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Olivia Hammond Professor Whiteacre ENGL 270 4/6/21
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TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER PAGE… 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS… 2
AUTHOR INTRODUCTION… 5
FINAL DRAFTS… 6
Fairytales… 6 Fairytale Recreation1. Little Red- Beach Edition… 6
Essays… 9 Personal Essay1. Everything to Nothing… 9
Stories… 13 Short Story1. Boys Will Be Boys… 13
Flash Story1. Thank You Creepy Old Basement… 17
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Poems… 18 Prose1. PERFECTION… 18
Rhyming Sonnets1. That VACA Life… 19 2. College Sucks… 20 3. Reminding Myself… 21
REFLECTION ESSAY… 22
ROUGH DRAFTS… 25
Fairytales… 25 Fairytale Recreation1. Little Red- Beach Edition… 25
Essays… 28 Personal Essay1. Everything to Nothing… 28
Stories… 30
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Short Story1. Boys Will Be Boys… 30
Flash Story1. Thank You Creepy Old Basement… 34
Poems… 35 Prose1. Perfection… 35
Rhyming Sonnets1. That VACA Life… 36 2. College Sucks… 37 3. Reminding Myself… 38
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AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION Hello! My name is Olivia Hammond. I am a full-time student and the University of Indianapolis. I am currently majoring in entrepreneurship and plan to go back for a master’s degree in marketing. I have big dreams and hope to have a very successful business one day based off of fashion and beauty. I am also currently a professional NBA dancer of the Pacers which I take great pride in. I am so thankful I have already accomplished one goal in my life becoming a Pacemate. I have written these pieces mainly based off of my life, what I was going through, and how I was feeling at the time. I think that most of these pieces are relatable in some way, that was my main goal when writing them. I hope you all enjoy and thank you for taking the time to read them.
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FINAL DRAFTS Little Red- Beach Edition Once upon a time there was a girl named Little Red Riding Hood. Everyone called her Little Red for short since the Riding Hood part wasn’t really fitting anymore. The name was pretty self-explanatory, she used to wear a red hood everywhere she went, now she wears a red hibiscus flower in her hair. Once Little Red moved to the beach, she swapped out the red hood for a red flower since the hood made her too hot in the Florida weather. She still needed to incorporate red in her everyday outfits somehow, after all that was what she was known for, it will forever be a part of her name. It was her favorite color. Little Red and her mother moved to the beach along with her Grandfather after her Grandmother had passed away from old age. Little Red’s Grandfather met another woman when they move to Florida and remarried, but unfortunately, she was evil. Little Red never liked the vibes she got when she was around her. Little Red’s Grandfather and Step-Grandmother had one thing in common, there was an old tale that said there was buried treasure at the bottom of the ocean around the beach; Little Red’s Step-Grandmother and Grandfather made it their mission to find it and then build a house together on an island right off the shoreline. They looked for several months and started wondering if the old tale was really true or not. Right before they were about to give up on their mission, they finally found it. Once they found it, Little Red’s Step-Grandmother got greedy and killed her Grandfather and took all the findings for herself. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother then proceeded to build a house on the little island right off the shoreline for herself like Little Red’s Grandfather and she had planned. It was
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the only house on the island. Now, it was Little Red’s mission was to kill her Step-Grandmother for payback for killing her Grandfather and rid the world of her evil spirits once and for all. Little Red’s mother prepared a basket to give to her daughter filled with goodies infused with poison in them to plant in her Step-Grandmother’s house, then Little Red went on her merry way. While going to her Step-Grandmother’s island, Little Red got distracted before she boarded her canoe to set off because there were so many pretty seashells washing up to shore. While Little Red was distracted, her Step-Grandmother’s pet pelican named “Wolf” flew over her and saw the poisonous goodies in the basket. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother named him Wolf because she had heard of the story of how a wolf tried to eat Little Red and her Grandmother once before. She liked the story and the idea of Little Red and her Grandmother being eaten. After all, Little Red’s Step-Grandmother never liked anyone who reminded her of Little Red’s Grandfather. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother was crooked, even though she knew what she did to Grandfather was wrong and felt guilty, she couldn’t help herself and wouldn’t go back to change her decisions if she could. Once Wolf saw the poisonous goodies, he then immediately flew to Little Red’s Step-Grandmother to warn her. Then after Little Red had finished picking her seashells, she got in her canoe and set off to her Step-Grandmothers. When Little Red got there, her Step-Grandmother and the pelican hid in their bedsheets. Little Red didn’t think anyone was home, so she went in her Step-Grandmother’s kitchen and planted the poisonous goodies next to the ones her Step-Grandmother had previously made. Then soon after she planted them, the pelican named Wolf and her Step-Grandmother came out from under her bedsheets and started chasing her, trying to kill her. Little Red’s StepGrandmother chased Little Red with a knife while Wolf flew over her to peck her, pulling her hair trying to slow Little Red down so the Step-Grandmother could catch her. As she ran away,
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Little Red cried out, “Help!” Not too far away in the ocean, a surfer heard her and stopped catching the waves to come save her. He paddled his surfboard to the shore of the island and then ran towards them all. The surfer then grabbed Little Red’s Step-Grandmother and the pelican and brought them back to the ocean. He then drowned them both so they could never hurt Little Red again. The surfer then turned around to ask if Little Red was okay. As he asked, Little Red quickly realized that her looked very familiar to her. Little Red then said “woodsmen?” When Little Red said this, the surfer recognized Little Red. The surfer was in fact the same woodsmen that saved her the first time she was about to be killed by the wolf in the woods. The woodsmen had traded in his axe for the waves. It was so ironic that both times Little Red needed to be saved, he was there and they also both moved to the same Beach in Florida. They realized this and knew that things happen for a reason. Little Red and the woodsmen that now is a surfer then fell madly in love, they knew they were meant to be. They lived happily ever after along with the treasure her Step-Grandmother and Grandfather found and the house on the island, Little Red was never bothered again.
