Creative Writing #3

      Elizabeth stirred, her breathing quickening out of the steady, quiet pace, her eyes fluttered open. All she could see were the blurred shadows of her room around her, her eyes adjusting to the light flickering through the door. It looked like it was very late, she lay in bed wondering what woke her. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, she could tell something was wrong. The smell of smoke, and burning filled her room. She ran to her bedroom door and peered through. The flickering light she saw was actually a blazing fire, travelling quickly up the stairs. She stood at the doorway shocked, and unable to move. The dark smoke rising to the ceiling, making it hard to breathe. She gasped in the black smoke, which led to her choking, and dropping to the ground. The stairs collapsed, and under the roar of the flames, she could hear her brother, Timothy, yelling her name. She crawled across the floor, she could barely see her brother. He was at the bottom of the stairs,  by the door, but he was cornered, and there was fire all around him. She blinked back tears, the smoke rising off the ground, carrying black ashes of furniture with it. She knew she had to make a decision. If she could get to the bottom of the stairs, she could escape, but she couldn't leave her brother behind. The fire was travelling quickly, the smoke was becoming unbearable. The floor was beginning to collapse around her, she would have to jump. Panic and fear filled her eyes, her heart pounding, the red-yellow flames eating up everything. She stood up, her head aching, took a running start, and jumped of the stairs, plunging towards the flames.

Creative Writing #2

    The familiar smell of hairspray and old perfume filled the room. I sat down in front of an old mirror, it was cracked, and the paint was chipping of the frame. The dim yellow lighting was the only thing lighting the room. The table in front of me was covered with various types of makeup. Being backstage, hearing the people waiting outside of the curtains, anticipation and excitement in their voices before the lights dimmed and the voices faded was something I'd never get tired of. This was my job, one of my many jobs, but by far my favourite. I was part of the circus. I could juggle really well, and it`s something I loved to do. It's something that most people wouldn't brag about, but I never questioned my decision.

Although it was difficult having to move around all the time, I had no reason to stay. It was just me and my sister April, anyways. We never had any parents that would support us, so I was pretty much the only parent-figure April had. I just turned 20, but I had managed to take care of April and myself somehow, since I was 15. April's only 9, so she can't take care of herself yet. We found a house that would let us live there, if we payed rent. It was only one room we shared, but it was better then nothing. I still remember the day that my parents left, we never had much money, and one day they couldn't support us any longer, so they left.
"Elizabeth, take care of April."
That's all my mom said before she left, and I did.

I acquired many jobs, like working at a restraunt, a gas station, and even at the circus to support my sister and I. The reason I decided to in the first place, was when I was little I went to the circus once, before my sister was born. I thought it looked amazing, with the colourful tents, and the circus music, and I thought it was amazing that there was a job where you could be grown up, but still dress-up and have fun.

I looked back at myself in the mirror, I was so used to putting on my makeup for the act, by now it was second nature. I often wondered how I could manage to support April and I. I wasn't brave, or courageous.

Looking back at me in the mirror I saw a young girl, she was thin, and small, only 5'6''. She had long, dark brown hair, and light blue eyes, just like her dad's. She had pale skin, and weary eyes, covered up behind all the makeup, like a mask. She wore her usually sparkly, gold costume.

The voices hushed, and the announcers voice rang through the crowd. Someone whispered at me to take my place.
"Elizabeth Andrews, enter stage left."`
The lights dimmed, the crowed grew quiet, I held my head high, and I walked on stage.

Creative Writing #1

Bedroom Imagery for Setting
I usually keep my room neat and organized. My bedroom is medium size, and has bright blue walls, like the colour of sticky-tack. The main colours of my room are blue and green. I have a thin white piece of wood going around the equator of my room. My bed is a twin bed and it's beside the door in the corner of my room. I have blue, green, white, and brown covers in my bed. The head of my bed is white, and has shelves to put things in. Next to my bed I have a night table, with a clock, a lamp made of shells, and a picture frame. Beside that I have a green box that I keep books and magazines in. Next to that is the door. On the floor beside my bed I have a furry white carpet. On the other wall I have a large white drawer which usually has a lot of things on it, and is very messy. I usually keep boxes, books, picture frames, gum, and a lot of other stuff on there. Above the drawer on the wall I have a large bulletin board with a lot of pictures on it. I have a lot of pictures of my friends and family and special occasions, and events we went to. Next to that I have a desk which usually has pillows on it, and a lot of school supplies, and more pictures. Beside my desk I have a bigger white dresser. On the wall across from my bed, the whole wall is mostly a large window facing the street. I have green drapes on my window, and under it I have a large circular chair with a wicker bottom and a blue cushion on it. My closet is beside the window, and at the end of my bed I have a small white wooden table with a basket with books in it. When my window is open I can hears birds, cars, lawnmowers, dogs, and people outside. Usually I hear the air conditioning or heat, and my cats. It usually smells like air or grass because I have my window open a lot. I keep gum, or mints on my dresser, and sometimes other food. I have a lot of pillows and blankets in my room, that are soft. I also have a lot of smooth surfaces like my dressers or tables.

