Since you will be selecting a different style of writing for your final Portfolio, I wanted to provide some interesting pieces to help you understand how to tackle the genre that interests you the most. Remember be bold...go for the option that challenges you the most and push yourself!

1. Short Stories - These are creative pieces, so I'm not going to bog it down with a lot of rules to follow, however if you choose this genre, please ensure you read several short stories to understand their format and rhythm. The most important element to a short story is plot (assuming you aren't doing a magical realism piece). So, ensure that your story comes around full circle in that it starts with an initial situation, something happens to cause conflict and that initial situation changes. Then the ending has some sort of resolution (sometimes a lack of resolution IS the resolution). You don't have to solve for every problem in the story, but there does have to be some sense of dramatic satisfaction. The story felt like it should end there.

This girl if very young, however, what she says is very accurate and I like that she explains it in simple language:

2. Autobiography - this piece won't be as imaginative if you do your own autobiography; however, if you decide to create a character and write THEIR autobiography, then this could be very creative! Remember though, either way you go, an autobiography is more factual and less dramatic than a short story. You are telling FACTS but in an interesting and engaging tone with concrete details. Obviously, if you choose to do your own, this could be a healing process for whatever social injustice you have suffered, so there are other advantages to this approach.

There are many ways to approach an autobiography, but I found this article and really like the simplicity of it, as well as the really helpful questions that I found very engaging when thinking about a story.

Format: if you choose this option, please use this format:
1. Title .Write your title or your prospective title in underlined bold font across the top of your word processing document. Remember that you can come back and refine or change your title at any time, the perfect title will probably only surface at the end of the writing process.

2. Foreword. The foreword is the place to jot down your reasons for writing the autobiography; what you hope to achieve from it and what you hope others will benefit by reading it. It is a good idea to write down some brief thoughts in this section before you start to help keep you focused throughout the writing process.

3. Introduction. Your introduction needs to grab attention, create interest and keep them reading.

4. Body. Create a series of chronological headings and sub headings in your autobiography outline. Write the autobiography based on locations if you have been stationed at many different places throughout your life. Write about one specific event that has been the turning point in your life. Use other common threads to link your body together in an interesting fashion. Include one or two relevant subheadings under each point. Expand your list with all the relevant material you can remember under each section, include names, dates, experiences etc.

5. Conclusion. Your final thoughts. Look back on your completed works, think about what you have learnt from the experience and how it has molded and shaped you. Tie it together in an interesting fashion to provide the perfect ending.

3. Song or Ballad - Probably most of us at some time have written a poem, be a forced high school assignment or while we are crying over the boy/girlfriend who no longer wants to date us! ha But all jokes aside, a song or ballad aren't that different from a poem; the biggest thing to remember is rhythm and organization. Organization might not sound like something that would come in play during the process of writing a song, and you are right...it comes in after you have completed your creative writing. Then it is time to organize the lines, come up with a chorus, and ensure that the lines are aligned in a way that actually makes a rhythm when you read them aloud.

I found this blog that is tailored to serious song writers, but the ideas are still very helpful when getting started for the first time. I especially like the thought of start small and build upon...and take breaks.
I also liked this video that shows musicians during their creativity modes. You aren't trying to write a song that will go platinum, but hey, you never know!