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Everything to Nothing About a year ago, I was at the top of my game. I had so many things going for myself, until a disaster happened. A virus called the “Coronavirus” quickly spread throughout the United States infecting tons of people, making everyday life change drastically. The Coronavirus was originally from China, then it quickly spread over the world. In Wuhan, China bats were the original carrier of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. After cross contamination occurred in the wet markets in China, the virus quickly made the leap from animals to humans and began spreading around the world. Life was paused and harmed for so many people. Almost everyone’s lives were flipped upside down and so many things were forced to be changed. This resulted in sickness, job’s being lost, and absolutely everything being shut down and taken away. For me, it didn’t feel real at first as I had never imagined something so terrible would happen in my lifetime. I am currently a professional NBA dancer for the Pacers as well as a full-time student. Before Corona hit, I finally felt like I was where I was meant to be at my stage in life. After starting out in college majoring in biology, I made a switch to entrepreneurship which was definitely the right fit for me since I was finally enjoying my classes and making awesome grades. The start of my college career was definitely hard for me at first, it was a very bumpy road. Nothing had prepared me for what was to come, not even high school. For example, before college, I used to be able to study the night before a test or finish an assignment within an hour and make really good grades. When I started attending the University of Indianapolis, I tried the same tactics are used in high school. I soon realized that they didn’t work, it took me a while to figure that out since I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was going
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wrong at first. I realized that majoring in biology wasn’t meant for me as well. The courses board me to death so I never enjoyed any part of the lectures or my time studying outside of class at all. It was so painful to get through, I absolutely hated it. That’s when I finally made the proper adjustments and changed for the good, making my studying habits better and changing my major. Entrepreneurship was a perfect match for me, and I couldn’t have been happier and more relieved that I made the change, I loved it and still do. I enjoyed school a whole lot more again since I could absorb the material a lot easier which allowed me to have less studying time and more fun. I was doing so well that I even made the Dean’s list! Then, after several years of dance training, all of my hard work had paid off. By making the team and becoming a Pacemate, I was able to continue my passion and I couldn’t have been more blessed. I still remember the first day of auditions like it was yesterday. That moment in my life was so monumental for me, it changed my life. When walking into Bankers Life Fieldhouse, I was so nervous. I hardly knew any of the girls there, most were just familiar faces that I had seen before on the Pacemates Instagram page. After getting my audition number I had to walk up to Michelle which was and still is the head coach to this day. Knowing that I had to talk to a coach right off the bat made me even more nervous. When she asked me what my number was, I started telling her my phone number. It was clear to her that I had never done anything like auditioning before and that I was extremely nervous. She smiled at me, laughed and said, “No silly your audition number. You’re funny.” I was embarrassed by this but at the same time it allowed me to loosen up a little. Since I made the coach smile, I was okay with it. I knew that she knew that nobody is perfect. The most important part hadn’t even begun yet, the dancing.