Literacy Blog #7

Today's blog I chose actors and actresses that I think would fit the parts of Titania, Helena, and Puck in the book, A Mid Summer Night's Dream.

I chose Jennifer Aniston to play the part of Titania


I chose Jennifer Aniston to play the part of Titania, because I think that she looks like what I imagine Titania to look like, and also the actress in the movie. She played in a lot of movie roles like in Marley & Me, Just Go With it, Horrible Bosses, and on the sitcom Friends. She is in a lot of Romantic Comedy/ Drama movies and I think that she would fit the character well. In the book when Titania falls in love with Bottom; "Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful," (III.ii 137) I think she would play that part well because she was in a lot of romantic comidies.

I chose Reese Witherspoon to play the part of Helena


I chose Reese Witherspoon to play the part of Helena, because I think she would fit the part of Helena. I think she looks sweet, and I picture Helena to look similiar to her. Some movies that Reese Witherspoon was in are Legally Blonde, Pleasantville, and Sweet Home Alabama. I think that she could act like Helena and be dramatic like the plot in A Mid Summer Night's Dream. "Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex..." (II.i 238-240) Helena's character is very dramatic and I think she could play that part well also.

I chose Jim Carrey to play the part of Puck

I think that Jim Carrey would play the part of Puck well, because he reminds me of Puck, and they both are funny and play comedic roles. Some of the movies that Jim Carrey are in are Dumb and Dumber, Yes Man, and Mr. Poppers Penguins. In the novel Puck has a funny role, and I think that Jim Carrey coould play it really well, because in most movies he is in he plays a funny character. In the novel puck is also Oberon's servant and I think he could play that part too, "Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so." (II. i 268)

Literacy Blog #6

Today's blog we are supposed to pick the book cover we think is this most effective for the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. I chose this book cover because I thought that one of the most occuring things to happen in the play was the characters falling asleep in the forest. I also thought it was one of the most important things that happened, because without any of the characters falling asleep in the forest, Puck wouldn't have been able to put the love potion from the flower on their eyes, and they wouldn't have fallen in love with other people, and that is the part of the novel that makes everything intersting. The potion from the flower seemed to be one of the most important parts of the novel. I thought the cover was really effective because I thought the forest in the background looked very magical, and fit the theme of the setting in the forest. I also recognized the fairies in the forest, but I couldn't tell who the person sleeping was. I think the person sleeping is supposed to be Titania, because she is surrounded by a lot of fairies. Another reason I thought this book cover was really effective, was because on the cover of the book, it shows fairies, and I think it is showing the scene in the book where Titania is falling asleep, and it looks like the scene where they are singing her to sleep; "Sing me now asleep ; Then to your offices and let me rest." (II. ii 7-8). Another reason I think it's Titania is because in the book she mentions that she is sleeping on flowers when she is woken up by Bottom singing; "What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?" (III. i 118-119) and on the cover she is sleeping on flowers. That is why I think this is the most effective cover.

Literacy Blog #5

I am connecting the book A Midsummer Night's Dream to the novel I am reading now, the second book to the "Matched" series called "Crossed". A Midsummer Night's Dream reminds me a lot of the book I'm reading right now, because there is forbidden love, and a lot of drama. In A Midsummer Night's dream, when Hermia decides to run away with Lysander, it reminded me of how Cassia plans to run away to find Ky, because she loves him. There is also a lot of forbidden love, because the society matched her up with Xander, but she fell in love with Ky, who was the "wrong guy". Hermia and Lysander are in love, and Demetrius loves Hermia, but she doesn't love him back. In the book Crossed, Cassia and Ky are in love, and Xander loves Cassia, but she doesn't love him back. Another similarity, is Hermia was supposed to marry Demetrius, and Cassia was supposed to marry Xander and they both fell in love with someone they weren't supposed to. The difference between the two books, is that Hermia's dad does not want her to marry Lysander, but Cassia's parents support her decision. Another difference is that Hermia doesn't like Demetrius at all, but Cassia still loves Xander in a different way, because they are best friends. The books, also both have a lot of poetry in them. Shakespeare writes some of the lines in the book as poetry, and in Crossed, they mention a lot of lines from poems. The two books both have a certain person or a lot of people that don't want the two characters to be together. Hermia's dad doesn't want Hermia and Lysander to be in love, and she has to always obey her father, or else she is making the wrong choice. Cassia was matched with Xander, and the society sees it as a crime for her to fall in love with someone who isn't her match.

