The Workshop Responses For both workshops, you will provide your group members with a draft of your creative work. You will also provide your group members with feedback on their drafts. Providing drafts and feedback works the same way as it did in Workshop 1: You’ll submit a draft as an attachment on the appropriate Workshop discussion forum on Canvas, and you’ll provide written feedback to your group members’ work there, as well. workshops 2 is more about developing your creative work by thinking about how to use the craft elements we’ve been exploring. That doesn’t mean that there’s no longer a place for brainstorming possibilities, though! Taking risks and learning from your successes and your “failures” is an important part of the creative process. Your responses to your group members’ drafts In each response, you’ll address the following items: · In 1-3 brief sentences, summarize the plot situation (if responding to a story), or the specific subject that all of the poems revolve around (if responding to poetry). · If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, you can skip this step. · Make some observations of how the author is using craft elements. You don’t need to comment on every single craft element, just focus on the ones that seem most significant in the work. For example, you might note that the author is sticking to a traditional plot structure (or not), or using setting, or imagery, or rhyme, in a unique way. · If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, make observations on how detailed the author is being about how s/he describes craft elements. For example, describing plot situation, rising action, climax, and resolution is detailed. Simply describing a plot is not detailed. Describing specific rhyme schemes (end rhyme, internal rhyme, near rhyme or perfect rhyme) is detailed. Just saying rhyme is used or not is not detailed. · Note questions that the work raises for you as a reader. Questions can address the content of the work, or the craft of the work. For example, you might ask how Bob, who had two broken legs on page 2, found himself dancing at a club on page 3. Or you might ask why the author chose the first person POV, or why the author chose to use perfect end rhyme, or why the author chose to center all of the poems on the page. Be sure to explain why the work raises your questions (in other words, don’t ask questions just for the sake of asking questions). Look for areas in the work that make you curious or confused, and develop questions from that. · If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, note questions about the focus, organization, or content of the draft. · Make suggestions for how the author might continue developing the work, and explain the reasoning behind your suggestions. For example, if you believe the story would be more compelling if told from the POV of another character, suggest that, and explain your reasoning. If you believe the poem would be more effective without perf.

1. The Workshop Responses
For both workshops, you will provide your group members with
a draft of your creative work. You will also provide your group
members with feedback on their drafts. Providing drafts and
feedback works the same way as it did in Workshop 1: You’ll
submit a draft as an attachment on the appropriate Workshop
discussion forum on Canvas, and you’ll provide written
feedback to your group members’ work there, as well.
workshops 2 is more about developing your creative work by
thinking about how to use the craft elements we’ve been
exploring. That doesn’t mean that there’s no longer a place for
brainstorming possibilities, though! Taking risks and learning
from your successes and your “failures” is an important part of
the creative process.
Your responses to your group members’ drafts
In each response, you’ll address the following items:
· In 1-3 brief sentences, summarize the plot situation (if
responding to a story), or the specific subject that all of the
poems revolve around (if responding to poetry).
· If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, you can skip
this step.
· Make some observations of how the author is using craft
elements. You don’t need to comment on every single craft
element, just focus on the ones that seem most significant in the
work. For example, you might note that the author is sticking to
a traditional plot structure (or not), or using setting, or imagery,
or rhyme, in a unique way.
· If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, make
observations on how detailed the author is being about how s/he
describes craft elements. For example, describing plot situation,
rising action, climax, and resolution is detailed. Simply

2. describing a plot is not detailed. Describing specific rhyme
schemes (end rhyme, internal rhyme, near rhyme or perfect
rhyme) is detailed. Just saying rhyme is used or not is not
detailed.
· Note questions that the work raises for you as a reader.
Questions can address the content of the work, or the craft of
the work. For example, you might ask how Bob, who had two
broken legs on page 2, found himself dancing at a club on page
3. Or you might ask why the author chose the first person POV,
or why the author chose to use perfect end rhyme, or why the
author chose to center all of the poems on the page. Be sure to
explain why the work raises your questions (in other words,
don’t ask questions just for the sake of asking questions). Look
for areas in the work that make you curious or confused, and
develop questions from that.
· If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, note questions
about the focus, organization, or content of the draft.
· Make suggestions for how the author might continue
developing the work, and explain the reasoning behind your
suggestions. For example, if you believe the story would be
more compelling if told from the POV of another character,
suggest that, and explain your reasoning. If you believe the
poem would be more effective without perfect end rhyme,
suggest that, and explain your reasoning. It will be up to the
author to decide whether or not to take your suggestions to
heart.
· If you’re responding to a reflective essay draft, make
suggestions on the focus, organization, details, or content of the
essay as you see fit.
Some tips on writing responses
· As creators, we always want to hear that someone loves our
work. It’s great to hear, “I loved your story! I can’t wait to read
the final draft!” So, if you read a work that you really like, then
tell the author you really liked it. But then move on—quickly.
Keep in mind that stating your pleasure/displeasure with the

3. work is not the purpose of the workshop response. The purpose
is to provide constructive feedback for the author. Focus on
that.
· Write the kind of thoughtful, detailed response that you hope
to receive from your group members about your own work.
· Be honest but be tactful. If there’s something about a work
that you hate, turn your reaction into a question and
constructive feedback.
Poem1:
“Hell Town”
There’s an old tree on the far side of that place called “hell
town.”
It was called hell town because there
was a bridge,
rumored to have constant crying of a childless woman under it.
because the town cemetery’s grass
Was wetted eyelashes in the night.
because most of the locals would
Eventually
go missing after developing a
Black ring,
Around their right ankle.

