Christian Writer's Guild Assignment

Okay, so here's an assignment I did for CWG recently. I thought I did horrible on it, but apparently, according to my mentor, I did ok! WHEE! So, I just thought I'd post it since I'm kinda proud of myself right now. :)


A. Sonnet #30 – By: William Shakespeare
When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thought I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night,
And weep afresh love’s long since cancelled woe,
And moan th’ expense of many a vanished sight,
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o’er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses restored and sorrows end.


A. I believe that Shakespeare’s Sonnet #30 was written to enunciate the importance of friendships in your life. As what occurred in the poem, having that special link with someone who cares for us will help us through any overbearing situation, no matter how awful the pain. Friends often keep us from being self-centered, and having friendships teaches us to incline our hearts to others when they need us instead of concentrating on ourselves. The writer himself could’ve been experiencing these feelings; maybe witnessing the erasure of his burdens by the appearance of a friend prompted him to share his testimony with others through a sonnet.
The writer’s objective concerning his audience was to show people who despair over things long past and out of reach that they were not alone, and that there was hope. I believe that he wrote this first of all, to thank his friend for pulling him out of his despondency and self-centeredness. But I also believe that he composed the poem to show others like him that they don’t have to grieve over things that happened long ago, that if in time of need, call, and a friend will come.
The speaker who spills his heart in the poem is one who has gone through trial after trial in his journey through life, and had spent most of it holding all of his emotions in. The person mostly concentrates and grieves on what happened in the past. Maybe he is someone who let the time escape him, and didn’t accomplish what he strived for because he was lazy or ignorant.
During a time of serene, silent thought, a person mourns over the time that’s gone and the imminent loss of the things he once strived for, but once he thinks of his friend, all worries cease. The speaker tells of his feelings, why he’s upset, and how it’s been a while since he’s cried over these things; how he can’t make the hurt and the tears stop. He sheds fresh tears over things that he thought he was finished crying over. His thoughts dwell on the past in an unforgiving shadow. Until, his mind’s eye rests on his friend, and all of his grievances melt away.
The tone of the poem is overall very regretful, (“…I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,” “…And moan the expense of many a vanish’d sight:”) with a touch of mourning for his friends (“Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, for precious friends hid in death’s dateless night”), and the loss of love (“And weep afresh love’s long since canceled woe,”). The whole sonnet seems to carry a reiterated feeling to it, because he’s weeping over things that he’d wept over a long time ago (“…And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste:” “…The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, which I pay new as if not paid before.”). But the poem ends on a sweet note with the remembrance of his good friend (But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, all losses are restored and sorrows end.”).
The writer of the sonnet pulls you into the speaker’s pitiful plight, all the while making you wonder what happened in his life that’s causing him to suffer so much now. What happened between him and his love? Did his love leave him, or did she die? Why has he not wept in so long? Why has he held it all in until now? There are many answerless questions you could ask, but you get the answer to the most important aspect of the poem; no matter how bad the speaker’s past was, he has a friend to look forward to the future with him.

Viola.

A Storybook Memo

Okay, as you've probably already guessed, I'm rooting through some of my writings to try and get them sorted out. Here's one that I wrote as an assignment for a creative writing class last year. The assignment was titled: A Storybook Memo.


Dear Mistress Elvira Little Pig,
Having already contacted your brothers, Seth and Gable Little Pig, who both blatantly refused to pay any mind to my letters of notice, I chose to turn to you as a last resort. You’re pleasantly charmed to be graced with my words of importance, I’m sure.
I have petitioned the towns and villages around the forest, as well as the forest itself on the matter of the eviction of your family from our beloved land of Pigsbane. I’m sorry to say that the vote was unanimous.
I should warn you not to resist, for we sent a legion of our best exhalation artillery to your first brother, Gable. He was apprehended and thrown into the dungeon after our forces found him huddled in the furthest corners of his straw-clad home. The destruction of his domain was swiftly carried out. The same happened with your other brother Seth and his pathetic stick house.
I hope you wisely choose to comply with our requests, or the fate of your brothers may fall upon you and your brick abode.
Sincerely,
Cletus O. Big Bad Wolf
General of the High Exhalation Army
President of the Big Wind Committee
...I know; I'm weird.

A Story! *gasp*

Here's a lame short story that I wrote forever ago... Comments welcome...