Literacy Blog #4

     Today's blog is about what I am doing for spring break. I don't plan on doing much for spring break, and i'm not going on a vacation. Our family never usually goes away for spring break, because the only times we ever go on vacation is in the summer time. I'll mostly just be spending time with friends, and sleeping in. I am most excited for activities that I already have planned, like going out with friends for dinner. I'm also going to visit some of my relatives, and maybe have some relatives coming over to our house. I'm planning on going to the mall with some friends, and going to see a movie. I'm looking forward to getting to see some friends and relatives that I haven't seen in a while, and getting to talk to them. Since there is no school, and I don't have to wake up really early, I want to go out for breakfast with my family, since that's something I never really get to do. I was hoping it would be warmer, so I could spend more time outside over spring break, but since it's still cold out I won't be doing a lot of outdoor activities. We have a lot of plans for spring break so far, mostly just with friends and family, and I also just want to stay at home, for a day, because I don't get to do that a lot, and i'm hardly ever at home. I just finished reading my novel, so I want to start reading the second book over the break, and maybe get a few other books too. There are also a few movies that I have been wanting to see, so I want to go to the movie theatre, and watch a couple movies over the break.

     I chose these two pictures to represent my spring break, because I will mostly be going out for dinner, and going to the movie theatre. I thought that those pictures would represent what i'm doing over spring break the best, because I'm going to spend most of my spring break going out for dinner, and watching movies with my friends and family. I plan on going out for dinner a lot of nights, with friends and family. Usually, that's what I do in my spare time, and they are some of my favourite things to do. I like going to the movie theatre with friends, and me and my family go out for dinner a lot on the weekends, because we all come home at different times during the weekdays, and usually eat at different times too. I also want to watch a horror movie with friends, and some action or comedy movies too. Hopefully it will get a bit warmer over spring break, so I can spend more time outside, but during winter, and when it's cold out, I always love going to the movies. I'm going to visit some family members over the break, and we are planning to go out for dinner. A reason I chose the picture of the restaurant is because, it looks similar to a place my family goes out for dinner a lot. Whenever I go out for dinner, I always go with my family, so it reminds me of getting to see all my family that I don't get to see very often, over the break. One thing that I love about spring break, is that I get to do a lot of things that I never have the time to do. The best thing about spring break, is that you get to relax, and not have to worry about school.

                   

                                    

Literacy Blog #3

In today's blog we have to say something we like about the novel so far. In the book I am reading (Matched by Ally Condie) I really like how she describes Cassia and her feelings, and how you can really understand what the character is thinking, and understand the character from their point of view. I also really like how the author describes the scenes very well, and uses a lot of visual and sensory imagery so you can picture the scene in your head. I like when there is a lot of imagery in a book because I can picture it in my head better, instead of having to guess what the scene looks like, or what the characters look like, I actually have an idea. Ally Condie writes the book as if you can hear what Cassia is thinking, or from Cassia's point of view. You learn a lot about the character that way, and it kind of makes you feel like you are the character, and you're in the book too, not just reading it. I like it when authors write from the main character's perspective, because you feel more involved in the book. I always end up liking the book more, the more you feel like you're involved in the book, because it makes the story much more interesting, and you feel like you're a part of it too. I also really like the plot of the book, because it's interesting, and unpredictable, and you never really know what's going to happen next.

