HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Andrew Holyfield
Hi everyone! My name is Andrew. I graduated Summa Cum Laude at UC Riverside in 2016, with a B.A. in Creative Writing. While there, I completed the Honors Program, published a thesis, was an editor for both the campus Research Journal and Honors Program literary journal, joined the Writing Program as a Teaching Assistant, and completed three MFA courses, all with a 4.0 GPA.
Tutoring started for me in the campus Writing Program, in which I tutored eighteen students per week. Around that same time, my younger brother, diagnosed with Aspergers, started college. I tutored him during his four-year journey to receive his Paraprofessional Certificate.
Nerdy as it sounds, I love Grammar and read often (in-between Netflix binges). Until my time at UC Riverside, I abhorred reading and preferred the trusty summaries from Spark Notes. I know English and writing can be both challenging and boring, but perhaps all a struggling student needs a little help and positive reinforcement. If that sounds like you or your kid, I'd love to help.
I’m a published songwriter with 20+ years experience in the music industry.
Creative Writing
Creative Writing
Fall 101: Ages 6-9
Winter 102: Ages 6-9
Spring 103: Ages 6-9
Creative Writing
Fall 201: Ages 10-13
Winter 202: Ages 10-13
Spring 203: Ages 10-13
Homework: Yes! Writers need to write to become better writers!
Requirements: Students must be willing to participate in both collaborative work and in sharing their own creative writing. This class requires discussion, oral repetition/dictation, & collaboration. While most students come out of their shells after the initial weeks, it is important that each writer brings a level of commitment to this course.
This is an introductory class to the basic concepts of creative writing. Writers will learn the fundamentals of the craft. Upon learning key concepts in a weekly lesson, the class will engage in both free-writes (writing in-class) & group writings with other classmates.
Free-writes are designed to reiterate the lesson, instill a deeper understanding of the concepts learned, and better prepare writers for the assigned homework. The assigned homework is a variation of free-write that further applies the concept learned in that week’s lesson, building confidence, comprehension, & creativity.
The distinction between each age group taught lies in the depth of each discussion, the expectation of comprehension, & the level of rigor to the in-class work, homework, & group collaboration. For example, while all creative writing classes may learn about dialogue, different levels of exploration will exist for different classes.
Creative Writing 101 will only review the basics of what dialog is & how to write it.
Creative Writing 201 will discuss specific aspects of dialogue, what the qualities of strong dialogue are, and how to recognize this in their own work.
Creative Writing 102 is a continuation of Creative Writing 101. Students will build upon past lessons with new discussions centered around the craft of writing. The goal of this class is simple: have fun. This class does not enforce grammar rules (I teach other classes centered for that purpose), and is designed to get students excited about writing.
Creative Writing 202 is a continuation of CW 201. Students will build upon past lessons with new discussions centered around the craft of writing. The goal of this class is simple: have fun. This class does not enforce grammar rules (I teach other classes centered for that purpose), and is designed to get students excited about writing.
Class is divided into two sections: Lecture/Discussion & Free Write. Each week, I teach an element of craft and discuss with students its use, how to recognize it, and how to implement it. Afterwards, students free write—writing or brainstorming around a guided prompt. This is intended to be both a creative outlet and practice for the homework.
Homework is assigned each week as a measure of student comprehension and participation.
Each quarter ends with a Final Project: a story written by each student, encapsulating all of the techniques and elements of craft discussed each quarter. Students will present on the final day of class as a conclusion to the lessons
Contact
Andrew Holyfield