November 2012

Lesson Plan

In the Classroom: Simple Creative Writing Prompt: Your Hero Journey

1. Pre-Writing Activity: Sam Sellers’ Under the Influence Piece on Literary Journey

Read the piece aloud. Circle each time a book title, or a group or author is mentioned. Take time to research these character in Sam Sellers’ piece and become familiar with the story he is telling. What can you learn about Sam based on the people he admires and learns from through out his life? Are these people important to learning about the author? What would it mean to read this piece if all the references were excluded from the text?

2. Write a personal essay, song, story or poem…

Using Sam Sellar’s journey in music and literature as influence, write a piece about your personal story told through heroes in your life. Create a list of all of your heroes and influences. Include family members, mentors, friends, teachers, musicians, authors, actors, characters, sports players, etc. Map out these “heroes” in a visual format- a timeline or a other visual representation of when these people affected you. Include what was happening at your life at the time. What helped you connect to each of these people? Where did you find comfort or guidance in them? Was the guidance helpful and enlightening, or a warning or example of what you didn’t want to become?

After taking the time to explore this journey, try translating it into a piece of creating writing. Using all of the influences and mapping exercises, tell your personal hero journey. Consider the following questions: What was important about these people? What did they represent in your life? Where can you create metaphor in the text? Who have you become in the end?

Related Article: Under The Influence of Hip Hop

Written and Developed by Caits Meissner for Well&Often