Recent Changes

Introduction
Hello. My name is Scott Varn, and you have stumbled upon my creative writing page from my senior year of high school. When I was younger, I thought I wanted to grow up to be a writer. Every once in a while I will think on this again, but I am never really serious about it. I don't believe I am a very good writer, but I still had to write for this class. Some assignments were difficult, whether it was due to writer's block or a lack of motivation, but others were quite fun. When I write, I don't try to incorporate some deep meaning, or use a lot of symbols and metaphors. I do not want to create something that could be studied in a high school English class. I prefer to create stories that are simply that: stories. That being said, let me tell you about three pieces I wrote this semester.

Open Poem
Blackout Poem
Journal Entry 1 - The Markers
Journal Entry 2 - The Infirmary

Well, I guess that is all for today. Goodnight.
(1)According to other entries, David was one of Samuel's hallucinations. David was supposedly a patient who shared a room with Samuel.
other side.
(3)Samuel was given a lethal does of Aquous 9 in September 1996

The Infirmary
During investigation of the site, the private journal of one of the nurses was found. The following entry is dated December 16, 1995.
converse with David*,David(1), but kept about the curtaincurtain(2) again, but treatment for Samuel*,Samuel(3), maybe it this time.
Well,
Well, I guess today. Goodnight.
*According
(1)According to other with Samuel.
Raven
(2)Raven had a other side.
*Samuel
(3)Samuel was given

The Infirmary
During investigation of the site, the private journal of one of the nurses was found. The following entry is dated December 16, 1995.
Samuel was particularly bad today. His hallucinations seemed to be worse than usual. He didn't even respond to us being in the room. Samuel has screamed before, but never like he did today. He did not try to talk to converse with David*, but kept repeating the same two words over and over. He kept screaming "Christmas, David! Christmas!"
I tried talking to Dr. Raven about the curtain again, but he would not listen. Samuel needs to know that there is nothing behind it, that David is not real and that he is not lying in bed on the other side of the divider. This is sick. Demented. I cannot believe Raven thinks this could possibly help. Encouraging and reinforcing his hallucinations and delusions?! How can that help Samuel?! He needs to be sent away so that he can receive some real treatment. Raven is about to start a new treatment for Samuel*, maybe it will actually help this time.
Well, I guess that is all for today. Goodnight.
*According to other entries, David was one of Samuel's hallucinations. David was supposedly a patient who shared a room with Samuel.
Raven had a curtain placed in Samuel's room that blocked his view of the other side. Raven told Samuel that David lived on the other side.
*Samuel was given a lethal does of Aquous 9 in September 1996

The Markers
Pvt Wilkes watched as the workers placed another stone. It took four of them to stand it up straight. Once it was set, Wilkes stood for a brief moment before turning away.
He bent his head in the cold January wind. Tightening his coat, he made his way back to the infirmary. For just a moment, he paused on the path. He fought the urge to glance back at the stones. Benick was gone, nothing would change that, but Wilkes couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt. It was his fault that they had been trying to get inside of the shed. The shed that no one was supposed to enter.
Reaching the infirmary, he slipped inside. Wilkes made his way to room 131, Hughes' room. He opened to door slowly and stepped inside. "Hey there, buddy. They just placed Benick's marker." He sat down next to the bed and stared at Hughes. His friend lay there, not aware of anything around him. The doctors said there was little chance of him every waking up. Permanent vegetative state. That made Hughes the most fortunate of the three of them. His family was on there way to Charleston from Seattle; they were to take him home where he could live out the remainder of his days with them.
There was a loud knock on the door. Before Wilkes could get up, the door swung open and two armed guards stepped inside; the Admiral followed them into the room. "It's time, Private," he said sternly. Wilkes stood and the guards clapped handcuffs onto his wrists. They led him to room 4 where mentally ill patients were treated with electroshock therapy. The guards strapped the private into the chair. Wilkes did not resist.
"You understand why we have to do this, don't you, Wilkes?"
"Yes sir."
"We will, uh, place a marker for you. No one can know what you saw."
"Or that I existed."
"Well..."
"Is that what all of those stones are for, sir? For people like Benick and me? People who saw what was in the shed?"
"Not just in the shed, but, yes. They each represent someone who, uh, got too curious."
"Go to Hell."
"Farewell, Pvt. Wilkes."
The Admiral and the guards left the room; the heavy iron door slammed behind them. Wilkes stared at the one-way mirror in front of him. He knew the Admiral was on the other side, watching. Wilkes' last thoughts were of the shed.

55 Fiction Story
Beautiful Word Breakdown
Six Word Memoir
Open Poem
Blackout Poem

{6 word memoir.jpg}

The first piece is my 55 Fiction story. We were challenged with writing a story using only 55 words; no more, no less. I loved the idea for this assignment, so I instantly began brainstorming possible plots. I knew my story had to include some kind of twist. It was difficult to come up with a good idea for a plot that I could establish and then twist in only a few short sentences, but ultimately, I figured it out, and I am pleased with the result.
The next assignment was the Beautiful Word Breakdown. As a class, we were tasked to identify each of our favorite words. I had actually known mine for a while so I had a head start (my favorite word is myriad, by the way). Once we chose our word, we had to create a guide on how to physically say the word, describing how one's tongue and lips move to form the sounds. Next, we created our own origin for the word. And finally, we wrote the actual etymology for the word. I liked this assignment because it was simple, yet gave us a chance to create something fun and unique.
Word Memoir.
Ten
Ten Commandments
Great writers don't cheat, they steal: Don't plagarise someone else's work, but feel free to borrow ideas or styles and incorporate them into your own style. We were given an assignment in which we were given several poems and we had to create our own poems incorporating elements of the ones given to us.
Listen to the voices in your head: If you have a gut feeling about something, whether it's telling you to do something or avoid it, just listen. I didn't originally want to make my 6 Word Memoir about Lord of the Rings even though my gut said I should, but I went with it anyway.
Write for yourself: When you write, you shouldn't do it to impress others. You should do it because you have something you want to say, or some story you want to tell. This is kinda like my writing philosophy. I write because I want to create a story.
Selected Works
55 Fiction Story
Beautiful Word Breakdown