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When I got onto the court, we quickly put on our dance shoes and learned choreography. I quickly grasped onto the dance and felt really confident, but when it was actually time to perform, I got really nervous again. I was in one of the last groups to go. Seeing multiple girls, especially the ones that I already knew were on the team mess up and freeze on the dance floor made me super scared. When it was my turn to go, I got put in the very front. My heart was pumping so fast, but when the music started, all my worries went away, and I ended up doing really well. I was so proud of myself that I was able to show the judges what I was capable of. After everyone was done dancing, my number was called to move onto the next few rounds of the audition process. I was so happy that I teared up. From that day on, I continued to work my butt off during the remainder of the auditions. The night that I finally found out that I made the team, I couldn’t have been happier. Accomplishing one of my lifetime goals made me feel unstoppable. Nothing or no one could no longer bring me down. Things in my life finally made since. I felt like I had unlocked a new level to my life. I was and still am very thankful that my parents didn’t pay for all those years of dance lessons for nothing! Like I mentioned before, I was finally feeling accomplished inside and out. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus quickly ripped all of my accomplishments and hard work away after feeling on top of the world. For several months, I did not do anything. Going from having practices, games, classes at school, get-togethers with my friends, and basically something to do every day to nothing at all was hard for me. My life had always been so high strung and fast paced until then. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I even got depressed for a couple months. I had never felt so down before. My life was flipped upside down, all of my activities ceased to exist,
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and school was transferred to online which was very challenging to adjust to. It was really frustrating that I finally felt content with myself and then Corona had to happen. After several months of staying indoors and quarantining, I have now gotten used to the lifestyle of Corona. It is hard for me to start to transition again back into the lifestyle I used to have once before. Any sudden and major transition would definitely be challenging for anyone. To me, it seemed to be happening pretty often as life had been throwing curve ball after curve ball. Thankfully things are starting to open up again and slowly get back to normal though, I am also one step at a time. The Pacers have now granted limited fans at basketball games. My teammates and I have been able to partially start easing our way back into dancing again. Colleges are beginning to allow certain classes to be in person also. The world and I are beginning to bloom again; Corona haven’t defeated us yet!
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Boys Will Be Boys Ever since Madison was a little girl, she was always surrounded by boys. It was bound to happen since she had an older brother named Logan that was four years older than her. Her brother loved sports. Logan was always involved in some sort of extracurricular activity like travel ball, school sports, and all-star teams. Anything involving sports, Logan most likely tried it at least once before. His favorite sports were baseball, basketball, and football. Madison never failed to show up at every tournament or game. It was not because she was forced, she showed up because she just wanted to. Although Madison absolutely loved supporting her brother, he wasn’t the only reason why she always showed up. The main reason why was because she was a tomboy from head to toe, inside and out. Madison was such a tomboy that when she was the flower girl at her cousin’s wedding, she refused to wear her dress unless she got to wear her batman underpants underneath that were really meant to be for little boys. She screamed and cried until she got her way, but her mother told her that she better not lifts up her dress or she would get a spanking. Madison always wanted to join in the game along with her brother. As a little girl, she hated the fact that she was too young to play sports like her brother. She also hated the fact that she would never actually be able to play alongside of her brother because of the age difference and that she was simply a girl. Even when Madison was finally old enough to play sports and be involved in her own games, she still yearned to play with Logan and be at the level he was at. Because of this, every chance Madison got to play with her brother at home when he would let her, she would take it. It did not matter if it was video games, rough housing, or going out to play ball in the front yard.
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There were also endless opportunities when it came to play time. Afterall, Logan always had tons of friend options from all the different sports teams he had been on. It seemed like almost every day that Logan had some of the boys over and they’d be doing something, Madison would always join in the fun as well. Everybody that knew Madison knew that it wasn’t even a question if she wanted to hang with her bro and his friends or not, of course she did! Madison was always down no matter the circumstances. Logan and his friends would always be impressed with Madison as well. Whenever they would all get together, Madison would surprise them with a new trick she had up her sleeve whether it had to do with sports or a new game they were playing. Although Madison was younger and tiny, she was also smart and mighty. From all the years of being around Logan and his friends, Madison had basically become one of the boys herself. Because she was around them so much, she had seen it all and when I say it all, I mean everything. Madison definitely experienced how nasty boys can be and saw more than she ever wanted to see, especially while they were growing up. Even though Madison was a true tomboy and didn’t mind getting rough and dirty, there were still some things that were too much for her. Afterall, Madison was still a girl. For example, one day her brother and his friends thought it would be funny to pee in one of the boys Coca-Cola’s behind his back. Logan’s main three friends were Beau, Holden, and Dylan. It was Beau who got the pee infused Coca-Cola. The boys all told Madison that if she told him, they would do it to her next when she would least expect it. Beau took a sip and explained that it tasted weird. Logan told him that it was lemon Coke. None of the boys told Beau that it had pee in it until he drank it all. Madison was sick to her stomach after watching Beau drink the pee. Beau was sick too.
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Ever since that day, Madison never pictured boys the same. As she continued to get older, her own friends started to get boyfriends. Madison continued to only see boys as nothing more than friends. Madison even went almost backwards. Most girls at her age were just beginning to grow the least bit of liking for boys whereas Madison began to actually see them as nasty humans, sort of like they had cooties. Like I said before, she still considered them her friends, but friends at a distance now. Madison was finally 15. She was more mature and grown up. Because she was older, her personality changed a bit. Although Madison still played sports and was a tomboy, she started to grow an interest in becoming womanlier. For example, she discovered that she actually liked wearing dresses and also began to start wearing a little bit of makeup. Madison noticed that she looked good in these things and developed a type of confidence that she never had before. Madison wasn’t the only one who had noticed that she changed, Logan’s friends did as well. Let me tell you, they were not upset about it by any means. All of Logan’s friends began to create a liking for Madison that they have never had before. Logan did not like it, but at the same time there was nothing he could do. All of his friends tried to get Madison’s attention again, but she was not having it. Madison did not want anything to do with boys anymore. Beau was the first one to actually make a move on Madison. After school at the school’s baseball field, Beau wrote in the dirt “your hot.” Madison was not impressed. For one, Beau should have used ‘you’re” instead of “your.” Two, Madison did not want to be looked at as a piece of meat. Beaus gesture only left Madison thinking that he was more stupid than what she thought he already was. Logan thumped Beau over the head after he came out of the locker room and saw what he had done.