4. The tree’s roots looked like the old man’s fingers--
Digging into the ground,
Gripping onto the last bit
of life the man seemed to have.
The trunk leans over, twisting into branches
that reach up into the sky
Its limbs are like your hair,
when you lay on my bedroom floor,
The individual strands tangling and refusing to
Stop growing.
You wanted to take a visit to hell town.
Your brave bones ready,
To leave our sweet and feeble home.
My fear grew with each hour you spoke,
About the tree, and the bridge, and the
Cemetery.
The tough skin on the bottoms of your bare feet,

5. Could not wait any longer.
You left the bottle and your shoes for me.
And i did not follow you into that black ring.
“Night Time, My Time”
She peeled back her skin
Behind it was nothing special
Just the worms and feathers and dirt,
The new skin was much better, at least for the night.
Crawling, creeping, sinking
Into the dog skin,
Filling out all of the edges and holes.
She was too tall for the dog skin, so
She stretched,
let it rip, slightly,
showing the smooth white flesh
between the fur.
Outside the hut she made no hesitation,
There was one special place,

6. One special boy,
One special skin,
One special soul,
She wanted this night.
She slinked out,
into the tall blu grass,
Which turned into sand,
Her paw-hands gripping, grabbing, holding,
The grains as she walked.
She walked an imitation of a walk,
It was an insult, and she knew and thought it was funny.
She found the boy’s grandmother,
Her brown and wrinkled skin.
Looked prideful.
The dog did not like wrinkled skin,
But she had to do what she must,
And what she must, she did.
She growled and gawked, and slunk up to the old woman.
The woman fell, gasping, grasping and trying to fight.
She failed. And the dog
slipped inside the old, dry, weathered skin,

7. She stretched and howled.
The boy awoke, finding his grandmother,
Standing an imitation,
of how his grandmother would stand,
Unlike anyone could stand.
She looked like her bones were broken,
Or maybe as if her muscles and organs,
had traded places.
He could not say a word,
Before she made her leap onto, into
His skin.
And crept away.
"untitled"
Moth flu in
With dust and rain
Girl cried and
Moth flu

8. Away
The rat stayed hidden
And girl wept soft
The sheet wet with tear
And blankets cold
"untitled"
his eyes were smokey black
hairs standing on ends
the baby wailed
his skin tanned tho
he never left the home
poem 2
“Growing in Time”
Everyday is different
That growing seed
Bigger and bigger
Changing every part of her

9. She is strong
She waters the seed
Everyday is different
She is hurting
Days--Weeks--Months
It’s dragging on
She loves her seed
So hard
Everyday is different
One step closer to another
The love for the seed grows
The seed grows
Growing as one
Changing bodies
Forming a bond
Everyday is different

10. 10 weeks left
Everyday will forever be different
“Hard working Love”
He stands in front of me
The way he looks
Hands black hair a mess
Tired and ready for slumber
Yet he doesn’t stop
He doesn’t stop working
He doesn’t stop loving
He gives, gives, and gives
For our unit
He is unstoppable
Hands black hair a mess
He leaves me breathless
Feeling lucky
Nothing else matters

11. Forever is on its way
Hands black hair a mess
Caring about everyone
Putting himself last
Wanting to be the best I can
For him who leaves me breathless
So I take care of his black hands
I take care of his mess of hair
All he does for me for us
Forever is on its way
“Self love”
She stared out the window
Watching the birds swarm over the lake
Wondering if she will ever feel whole
Is she enough
She laid in her bed
Covered like a cocoon

12. Fan blowing on full blast
Blowing away her tears
Is she enough
She decided to break
She did her makeup and hair
She made herself look pretty
Did she feel pretty
Is she enough
He came home knocking on her door
Tears flowing of regret
Begging for her to love him
Heaviness filled her chest
Is she enough
She wanted to love
Love herself, not anyone else
It was hard, challenging
Everything was confusing

13. Is she enough
She stared at herself in the reflection of the lake
She realized the beauty and worth
She stood tall
She IS enough
She uncovered herself from the blankets
She didn’t have any tears left
She is a fighter
She’s in love with herself
She IS enough
"Lights out in my head"
It seems like everyone in my life is dead
I can’t get up, I want to stay in bed
Going to another funeral is something I dread
“Stay strong” everyone said
I do what I can to get by
I know I have all of these angels

14. In the sky
They watch over me
I just wonder why
Everything is hard
Commitment is hard
Feeling emotion is hard
I will not fall
I will do what I can
I will rise above all
The pain, excruciating