Get away…
A girl sprinted through the woods; weaving in and out of the trees. Her platinum blond hair, pulled back into a ponytail, bounced against her back.
She glanced over her shoulder, only to greet a surge of fear that streaked through her very being. She quickly snapped her head back to the overgrown path before her, urging her overworked legs faster.
Don’t look back…
Her lungs screamed for air as she struggled to regulate her breathing and set it in tune with her stride. With every step, her legs grew heavier; they began to feel more and more like dead weights, oppressing her free movement.
She kept running, branches slapping and scratching her face and arms. Her usually serious gray eyes were now wide and fearful, watching the shadows close in around her.
Her foot caught on an exposed root, bringing her down. Hitting the ground with a thump, she rolled to a stop. A stabbing pain pierced her right arm.
She clutched her arm and winced at the pain. Pressing it against her chest, she stumbled to her feet. She held her other arm out to balance herself; only to collapse for lack of energy.
She coughed and sputtered; her throat was dry and lips parched, her lungs felt like they were about to explode. A wave of hopelessness seemed to pull her under; where she couldn’t see or breathe. Shivering, she stared down the path, the light at the end seemed to grow smaller and the path grew longer. I’m not going to survive this, she thought, her eyes slowing closing, hypnotized by her slowing heartbeat.
Don’t give up…
The girl forced her eyes to open. She could barely hear the voice; it faded into a soft echo, soothing her mind. At first she believed that the words were her own thoughts, but she realized that they weren’t.
She propped herself up on her knees, unsteady and in pain. A gust of wind blew past her, penetrating her already threadbare clothes. Rips in her jeans and hoodie revealed deep scratches and abrasions. The jean material around her knee was bloodied and caked with mud. Exhausted, she exhaled sharply and leaned into the wind.
Don’t stop now…
The voice resonated throughout her mind, jolting her awake. She groaned, uncurling her stiff legs. Slowly standing to her feet, she took a step toward the path, trudging through the sticks and leaves.
A crack sounded in the distance, startling her. She started to look back, but stopped as she remembered the faint words. She stiffened; her heart pounding in her ears. The wind picked up speed; dulling her senses.
Run…
Like a whisper carried to her on the wind she heard the order. Squinting, she tried to glimpse the path, the wind obstructing her view.
Run…
Hearing it again, she cried out. There was no doubt about it; the path in front of her was gone, there was nowhere to run.
RUN!
The sudden outburst of the voice stunned her, making her snap back to the moment. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, renewing energy throughout her body. Her heart beat faster and her vision grew sharper. Her sharp facial features, smudged with dirt and grime, showed fear. Her eyebrows creased with effort as she tensed all of her weary muscles in spite of the excruciating pain.
She started to run, faster than she’d ever run before. The shadows crept in closer. She heard pounding footsteps behind her; she knew that if she even slowed down a little bit, she wouldn’t survive. Without warning, the rains started to fall. The raindrops stung her face as she ran; rinsing the grimy filth blemishing her complexion. Her hair had caught on a branch and wrenched it out of the ponytail.
She kept running; her spirits rose when she saw the exit flooded with daylight.
She pressed forward; she could feel something right behind her, right at her heels.
Her heart suddenly began to beat faster, and fear overwhelmed her once again.
Fifty yards left…
Something touched her free arm, something colder than ice itself. Gasping, she jerked away; never taking her eyes off the opening. Her hair, now wet and stringy, stuck to her face and neck.
Just twenty yards…
A shrill, bloodcurdling screech sounded right behind her; too frightened to scream, she held her breath and sprinted with what was left of the little energy that she had.
Come on…
The opening right in front of her, she coiled her legs and dove through to the other side.


The girl awoke with a start; her mind reeled with so many thoughts, so many questions. Her eyes still shut, she lay there for a short moment. She recalled all that had happened; thankful that she made it, she reveled in the peace of the calm and serene moment.
She could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin and face; it lulled her into a trance, soothing every muscle. Opening her eyes, she blinked; the sun was blinding compared to the darkness she had just traversed through.
She propped herself up, and scanned her surroundings. She was in the middle of a field; the grass that surrounded her was a little above her ankle. The meadows stretched as far as the eye could see; the distant fields seemed to ripple like water because of the grass waving in time with the gentle breeze.
She looked up at the sky; not a cloud obscured it. The sky had a violet tint to it, even though judging by the position of the sun, it was mid-day. She patted the ground beside her. The ground was dry and covered with fresh, healthy grass. I guess it didn’t rain here… Suddenly thinking of something, she felt her face; none of the scratches were there, but the dirt was still smudged on her skin. She cautiously lifted her arm; no pain shot through it. Her jeans were still mud-caked, bloodstained, and torn; but the cuts and abrasions on her knees were gone as well. Her almost-white hair was dry and hung loose around her shoulders. Her gray eyes, now calm and observing, analyzed every detail that was set before her.
She glanced behind her; the forest that she had come out of was no longer there.
Where am I? She thought, pushing herself up. She stood and gazed at the never-ending plains.

....The End.