Creative Writing Workshop for Science Students

Elena González Ed. D.April 10, 2014

CADI 108

Objectives of the PresentationBecome familiar with

a. Bill Manhire b. the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing

Comment on the writing prompt and first prize story for the 2007 Manhire Prize

Define the creative process and the characteristics of a creative person

Become familiarized with the Creativity Assessment Scale of Silvia et al.

Select a provocative prompt and write a creative text

Be motivated to participate in the RISE Creative Writing Competition

Creative Science Writing Prompt: Two Frogs in a Vat

By Bill Manhirehttp://wewantedtobewriters.com/our-authors/bill-manhire/

Creative Science Writing Prompt-“One evening two frogs fell into a vat of milk. One was

a scientist. The other was a poet.”

Creative Solution-• Which of the two was able to survive ‘til morning and

why?

Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize forCreative Science Writing

Anthology of winers 2007-2010

http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/competitions/manhire-prize/

Two Frogs in a VatHere is a story I once heard from a Dutch writer.

“One evening two frogs fell into a vat of milk. One was a scientist. The other was a poet.

The scientist trod water for a while, then did a rapid calculation involving

the buoyancy of his frog-body in milk. It was clear that he could not last.

He gave a sigh and sank to the bottom, where he drowned.

The poet tried to remember what he knew about

milk. ‘Something about the milk of paradise,’ came

to mind. There was something, too, about the milk

of human kindness.

Two Frogs in a VatSome lines for a new poem of his own also occurred to him,

though we will not quote them here. And all the while he

went on treading water – or, more accurately, milk –

occasionally wondering how long he could last.

In the morning, the farmer’s wife came into the dairy. There

in the vat was a large block of butter and … lying on top … a

small, exhausted frog.”

Bill Manhire

• Definitions of Creativity

Definitions of Creativity1. “Mental activity” providing an answer to a novel

situation.

2. A “process” resulting in one of a kind ideas.

3. A thought “experience” that demonstrates uniqueness, divergent thinking, imagination, and fearlessness.

4. The “generation” of the most unusual thoughts .

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at The Iowa State University http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

Terms Used to Describe Creativity

• Fluency – number of ideas generated• Originality and imagination – unusual, unique, and novel

ideas• Elaboration – ability to explain ideas in detail• Flexibility, curiosity, resistance to closure – ability to

generate multiple solutions• Complexity – details and implications of ideas; recognition of

patterns, similarities and differences• Risk taking – willingness to be wrong and to admit it

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at The Iowa State University http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/defining.html

Stages in the Creative ProcessDennett in Gaboras sees the creative process as a two stage cyclic process:

• The generative stage – you brainstorm Preparation This stage is characterized by obsessiveness. A period devoted to trying to solve the problem and collecting data through traditional approaches.

Incubation In this stage you unconsciously work on the problem.

• The evaluative stage – you focus Illumination

Here you make an association between the problem and something familiar. You discover a previously unknown or underlying order.

Verification The idea is materialized, can be proven, and is diffused or communicated.

Gabora, L. (2002) Cognitive mechanisms underlying the creative process. In (T. Hewett and T. Kavanagh, Eds.) Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Creativity and Cognition , October 13-16, Loughborough University, UK, 126-133

Variable Focus as the Key to Creativity

In sum, creativity is associated with conceptual fluidity and focus or control.

The focus is variable:• First you brainstorm an idea (generative stage)• Then you focus attention on the creative idea

(evaluative stage).

Gabora, L. (2002) Cognitive mechanisms underlying the creative process. In (T. Hewett and T. Kavanagh, Eds.) Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Creativity and Cognition , October 13-16, Loughborough University, UK, 126-133

Applying the Creative Process to Scientific Writing

Narrative, Protagonist, and Triumph

• “The central task of science writing for a broad audience is...how to make science human and enjoyable without betraying nature. The best writers achieve that end by two means. They present the phenomena as a narrative...and they treat the scientists as protagonists in a story that contains...the mythic elements of challenge and triumph."