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Dylan was the second one to try and make a move on Madison. On Instagram, Dylan commented hearty eye emojis on one of Madison’s pictures, but he also commented hearty eye emojis on a bunch of other girl’s pictures at the exact same time he did on Madison’s picture. Dylan was already known to be a cheater, so Madison never thought about him twice. Logan was beginning to think that his friends were stupid and immature as well. In my opinion, I agree that they were. Lastly, Holden made a move on Madison. Holden got advice from his mom, she told him to buy her flowers and take her to get ice cream. When Holden did this, Madison was very surprised. She was impressed and took him up on his offer. They both decided to start dating. Madison had again changed her mind about boys. She didn’t think of them like they had cooties anymore. She thought that not all, but only some boys were actually nice to be around then at times. After that day, I do not know what happened. All I know is that Logan was disgusted.
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Thank You Old Creepy Basement “So, this is actually about to happen right now” Haley said in her head as she begun to place her left foot on the first step headed down. Haley had a major fear of basements, especially old, creepy, and unfinished basements. After moving into her new home and getting situated, Haley finally built up enough courage to actually go down there. The thought of basements freaked her out so much that when she was looking at houses that interested her online, she skipped all of the basement photos if the house had one. Haley still had some items in boxes that she had no place for upstairs, they had been sitting next to the basement door for over a month. Every time she turned the corner where the boxes were, she would stub her toe. This time, Haley actually knocked her toenail off. The only fear Haley had that was bigger than basements was her fear of feeling not put together and she knew her toe was definitely not pretty anymore. With that being said, Haley put her big boy pants on, picked up the remaining boxes, and went to the basement. When she was all the way down, she immediately noticed something big and shiny underneath an old blanket. She pulled the blanket off to reveal a massive pile of gold. Not only did Haley overcome her fear of basements, but she also became rich and never had to worry about not being put together again. She then had all the money in the world to pay for her pampering. I think it’s safe to say that Haley will probably be going into every basement she sees from that day forward.
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PERFECTION When walking into my room, all you’ll see is pink. There are pink bedsheets, pink pillows, pink compartments, pink shoes, pink clothes, pink bags, and even my walls are painted pink. Pink everything, pink everywhere. Everything in my room is properly placed to perfection, being very well organized, cleaned, and decorated. I have several fur pillows and blankets, candles sitting around my room, multiple mirrors, a ring light, a couch, a vanity, a mini fridge, a microwave, and even a coffee station. You can tell that I’m a very social person. My white rug is now stained a cream color from everyone I’ve welcomed in. Pictures are hanging everywhere throughout my room of my friends and family. You can also tell that I absolutely love fashion. After all, I do need a lot of different outfits since I’m always on the go. My life is very fast paced, but also tons of fun at the same time. One whole wall of my room has built-in cabinets and closets for all my belongings, mostly containing clothes, shoes, and bags. It always makes me happy that everyone always seems to be amazed by all the cute things I have when they walk in. The best part about my room is my beautiful little silver chandelier hanging down in the middle of the ceiling making my room complete. Everything all comes together perfectly to make the absolute best room suited for me. My room is definitely the definition of myself, anybody that knows me would agree.
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That VACA Life I’m on vacation There isn’t a better time to get away with family Staying here forever is my temptation This place, joyful and worry free, Florida has the best mentality
My Grandma makes the best food Colors of the ocean are beautiful hues Grandma’s cooking always gets me in a better mood Emeralds, corals, light and dark blues
One of the best parts about going to the beach is the soft white sand What’s hidden underneath are my favorite treasures, seashells I love how the sand runs through my toes and hand There is nothing like ocean breeze smells
All of us are a golden tan I have had so much fun Coming back next year is a plan I love the Florida sun
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College SUCKS Dear College,
Give me a break I’m ready for classes to be done There is not much more I can take I need to have some fun
Some Professors are nice, others are mean It seems that they think I only have one course I can’t take this, I’m going to make a scene College, I want a divorce
This year we’ve basically not had a break These random break days aren’t working I hope this never happens again for God sake More and more assignments are lurking
College, sometimes you only seem to care about the money When I graduate, I’m doing to say peace out honey
Sincerely, Olivia
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REMINDING MYSELF Dear Me,
Where do I begin? There are so many things to admire about you. You are ambitious, determined, and hard working. You’ve accomplished so many amazing things in your life already! The way that you are able to juggle several tasks at once is impressive. When you’ve had a rough day, you pick yourself back up again. You let nothing or nobody get in your way. You are the definition of a strong, beautiful, and independent woman. Let’s not forget your love for fashion, living life, and having fun! You never fail to remind everyone how much of a total badass you are. One of the many examples was during the first round of Pacemate auditions, you completely dominated the court like it was nothing. The most important thing you’ve learned in life is to keep your heart open even when times get difficult or challenging and never stop pushing yourself to accomplish what you know you deserve. There are so many people who love you for who you’ve become inside and out. You should be proud of the woman you’ve become. Don’t forget it.
