CREATIVE WRITING
at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco
Welcome! CW develops the art and craft of creative writing through instruction, collaboration, and respect. This blog showcases STUDENT WRITING and how to APPLY to Creative Writing.
Author: SOTA Creative Writing
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One of the most helpful parts of being in the Creative Writing department is the buddy collaboration program. At the beginning of the year, everyone gets paired with someone else, often a senior with a younger student. It’s designed mostly for freshmen, since coming into a new department can feel overwhelming, and having someone older…
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We started a new tradition in Creative Writing this year, and to be quite honest I wasn’t so sure of it at first. When you reach a certain grade in CW we have to complete a certain project that challenges us and teaches something new to the class. Freshman year: Figure out what the hell…
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On March 24, 2025, our Creative Writing class took a field trip to Costco. It all started with a problem: what happened to all our snacks? As it turns out, we ate them. Every last one. This wasn’t the first time we had run out of snacks. Creative writing is serious work—almost equivalent to playing…
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A great example of how the Creative Writing community positively impacts your writing is that each individual truly wants to listen to and support each other’s work. At first, the thought of having everyone gaze upon your pieces might seem intimidating, but as a freshman, I can reassure you that all of your peers—whether upperclassmen…
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Time is well spent if time is spent wacky. One poetry prompt we had wore the wacky hat especially well. Created by CA Conrad, it goes as follows: “Wash a penny, rinse it, slip it under your tongue and walk out the door. Copper is the metal of Aphrodite, never ever forget this, never, don’t…
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When I first entered into Creative Writing, I was told that my grade level peers were who I would lean on, and learn to love over the course of the next four years. Thirteen-year-old me thought that was pretentious, too bold to assume. Thirteen year old me was proven wrong however, within the next year,…
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I’ve never felt so understood before in my life. Creative Writing is an amazing environment to grow in because everyone is so intelligent, and perceives the world so differently. My short time in CW has already brought a new perspective to the way I see the world and how I interact with it and my…
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This is the Creative Writing department’s first year with our wonderful new department head, Emily Wolahan—and for me, writing is less stressful than it has been since middle school. For the past two years, I have found myself plagued with writers’ block whenever I receive a Creative Writing assignment. Our teacher starts the timer for…
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Under the tutelage of our new Creative Writing director, Emily Wolahan, Creative Writing began a new, and my last, poetry unit. Unfortunately, the poetry unit had to start while San Francisco experienced one of the worst heat waves I can remember. Ninety-four degrees in San Francisco? Thank you, global warming, it’s always fun to receive…
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Creative writing has given me many new friends and relationships. Since the beginning of the year, we have been doing community building activities almost every single day. We are currently in our film poem unit, making short videos and experimenting with props, camera angles and cinematography while incorporating what we already know about writing into…
CREATIVE WRITING 