Creative Writing
The Strange Story of Dr. Heckel and Mr. Jyde
Spring, 2009 - English
This was a short story I wrote my freshman year of high school and my first experience ever with fiction. Assigned to create some sort of parody, this short story tells the tale of a scientist who alters his physical appearance in order to spend weekends away from his normal life. Even though I don't think anyone ever truly read it besides my mother, it’s a pretty funny read. However, I soon realized I apparently took the assignment far more seriously than my fellow classmates.
A Perilous Game
Winter, 2013 - LHSP 125
This half-completed thriller novel revolves around CIA Agent Curtis Graham, who tries to track down the renowned terrorist Yusef Haded with a plan to blow up Washington D.C. Since writing the first story in high school, I had always wanted to try my hand at fiction once again, and the semester's "creative ambitions" themed class gave me the perfect opportunity to do so. It’s partly based on some of my favorite books to read, like Nelson DeMille’s “John Corey” series, and attempts to be a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I included the first eight chapters for an exerpt.
A Silent Night
July, 2015
I had this re-occuring nightmare as a child, where I would awake in the middle of the night and watch out my window intruders breaking into the house. It was one of those dreams where my body froze at the top of the stairs, unable to run down to lock the doors. There was also a horror movie I once saw in high school, called "The Strangers" that has always particularly terrified me. It's about four people in masks, who decide one night to torment a random couple in a secluded home. "A Silent Night," is a short story that somewhat combines both of these ideas. It is not for the faint of heart.
The Last Resort
November, 2014 - Writing 220
For my “Repurposing Project” of my first Minor in Writing course, I took the essay “A Necessary Vice” and turned it into a short fictional story. I mainly was trying to convey the same ethical argument I was making in the essay, and do so through a fictional means. Using narrative and fiction allowed me to frame the argument in a different way - more implicitly and allowing the reader to "connect the dots" of the argument themselves. There were significant challenges, though, as it was difficult to reach the same depth with the characters I created. Still - it was certainly a fun experience, and the story did turn out okay.
The Last Resort
(film trailer)
December, 2014 - Writing 220
For my “Remediation” of the project - taking the repurposing assignment and filtering it though a different platform, I decided to create several "film trailers" for the above story - "The Last Resort." My first occasion with editing film, it was a frustrating and memorable experience. It was pretty cool to see the final product, though, and I am actually quite pleased with how it turned out.