Love always, Me
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RELFECTION ESSAY When creating my writing, I normally create some sort of template to get myself organized and sort out my thoughts before I write the actual piece. I will be sure to write down or organize all the key points and important aspects that I want to be sure that I include. I find this technique the best for me when writing because it makes things easier to put together and also more time efficient as well. When I revise my writing, I normally start from top to bottom and work my way down. I turn on the “Read Aloud” option on Microsoft Word so my writing can be read back to me. I find this the easiest or most time efficient way. This way I can make sure that everything sounds and flows well. Each and every single error stands out more in my opinion as well when hearing my writing be read back to you. I arranged my ePortfolio the way I did because I am prouder of my final drafts than my rough drafts. The drafts can kind of be embarrassing at times because I didn’t necessarily put my full heart, effort, and dedication into them. I am never really content with my writing until I really dive into them and fix all the rough spots. Once I do this, then I consider them to be my final drafts. I also arranged my ePortfolio the way I did because in my opinion I don’t think the rough drafts are important to show. They are rough drafts for a reason and aren’t meant to be displayed to everyone to see normally. Nobody ever wants to show their rough unfinished work, they want to show their shiny, clean, nice, and new polished work. They want to show the work that they can be proud of which is understandable. I’ve never known someone to be proud of their rough draft when they know their writing is not completely finished or it’s not to their liking and then plan to continue to edit more. All in all, I’ve found that it makes others including me uncomfortable to show their rough drafts because they don’t show their full capabilities.
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In my writing, I typically focus on topics based on around my life. It was something that was the easiest for me to write about in order to complete my assignments while being able to stay interested and have fun. I have written my writing mainly based off of my life, what I was going through, and how I was feeling at the time. I tried to be as descriptive and detailed as possible. I think that most of these pieces can be relatable to others in some way or another, that was one of my main goal when writing them. The elements of literature that I experienced the most with my work were character, ending, titling, and narrative point-‐of-‐view. Throughout my writing, for the most part my characters are either myself or my friends and family. In my opinion, it is the most fun to write about my life, who I am, and whatever I am feeling in the moment. For example, “Everything to Nothing” was about my life experiences with Covid and how I delt with the circumstances. It is also fun to write about my friends and family in situations that they normally wouldn’t be in. For example, in “Boys Will Be Boys” Madison never was actually in a relationship with any of her older brother’s friends. In fact, she thinks they are disgusting and would never ever think about a relationship with one of them. For the endings of my writing, I always tried to make it a positive one for the most part unless I was feeling fired up and frisky. A good and happy ending always hits home for me, who wouldn’t agree? When titling my writing, I always tried to make them as interesting and mysterious as possible. For example, “Thank You Creepy Old Basement” is a great title in my opinion because it makes readers think “What could a creepy old basement possibly have to offer that is so great?” For narrative point of view, as said before I mainly wrote about myself or my friends and family. This led me to use first and third person the most in my
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writing. I found these two narratives the easiest because writing about myself, friends, or family came naturally and a breeze for me since it was fun and kept me interested when writing. I see my writing developing most in grammar and punctuation. This is what I mainly got feedback on during all the workshops and it has helped me tremendously. I am thankful that I was able to get others feedback and grow from them throughout my journey of writing and creating my work. This also helped me fully prepare my work and allowed me to be less stressed about creating my ePortfolio. I have also improved on creativity, working on all the modules and picking a new writing prompt to write about every week helped me a lot. Although I am a very naturally creative person in general, the writing prompts helped me to improve and develop my creative skills even more to levels I never even thought of. If it hadn’t been for those writing prompts, I probably wouldn’t have ever written some of the writing that is included in this ePortfolio.