Literacy Blog #2

In today's literacy blog, I am supposed to make a connection between something in my novel, like a character, event, or theme. I am connecting myself to the book Matched by Ally Condie. I can connect to Cassia when she was hiking up the hill, because me and Cassia both like the outdoors. Cassia and her grandfather loved the outdoors, and hiking, and I can connect to that whenever I went on walks with my grandpa. Whenever I went to the lake with my grandpa in the summer, we always went on walks by the lake or on a trail. One summer we went hiking up a hill at the lake, and at the top of the hill, you could see a lot from the top of the hill. I can connect this to when Cassia was at the top of the hill, and she had a great veiw of everything around her. It mentioned in the book how Cassia liked hiking, and going to the hill because it was one of the only places that had wildlife in her city, just like how in the city there isn't much greenspace.I can also relate to the part in the book where Cassia gets the poetry that her grandfather gave her except it was my great aunt that gave me poetry. My great aunt wrote poems for our family a lot whenever she gave us a gift. She and I both really like poetry. This is why it reminds me of how in the book Cassia and her Grandfather both share a common interest of poetry, and how he gave her the poem.

Literacy Blog #1

Hi, my name is Ali and this is my blog. Some of my favourite things to do in my spare time is to read, watch movies, and spend time with my friends and family. My favourite genre of movies are action and comedy, and I like all sorts of books, especially ones that take place in the past or future. I love listening to music, and travelling. I play clarinet and alto sax, and I also like to dance.

Right now I'm reading Matched by Ally Condie. Matched takes place in the future in the province of Oria. The main character is a 17 year-old girl named Cassia Reyes. In their society, everything has to be perfect. To make sure everything is perfect, they have people called "Officials" that chose where they work, who they will marry, and when they die. In their society, no one has to make decisions, because all your decisions are made for you. Outside of the province, there are the Outer-Provinces, where there is war, and no rules. Cassia had just turned seventeen, and had got matched with her best friend, Xander. When you get matched you get a micro-card that tells everything about the person you get matched with. When Cassia looks at her card, she sees Xander, but then for a second she sees someone else. Since the society doesn't make mistakes, Cassia was concerned, but the Officials assured her that Xander was still her match, and that someone must have did that as a prank. Cassia knew the face that she saw briefly on the micro-card. The person she saw was Ky Markham. She had met Ky when she was younger, but never really talked to him. Ky grew up in the Outer-Provinces. When his Aunt and Uncles son got murdered un-expectedly, they adopted him. In the society Ky is known as an Abberation, which means that either they, or someone they are related to did something bad. In Ky's case it was his Dad. Being an Abberation, means that you aren't as privileged as the other members of society. They usually get the bad jobs, and aren't allowed to have a match. Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and if he was really supposed to be her match, but she knows that she isn't supposed to. Cassia had to decide if she is will live the perfect life, and follow society's orders, or break all the rules for the person she loves.

The protagonist of the novel is Cassia Reyes. In the novel, Cassia is a 17 year old girl and is described as nice, and obedient, like all the members of society. Cassia never causes trouble, and does whatever she is told to do. Cassia never doubted society, and cares a lot for her friends and family. She loves running, and hiking, and loves listening to stories that her grandfather told her. Cassia also loves poems, and before her grandpa died, he gave her an old poem that wasn't one of the 100 poems chosen by society. Cassia looked at her Grandfather as a role model, and looked up to him. Cassia has a mom, dad, and younger brother named Bram. Cassia's father is an official, but he is not one of the high authority ones. In the society they have only 100 songs, 100 dresses, 100 paintings, and 100 poems so it won't be too overwhelming, and if someone has an old poem or old book, they will get in trouble, and it will be destroyed. Cassia's father is in charge of destroying the old books. Cassia's mother works with flowers and gardens. Her mother was originally from the country. Cassia's best friend is Xander, and the person she was matched with. Cassia has known Xander since she was little and they have been best friends for a long time. Cassia's physical traits, is that she has brown hair, and green eyes, they don't give a lot of description, but I think that Jennifer Lawrence would look like how they describe Cassia.

The setting of this novel takes place many years in the future. Cassia lives in the province of Oria, in a small community where everyone knows each other. Oria in the book is what used to be North America. The province is very ordered and what they consider to be perfect, like a Utopia. The community has a movie theatre, a city hall, stores, houses, pools, and places the citizens work at. It is much like a normal community that we have today. In Cassia's community there isn't much grass or trees. In some other communities there are more green spaces than others. One of the only parts in their community that has some wildlife in it is the hill that they use for leisurely activities like hiking, but they have to have permission to go on the hill. No one is the community is allowed to go outside the community unless the have permission. Outside the community is where the farming is, but no one goes into the Outer-Provinces. The Outer-Provinces are the only places that aren't owned by the society, and the people that live there are the Abberations, and the Anomalies. The society never speaks of the Anomalies because they are known as criminals. The setting reminds me of a city, because it doesn't have a lot of grass and trees, and it has a lot of buildings, and workplaces like the cities we have here.