Creative Writing Commons^™

Untamed Ink, 2009, Lindenwood University

Untamed Ink

Untamed Ink was a creative writing magazine for Lindenwood University.

Through Windows, Sarah E. Jones

Theses

This short story collection focuses on the female perspective and expectations based on a host of influences: familial, cultural, and mythical. Even in extraordinary circumstances decisions are made about how to lives one's life. The collection explores the context in which women put their life experiences and personal relationships, and the space needed to consider these things. Readers familiar with Lorrie Moore's short fiction may find echoes of her solitary souls in these stories.

How To Make A Love Box, Sarah Wienke

Theses

No abstract provided.

Rock Child, Deborah Garwood

Theses

Physician Lawrence "Doc" Bass lives in Ellington, Missouri. Forced to close his practice due to crippling arthritis, Doc has resigned himself to early retirement-until the day he meets Aubrey, a boy with an unusual birthmark on his back. Aubrey fits perfectly into the already quirky family of Hickcocks. He may be just a child, but strange things-good things-begin to happen whenever Aubrey is around. But not all of the Ellington folks feel the same way about him; some have an agenda for the boy. Doc, his good friend Sheriff Baines, and a host of other folks come in contact with …

Smack In The Day Of Distemper, Nancy J. Baumann

Theses

Not available.

& Yet, Alexander S. Balogh

Theses

Unavailable.

Rockwood Revisited: More Exciting Tales From The "Hood", James A. Clay

Theses

The fol lowing essay and two short stories introduce a sequel to the book, The Rockwood Files: Tales from the Hood, which I wrote and published in 2002. The working title of the sequel is Rockwood Revisited. The original work is a collection of inspirational short stories that tell how several courageous inner city residents struggled to rise above obstacles they faced in search of a better life. Set in the fictional neighborhood known as Rockwood Square on Chicago's Westside, the stories chronicle life experiences of several of the neighborhood's past and present residents as seen through the eyes of …

The Woman In Me Is The Woman You See: A Collection Of Poems And Two Essays, Jennifer L. Redd

Theses

This thesis will focus on poetry and two essays that act as bookends to my poems. The focus of the poems is mainly motherhood and how time, like the seasons, changes with every passing day. Winter is also a predominant theme in my thesis, as that was the season surrounding me during my project.

A personal reflective essay opens up my thesis. It summarizes my life of writing and how personal everyday experiences shape my poetry. I speak of the inspiration I am given from my family, friends, and working in a poverty stricken school.

A majority of the poems …

Second Chances, Annette E. Slack

Theses

This project will focus on the dilemmas one faces in life. The main character in this project is Brandon Miller. Brandon has obstacles placed in his life because of choices that were made prior to his birth. Brandon's mother Angela was a young single parent when she made the decision to forgo school to raise a child in a very challenging environment. The neighborhood where Brandon and his mother live is filled with criminals and down on their luck individuals that choose methods of crime and drugs to get ahead rather than hard work and education. Despite the obstacles, Brandon's …

No Serenade For Spies, Cedric T. Jackson

Theses

The focus and purpose of this thesis has resulted in the culmination of a full-length novel. Since fiction is most often categorized by a specific genre, the actions and motivations in terms of characters and plot development will more than likely place this particular project in the genre of either a spy novel or action thriller. The introductory essay further elaborates on my journey as a writer, and the creative process behind the writing of No Serenade for Spies.

From the outset the goal was to create a plot-driven story with strong as well as interesting and believable characters. …

Designated Dater, Michelle Marek

Theses

The following stories are a collaboration of my most influential moments in life concerning relationships with men and my family. I take seriously what a lot of people have said to me based on their words, choices, and decisions. I am an avid listener and am constantly thinking about how I could incorporate something into a story. I spent a lot of time thinking about my past and talking with those close to me to determine what type of memoir would best exemplify the real me.

In the beginning of this collaboration, I write mainly about men and how I …

Born Under A Lucky Chinese Sign, Just Wish I Was Chinese., Suzanne Newsham

Theses

This thesis is a cumulation of my life and my career as a student at Lindenwood University. Each essay is a comedic peek into the chaos that is my life. I was heavily influenced by the writing styles of David Sedaris and Sloane Crosley. Their views and easy read style of writing influenced me to write the same type of stories.

The first essay speaks to the influence that my parents had on me by making me feel overly loved and accepted even though I was adopted. "Not a dirty word in my house."