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ROUGH DRAFTS Little Red- Beach Edition Once upon a time there was a girl named Little Red Riding Hood. Everyone called her Little Red for short since the Riding Hood part wasn’t really fitting anymore. The name was pretty self-explanatory, she used to wear a red hood everywhere she went, now she wears a red hibiscus flower in her hair. Once Little Red moved to the beach, she swapped out the red hood for a red flower since the hood made her too hot in the Florida weather. She still needed to incorporate red in her everyday outfits somehow, after all that was what she was known for, it will forever be a part of her name. It was her favorite color. Little Red and her mother moved to the beach along with her Grandfather after her Grandmother had passed away from old age. Little Red’s Grandfather met another woman when they move to Florida and remarried, but unfortunately, she was evil. Little Red never liked the vibes she got when she was around her. Little Red’s Grandfather and Step-Grandmother had one thing in common, there was an old tale that said there was buried treasure at the bottom of the ocean around the beach; Little Red’s Step-Grandmother and Grandfather made it their mission to find it and then build a house together on an island right off the shoreline. They looked for several months and started wondering if the old tale was true or not. Right before they were about to give up on their mission, they finally found it. Once they found it, Little Red’s Step-Grandmother got greedy and killed her Grandfather and took all the findings for herself. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother then proceeded to build a house on the little island right off the shoreline for herself like her and Little Red’s Grandfather planned. It was the
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only house on the island. Now, it was Little Red’s mission was to kill her Step-Grandmother for payback for killing her Grandfather and rid the world of her evil spirits once and for all. Little Red’s mother prepared a basket of goodies infused with poison in them to give to her Step-Grandmother, then Little Red went on her merry way. While going to her StepGrandmother’s island, Little Red got distracted before she boarded her canoe to set off because there were so many pretty seashells washing up to shore. While Little Red was distracted, her Step-Grandmother’s pet pelican named “Wolf” flew over her and saw the poisonous goodies in the basket. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother named him Wolf because she had heard of the story of how a wolf tried to eat Little Red and her Grandmother once before. She liked the story and the idea of Little Red and her Grandmother being eaten. After all, Little Red’s Step-Grandmother never liked anyone who reminded her of Little Red’s Grandfather. Little Red’s Step-Grandmother was crooked, even though she knew what she did to Grandfather was wrong and felt guilty, she couldn’t help herself and wouldn’t go back to change her decisions if she could. Once Wolf saw the poisonous goodies, he then immediately flew to Little Red’s Step-Grandmother to warned her. The after Little Red had finished picking her seashells, she got in her canoe and set off to her Step-Grandmothers. When Little Red got there, her Step-Grandmother and the pelican hid in their bedsheets. Little Red didn’t think anyone was home, so she went in her Step-Grandmother’s kitchen and planted the poisonous goodies next to the ones her Step-Grandmother had previously made. Then soon after she planted them, the pelican named Wolf and her Step-Grandmother came out from under her bedsheets and started chasing her trying to kill her. Little Red’s StepGrandmother chased Little Red with a knife while Wolf flew over her to peck her, pulling her hair trying to slow Little Red down so the Step-Grandmother could catch her. As she ran away,
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Little Red cried out, “Help!” Not too far away in the ocean, a surfer heard her and stopped catching the waves to come save her. He paddled his surfboard to the shore of the island and then ran towards them all. The surfer then grabbed Little Red’s Step-Grandmother and the pelican and brought them back to the ocean. He then drowned them both so they could never hurt Little Red again. The surfer then turned around to ask if Little Red was okay. As he asked, Little Red quickly realized that her looked very familiar to her. Little Red then said “Woodsmen?” When Little Red said this, the surfer recognized Little Red. The surfer was in fact the same Woodsmen that saved her the first time she was about to be killed by the wolf in the woods. The Woodsmen had traded in his axe for the waves. It was so ironic that both times Little Red needed to be saved, he was there and they also both moved to the same Beach in Florida. They realized this and knew that things happen for a reason. Little Red and the Woodsmen that now is a surfer then fell madly in love, they knew they were meant to be. They lived happily ever after along with the treasure her Step-Grandmother and Grandfather found and the house on the island, Little Red was never bothered again.
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Everything to Nothing About a year ago, I was at the top of my game. I had so many things going for myself, until a disaster happened. A virus called the “Coronavirus” quickly spread throughout the United States infecting tons of people, making everything shut down. Life was paused for so many people. For me, it didn’t feel real at first as I had never imagined something so terrible would happen in my lifetime. I am a professional NBA dancer for the Pacers and a full-time student. Before Corona hit, I finally felt like I was where I was meant to be at my stage in life. After starting out in college majoring in biology, I made a switch to entrepreneurship which was definitely the right fit for me since I was finally enjoying my classes and making awesome grades. I even made the Dean’s list! Then, after several years of dance training, all of my hard work had paid off. By making the team and becoming a Pacemate, I was able to continue my passion. I was and still am very thankful that my parents didn’t pay for all those years of dance lessons for no reason! I was proud of myself, I felt so good and accomplished inside and out. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus quickly ripped all of my accomplishments and hard work away. For several months, I didn’t do anything. Going from having something to do all the time to nothing at all was hard for me, my life had always been so fast paced until then. I even got depressed for a couple months, I had never felt so down before. My life was flipped upside down, all of my activities ceased to exist, and school was transferred to online which was very challenging to adjust to. It was really frustrating to me that I finally felt content with myself and then Corona had to happen. After several months of staying indoors and quarantine, I have now gotten used to the lifestyle of Corona. It is hard for me to start to transition again back into the lifestyle I used to
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have once before, any sudden and major transition is definitely challenging for anyone. To me, it seemed to be happening pretty often as life had been throwing curve ball after curve ball. But thankfully things are starting to open up again and slowly get back to normal, so am I one step at a time. The Pacers have now granted limited fans at basketball games and the ability for me and my teammates to dance again. Colleges are beginning to allow certain classes to be in person as well. The world and I are beginning to bloom again; Corona haven’t defeated us yet!
