each of the values that you choose, think about why they are important to you and your
family why should your audience think of them as right or good guidelines. For example, why
is honesty a good value? What does it do for you and others? Why should we all practice
honesty?
3. Write
The one thing I know for sure about writing is that it is never easy, but it is always worth it.
Take the time to write and let your thoughts come out as you move through your outline. At
this point its not important to get everything "correct" or in the right order. At this point, just
start getting things down and paper and see where the process takes you. There will always
be time later to review, edit, and make changes. Have fun with the writing process, writing,
much like reading, can transform us and take us on fantastic journeys through our
imagination, learn to enjoy the writing process as a dialogue, or discussion, with yourself.