I continue with various lengths of …

Past Due: A Collection Of Poems, Byron Lee

Theses

"Past Due" is a co1lection of poems written almost entirely in free verse and almost exclusively based on personal experience. I find, at least at this point in my growth as a writer, that when I try to adhere to poetic structure, I feel confined. My style is sparse because I feel that this aesthetic best cuts to the emotion I'm trying to convey. I also love playing with line breaks, since I find that doing so can give several lines in a poem their own statement, like each poem makes its own statement even when bound in a co1Iection …

Seven Hour Education, Amy Recktenwald

Theses

Seven Hour Education is a hybrid of a collection of personal essays, and a short memoir. It chronicles my experience at the death of my son, Nicholas, and the resultant aftermath, some of which has come still years later. At times the material is contradictory in content and emotion, but this is to be expected as grief is a conflicting and fluid state of being. Much of the writing focuses on the "unexpected," situations and considerations most people aren't aware of in the life and perspective of the recently bereaved.

"Seven Hour Education" narrates the even of my son's birth, …

Untamed Ink, Spring 2008, Lindenwood University

Untamed Ink

Untamed Ink was a creative writing magazine for Lindenwood University.

Wise As Serpents, Harmless As Doves: A Collection Of Short Stories, Angela C. Fowle

Theses

This thesis is a collection of short stories inspired by many different women. While the pieces are truly works of fiction, the characters are an amalgam of individuals the author has encountered in her own life.

The collection focuses upon the experiences of several elderly women. each confronted with feelings of loneliness, envy, or longing. Although the stories address these sobering themes, they also present the reader with quirky. eccentric characters.

An important element in the collection is the examination of how the women interact with one another. One of the stories introduces a specific conflict between two characters, each …

Mouse Of The Schoolyard, Kirk Stephen Lawless

Theses

This thesis consists of two parts that show the diversity and flexibility of the student as a writer.

The original story was drafted, originally culled from a vast array of childhood memories, albeit alone it was too short to fulfill the requirements for a culminating project. The richness of the characters as well as the story itself called out for additional attention. An attempt to develop the story into a larger project proved an exercise in futility, as I felt it could not survive enough additions to increase the success of the project. An attempt to do so found the …

Rain May Be Heavy At Times: A Collection Of Personal Essays, Natalie Mercer Worrell

Theses

Rain May Be Heavy at Times: A Collection of Personal Essays by Natalie Mercer Worrell is a candid, witty, and emotionally resonant exploration of modern womanhood, family life, and personal growth. Through a series of sharply observed and deeply personal essays, Worrell shares her experiences as a young mother, divorcee, student, and writer, balancing everyday chaos with moments of insight and humor. The collection opens with reflections on the challenges of rekindling a long-dormant writing practice, interrupted by illness, early motherhood, and financial hardship. Worrell charts a path from self-doubt to rediscovery, fueled by a return to education and a …

My Sister's Tears, Erika Dawn Whitfield

Theses

One of the most influential writers I studied in the Advanced Creative Writing cluster was Amiri Baraka. His style of writing distinguishes him from his peers. but the journey he took to get the caliber of writing he's at now excites me as a writer. From the Beat Period (1957-1962). The Transitional Period ( 1963-1965). The Black Nationalist Period (1965-1974). to the Third World Marxist Period (1974- ) (Beat Reader) Each period signified growth in his writing. but his way of thinking changed. He grew as a person. His transitions as a writer forced me to examine my own. My …

Indian Giver: A Screenplay In Three Acts, Brandon R. Mckinney

Theses

The texts and accompanying media bound herein represent the culmination of an intensive course of study focused on writing for the screen, or screenwriting, and are submitted as partial fulfillment of Lindenwood University's requirements for the degree of master of fine arts.

This culminating project is comprised of a feature-length motion picture screenplay, an accompanying introduction to the author/explanation of the screenplay, and a DVD copy of a televised discussion program (hosted by the author with a professional Hollywood screenwriter as guest) dealing with the craft of screenwriting.

The screenplay, titled Indian Giver, expands on the basic comedic premise of …

See You Soon: An E-Memoir, Leigh C. Kolb

Theses

This thesis is a creative nonfiction piece, which uses e-mails between two people to create its text. It is in an epistolary style, which historically is a style in which letters, diary entries or newspaper clippings are used to construct a story. Epistolary (which comes from the word "epistle," or letter) novels often are used to show a developing relationship between people, which is precisely what the proceeding piece, See You Soon, aims to do.