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Boys Will Be Boys Ever since Madison was a little girl, she was always surrounded by boys. It was bound to happen since she had an older brother named Logan that was four years older than her. Her brother loved sports. Logan was always involved in some sort of extracurricular activity like travel ball, school sports, and all-star teams. Anything involving sports, Logan most likely tried it at least once before. His favorite sports were baseball, basketball, and football. Madison never failed to show up at every tournament or game. It was not because she was forced, she showed up because she just wanted to. Although Madison absolutely loved supporting her brother, he wasn’t the only reason why she always showed up. The main reason why was because she was a tomboy from head to toe, inside and out. Madison was such a tomboy that when she was the flower girl at her cousin’s wedding, she refused to wear her dress unless she got to wear her batman underpants underneath that were really meant to be for little boys. She screamed and cried until she got her way, but her mother told her that she better not lifts up her dress or she would get a spanking. Madison always wanted to join in the game along with her brother. As a little girl, she hated the fact that she was too young to play sports like her brother. She also hated the fact that she would never actually be able to play alongside of her brother because of the age difference and that she was simply a girl. Even when Madison was finally old enough to play sports and be involved in her own games, she still yearned to play with Logan and be at the level he was at. Because of this, every chance Madison got to play with her brother at home when he would let her, she would take it. It did not matter if it was video games, rough housing, or going out to play ball in the front yard.
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There were also endless opportunities when it came to play time. Afterall, Logan always had tons of friend options from all the different sports teams he had been on. It seemed like almost every day that Logan had some of the boys over and they’d be doing something, Madison would always join in the fun as well. Everybody that knew Madison knew that it wasn’t even a question if she wanted to hang with her bro and his friends or not, of course she did! Madison was always down no matter the circumstances. Logan and his friends would always be impressed with Madison as well. Whenever they would all get together, Madison would surprise them with a new trick she had up her sleeve whether it had to do with sports or a new game they were playing. Although Madison was younger and tiny, she was also smart and mighty. From all the years of being around Logan and his friends, Madison had basically become one of the boys herself. Because she was around them so much, she had seen it all and when I say it all, I mean everything. Madison definitely experienced how nasty boys can be and saw more than she ever wanted to see, especially while they were growing up. Even though Madison was a true tomboy and didn’t mind getting rough and dirty, there were still some things that were too much for her. Afterall, Madison was still a girl. For example, one day her brother and his friends thought it would be funny to pee in one of the boys Coca-Cola’s behind his back. Logan’s main three friends were Beau, Holden, and Dylan. It was Beau who got the pee infused Coca-Cola. The boys all told Madison that if she told him, they would do it to her next when she would least expect it. Beau took a sip and explained that it tasted weird. Logan told him that it was lemon Coke. None of the boys told Beau that it had pee in it until he drank it all. Madison was sick to her stomach after watching Beau drink the pee. Beau was sick too.
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Ever since that day, Madison never pictured boys the same. As she continued to get older, her own friends started to get boyfriends. Madison continued to only see boys as nothing more than friends. Madison even went almost backwards. Most girls at her age were just beginning to grow the least bit of liking for boys whereas Madison began to actually see them as nasty humans, sort of like they had cooties. Like I said before, she still considered them her friends, but friends at a distance now. Madison was finally 15. She was more mature and grown up. Because she was older, her personality changed a bit. Although Madison still played sports and was a tomboy, she started to grow an interest in becoming womanlier. For example, she discovered that she actually liked wearing dresses and also began to start wearing a little bit of makeup. Madison noticed that she looked good in these things and developed a type of confidence that she never had before. Madison wasn’t the only one who had noticed that she changed, Logan’s friends did as well. Let me tell you, they were not upset about it by any means. All of Logan’s friends began to create a liking for Madison that they have never had before. Logan did not like it, but at the same time there was nothing he could do. All of his friends tried to get Madison’s attention again, but she was not having it. Madison did not want anything to do with boys anymore. Beau was the first one to actually make a move on Madison. After school at the school’s baseball field, Beau wrote in the dirt “your hot.” Madison was not impressed. For one, Beau should have used ‘you’re” instead of “your.” Two, Madison did not want to be looked at as a piece of meat. Beaus gesture only left Madison thinking that he was more stupid than what she thought he already was. Logan thumped Beau over the head after he came out of the locker room and saw what he had done.