Edward O. Wilson The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2001

http://www.jacobberkowitz.com/science-writing/

How to Write Creatively about Science

• Don’t just summarize facts. Place the scientific facts within a story or narrative of triumph.

• Instead of concentrating on the investigative problem, concentrate on the investigative triumph.

• Instead of keeping the scientist obscure, make the scientist the protagonist in the narrative.

• Either that or write a narrative about the consequences of the scientific triumph or problem posed.

Narrative of the Consequences of a Scientific Problem

2007 Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science WritingInspiration: Climate Change (Biology)• Many scientists and social scientists believe that

climate change is a serious threat to human civilisation. Regardless of climate change, we need to find sustainable forms of agriculture, manufacturing and energy. How will we respond? How can we respond?

• Fiction winner: Bryan Walpert 16 Planets • Non fiction winner: Alison Ballance Touchstones

Fiction winner: Bryan Walpert 16 Planets

• Read pages 6-14 of Shift: Anthology of Winners

2011 Manhire Award

Chemical WorldFiction biography• http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/c

ompetitions/manhire-prize/2011-information/

• REPORT ON THE BIRS WORKSHOP “CREATIVE WRITING IN MATHEMATICS AND

SCIENCE,” BANFF, 2-6 MAY 2010

RISE Creative Writing Competition

• Writing about the RISE Seminars

• Tell a story about a seminar presentation in which the scientist is the protagonist.

• Describe the triumphs and challenges of his/her investigation.

RISE Creativity Writing Competition

• Instructions handout

Assessing Creativity

Referene:Silvia, P., Winterstein, B., Wellsi, J. Barona, C., Cram, J., Hess, K., Martínez, J., & Richard, C.

(2008). Assessing creativity with divergent thinking tasks: Exploring the reliability and validity of new subjective scoring methods. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 2(2), 68-85. DOI: 10.1037/1931-3896.2.2.68

Creativity Assessment Scores

• Score of 1 - Not at all creative• Score of 2 - Somewhat creative• Score of 3 - Creative • Score of 4 – Very creative• Score of 5 – Highly creative

Creativity Assessment Criteria

Uncommon• “Any response that is given by a lot of people

is common, by definition.”• “Unique responses will tend to be creative

responses, although a response given only once need not be judged creative. For example, a random or inappropriate response would be uncommon but not creative.”

Creative Assessment Criteria

Remote• “Creative ideas are remotely linked to everyday

objects and ideas. For example, creative uses for a brick are “far from” common everyday uses for a brick, and creative instances of things that are round, are “far from” common round objects. Responses that stray from obvious ideas will tend to be creative, whereas responses close to obvious ideas will tend to be uncreative.”

Creativity Assessment Criteria

Clever• “Creative ideas are often clever: they strike

people as insightful, ironic, humorous, fitting, smart. Responses that are clever will then to be creative responses. Keep in mind that cleverness can compensate for the other facets. For example, a common use cleverly expresses could receive a high score.”

Instructions for Judging Creativity

• Creativity can be viewed as having three facets – uncommon, remote, and clever.

• Creative responses will generally be high on all three criteria.

• A low score on one criteria will not eliminate the possibility of a high rating.

Creativity Assessment Scale

Criteria 1 2 3 4 5

Uncommon

Remote

Clever

Application ExerciseWriting Science Fiction

The Royal Society

• http://invigorate.royalsociety.org/ks2/creating-and-discovering/science-fiction.aspx

• Instructions:• Click on the doors. Click on the library. Click on one of the books. • Search through the books until you find an illustration that inspires you

to write a creative story.• Select one illustration and write a creative story about it.• Use the prompt and guide questions for inspiration or just use your own

imagination.

Closing

• Questions or comments• Please, assess the workshop before you leave.