The following document is constructed out of thousands of e-mails between the author and her now-husband. The e-mails were weeded through and woven together to …

The Fine Art Of Monsters In Literature, Charles Garvin

Theses

This thesis will focus on the assimilation of my life experiences that ultimately result in the creation literary monsters. The following introduction defines my development as a writer through explorations of poetry and fiction. Traumatic life experiences as both a child and as an adult, coupled with an excellent education, has augmented my writing style towards literary horror.

A section of poetry comes after the introduction, which is a serious experiment by me to delve into the finer arts of pattern making. The fictional piece, Beyond Road's End, which follows the poetry, is primarily the object of my focus, which …

Short Story Collection: Final Project, Aisha S. Abram

Theses

This collection of six short stories all center their plots on the actions and responses of a strong female character. I took this approach because I feel there are too few female characters in the world of fiction.

In the story ''Angie" a young girl befriends a strange man Living under the family's house. The story focuses on her mother's fear and ultimately her acceptance of this odd friend.

The story of "Chelsea'' centers on the decision that Chelsea, a common waitress, must make to change her situation. In the story she meets a trucker who is like many of …

Writing With Faith, Charles M. Mclean

Theses

Faith is the belief in something larger than oneself. It is not provable; it is not necessarily logical. It is a feeling, an intuition. Faith can be a belief in a god or a set of ideals, but the important part is the believing. If a person is without faith, that person is lost and remains so until such time a belief is born again.

TI1is culminating project strives to look at faith through essay and short fiction. A preface essay speaks to what I think faith is and why every human being requires it. The introduction has three purposes. …

Growing Into Womanhood, Charlene Engleking

Theses

Unavailable.

Ladies In Waiting: A Collection Of Short Stories, Anne Fox

Theses

The stories in this collection feature female characters, mainly grown women. The exception is "Ruby Begonia'· in which the eponymous main character is a little girl with a gift for seeing and believing in things others cannot see.

In "Homefront;· Peggy decides to leave her daughter with her mother-in-law in order to save herself. She suffers from depression. While leaving a daughter behind is not viewed as good mothering, it is infinitely better to having that daughter suffer the effects of her mother's illness.

In "Lessons Learned " the young teacher learns to work things out for the benefits of …

Noteworthy Sages: The Men In My Making, Paul B. Steingruby Iii

Theses

This collection of prose, short fiction, and poetry focuses on relationships and observations of select males and their enduring influence on my life. It's a celebration of the good fortune of having been nurtured by many good, strong, and noble males who gave time, shared wisdom, and endured hardships; each leaving a lasting impression on me while doing their part in life. Not all of the men are remembered for their virtues, some are recalled for their misdeeds and the ramifications of their errant or reckless behavior on themselves or others.

The gentlemen I venerate are family members, soldiers, coaches, …

Catholics, Curses, And Cousins In A Cracker Box, Kathryn Wallace Iffrig

Theses

In a small sitting room of a mortuary in a rural Missouri town, the author considers the life of her recently departed cousin. Having shared a family home early in their childhood, and despite similar upbringing, their lives had ultimately diverged, with him choosing a path that many would consider self-destructive and bound to lead to an early death.

Contemplating the circumstances of her cousin's death, the author falls into ruminations on their childhood, family, and common experiences they shared during those early years. Considering the disparate paths their lives ultimately took, the author questions the influence of nature versus …

Blessed Are, Jason Martinez

Theses

On the surface this particular novel is a fairly simple one to explain. On the surface this novel is more or less a romance novel. After all, Book One is essentially about a man named Thomas Woods who meets and fall in love with a woman named Rosemary. At first his love is returned in kind, but by the end he has lost his lover to another man, a man unworthy of her tenderness. And Book Two is about more or less the same thing except in this Book the woman's name is Violet, and there is a slight question …

The Great Becoming, Sara L. Blackwell

Theses

Few questions stir as much curiosity and controversy as the question of how and why did man evolve. This culminating project strives to explore that issue creatively. Using a combination of religious overtones, myths and legends, and imagination, this project strives to be an original creation myth- a piece of fiction that answers how civilization, as we know it today, began. The story bas not been written to replace commonly accepted religious beliefs. Rather, it has been written to complement them, to question them, and to explore the very beginnings of religion itself.

The introduction to this project focuses on …