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Dylan was the second one to try and make a move on Madison. On Instagram, Dylan commented hearty eye emojis on one of Madison’s pictures, but he also commented hearty eye emojis on a bunch of other girl’s pictures at the exact same time he did on Madison’s picture. Dylan was already known to be a cheater, so Madison never thought about him twice. Logan was beginning to think that his friends were stupid and immature as well. In my opinion, I agree that they were. Lastly, Holden made a move on Madison. Holden got advice from his mom, she told him to buy her flowers and take her to get ice cream. When Holden did this, Madison was very surprised. She was impressed and took him up on his offer. They both decided to start dating. Madison had again changed her mind about boys. She didn’t think of them like they had cooties anymore. She thought that not all, but only some boys were actually nice to be around then at times. After that day, I do not know what happened. All I know is that Logan was disgusted.
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Thank You Old Creepy Basement “So, this is actually about to happen right now” Haley said in her head as she begun to place her left foot on the first step headed down. Haley had a major fear of basements, especially old, creepy, and unfinished basements. After moving into her new home and getting situated, Haley finally built up enough courage to actually go down there. The thought of basements freaked her out so much that when she was looking at houses that interested her online, she skipped all of the basement photos if the house had one. Haley still had some items in boxes that she had no place for upstairs, they had been sitting next to the basement door for over a month. Every time she turned the corner where the boxes were, she would stub her toe. This time, Haley actually knocked her toenail off. The only fear Haley had that was bigger than basements was her fear of feeling not put together and she knew her toe was definitely not pretty anymore. With that being said, Haley put her big boy pants on, picked up the remaining boxes, and went to the basement. When she was all the way down, she immediately noticed something big and shiny underneath an old blanket. She pulled the blanket off to reveal a massive pile of gold. Not only did Haley overcome her fear of basements, but she also became rich and never had to worry about not being put together again. She then had all the money in the world to pay for her pampering. I think it’s safe to say that Haley will probably be going into every basement she sees from that day forward.
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PERFECTION When walking into my room, all you’ll see is pink. There are pink bedsheets, pink pillows, pink compartments, pink shoes, pink clothes, pink purses, and even my walls are painted pink. Pink everything, pink everywhere. You can tell that I have a little OCD, everything is properly placed to perfection and well organized. I consider myself to be a very fancy person; I have several fur pillows and blankets, candles and decorations sitting around my room, multiple mirrors, a ring light, a couch, a vanity, and even a mini coffee station. You can tell that I am a very social person because my white rug is now stained a cream color from all the people that I have welcomed in. Pictures are hanging everywhere throughout my room of my friends and family. You can also tell that I absolutely love fashion. After all, I do need a lot of different outfits since I am always on the go and have something to do; my life is so fast paced, but fun at the same time. One whole wall of my room has built-in cabinets and closets for all of my belongings, especially my clothes. I’ll admit, I’m a little bit of a shopaholic, but everyone always seems to love everything I buy so I’m okay with it. The best part about my room is that in the middle of the ceiling, there is a beautiful little silver chandelier hanging down making the room complete and all come together. The room is definitely the definition of myself, anybody that knows me would agree.
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That VACA Life I am now on vacation There was not better time to get away with family Staying here forever is my temptation This place joyful and worry free, Florida has the best mentality
My Grandma makes the best food the color of the ocean has beautiful hues Grandma’s cooking always gets me in a better mood Emeralds, corals, light and dark blues
One of my favorite parts about going to the beach is the soft white sand What is hidden underneath make the best treasures, shells I love how the sand runs through my hand There is nothing like the ocean breeze smells
All the people are a golden tan I have had so much fun Coming back next year is the plan I love the Florida sun
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College SUCKS Dear College,
Give me a break I’m ready for classes to be done There is not much more I can take I need to have some fun
Some professors are nice, others are mean It seems that they think I only have one course I can’t take this, I’m going to make a scene College, I want a divorce
This year we’ve basically not had a break These random break days aren’t working I hope this never happens again for God sake More and more assignments are lurking
College, sometimes only seems to care about the money When I graduate, I’m doing to say peace out honey
Sincerely, Olivia
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REMINDING MYSELF Dear Me,
Where do I begin? There are so many things to admire about you. You are ambitious, determined, and hard working. You’ve accomplished so many amazing things in your life already! The way that you are able to juggle several tasks at once is impressive. When you’ve had a rough day, you pick yourself back up again. You let nothing or nobody get in your way. You are the definition of a strong, beautiful, and independent woman. Let’s not forget your love for fashion, living life, and having fun! You never fail to remind everyone how much of a total badass you are. One of the many examples was during the first round of Pacemate auditions, you completely dominated the court like it was nothing. The most important thing you’ve learned in life is to keep your heart open even when times get difficult or challenging and never stop pushing yourself to accomplish what you know you deserve. You should be proud of the woman you’ve become.
Love always, Me