Creative+Writing

1. List 5 Positive consequences and 5 Negative consequences? Positive - would be able to see the ones they care for grow old with them and meet relatives they would not have been able to meet (i.e. great great great grandchildren) - people who had revolutionary ideas could live to see them through - would be able to see history change, inventions, etc. - wars might be resolved by those who originally started them - would have the time to do the things you wanted to Negative - would see loved ones die, leaving you alone - overpopulation (and all the negatives associated with this) - capacity of brain (said to max out at 300yrs, what might occur if life existed past this time?) - mentally living in the century you were born in, but physically living in a different century - insanity as a result of living too long 2. Describe the setting: Present day, Vancouver, BC, longing, retrospective

3. What is the main conflict? Person vs. self. The protagonist, Juliana, wants her life to return back to the way it was before her husband, Andrew's, car accident. Instead of moving on and coping with reality, she looks to try a new vaccine and live her present life in the past. Through a new anti-aging vaccine pilot, she hopes to turn back to the age when she met Andrew and have a fresh start at life, though deep down she knows her idea is pointless. Her family cautions against her being part of an experiment on anti-aging, but Juliana must come to a conclusion herself. She hopes that once she becomes younger, she will find someone like Andrew and be able to replace tragedy. The grief that comes after the news of Andrew's death is what spirals Juliana's mind downward. The only person who knows of her immense grief and insanity is her sister, living 6000 km away in Halifax. Juliana must either come to the conclusion to seek help or view the possible benefits of being younger through a risky and untested treatment.

Plot Outline: Introduction: We meet the main character, Juliana at her surprise 30th birthday party, where the opportunity for permanent youth presents itself. Rising Action: Juliana's 35th birthday party where she is met with confused looks from her friends since when she last saw them. Climax: At age 45, Juliana encounters an old friend who is bewildered at her lack of aging since her 35th birthday. Falling Action: Juliana living and dealing with the consequences of her choice as she ages mentally, but not physically. Conclusion: A dream leading to her passing away, being reunited with her dead husband and living the way she wanted to in life in her afterlife.

//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. How does the main character change over the course of the story? // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The main character changes over the story to realize her wish for youth may not have been good. Things don't turn out as well for her as she wanted because of her being held back by youth. What would have been a normal life was changed into an awkward state over the course of the rest of her life after becoming eternal young. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//6. Describe the use of Irony in your story.// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In my story, my character longs to be young in the beginning of the story. As circumstances change and she remains trapped in a youthful state, she longs to grow old and age with the company of her friends and family. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//7. What symbols are present in your story?// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The mysterious voice is a symbol for Juliana's inner desire for youth. We never get to meet the voice, and we could assume that it is inside Juliana's head and not an actual character. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//8. What is the theme of your story?// The theme of my story is the consequences of actions. If you want to eliminate something bad in your life, I like to think that you would have to give up something good you already have to gain it. In this story, the consequences of Juliana's actions are examined over a 45 year period. This helps to illustrate my theme by showing how even though the consequences may not take effect immediately, they will eventually occur.

Presentation:


30 For Life: <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">It is January 8th. What used to be my favourite day of the year when I was young, is now the day that I always dread; this year especially so, because I’m turning thirty. I woke up this morning feeling much older than yesterday, the days of my twenties. Why do birthdays have to happen when you are older? They only bring sadness at seeing another year having gone by with both missed opportunities and good memories. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">It was later that evening when I walked into my apartment to find the smiling faces of my friends encouraging me at a surprise party. I saw my sister, Angela, and my friends, Erica, Thomas, Jennifer, and Max. I couldn’t believe they’d done all that for me! I came across my boyfriend, Andrew. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“Happy Birthday, Juliana!” said Andrew excitedly. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“The big three-oh!” shouted Angela from across the room. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“Oh gosh, you’re making me die of embarrassment,” I shied away saying this. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">The evening progressed on with many light-hearted jokes of my aging through cards or comments from my friends. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“I wish I could be young forever,” I said not expecting anyone to hear. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“Really?” said a voice I did not recognize. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“If I’m old now, who knows what I will look like in five or ten years?” I asked discouraged. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“A sip is all you need to make your wish come true,” whispered the voice one last time before it disappeared. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">I was confused and intrigued by the offer of the voice, but as I did not know who it was, chose to ignore it and continue on at the party. I went back to the living room where everyone else was. Andrew passed me a beverage. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“What’s this?” I asked examining the liquid. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“I don’t know, someone gave it to me to give to you,” he replied equally confused, “Let’s have a toast to you!” He raised his own glass and I did, too. The evening began to wind down after the toast, and by 1 am I was back in my bed. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">That night I had many dreams about my childhood. Fond memories from long ago came flooding back in endless waves, one dream connecting to the other. My entire sleep felt like my youth re-enacted over a few hours. In the morning, I tried to analyze the origin of my dreams, but failed in finding a solution. I was probably over-thinking this anyways. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Days turned into months. Those months turned into a year. Andrew and I got married. I was so happy to be sharing the rest of my life with him. After a while we had a beautiful baby girl named Chloe. That year turned into five. I had my dream job, the perfect husband, and great friends. Though I aged, my life seemed to be falling into the right place. Before I knew it, it was my 35th birthday celebration, and I called all my friends to come celebrate with me and Andrew. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Angela, Jennifer, Max, Thomas and Erica along with a few of my co-workers came to the party that night. I hadn’t seen Max in so long, and he looked like he had changed quite a bit since then. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“Wow! You’re looking great, Juliana!” he said kindly and with a hint of puzzlement, “You haven’t aged in five years!” <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“Thanks Max!” I said shrugging it off, “I do my best to stay young.” <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">The whole evening, I kept getting strange looks from Max. Someone took a photo of the party and put it up on the computer. When I compared it to the one from my 30th birthday, I looked eerily similar. Again, my logic won out and I ignored the likeness. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Ten years passed since my 35th birthday, and I was at a get-together with an old friend. Jennifer and I had since grown apart with her moving away, and she was in town for a visit. We were going for coffee. I saw a reflection in the coffee shop window where we were going. What I saw bewildered me. I looked the same as I had for years now, but Jennifer was noticeably aging. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">I thought about my predicament for a while that evening. How was it that as my friends aged, I didn’t seem to? I worried that night and for the rest of my nights. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Before I knew it, another 30 years had passed. Some of my dear friends had passed away, my husband was quite ill and wasn’t expected to live much longer, and the living friends I had were often sick or weak in old age. I too was experiencing the effects of old age in my 30-year-old body. It was bewildering to physically look 30, but be 75 mentally. When Andrew and I would walk down the street, I would receive odd looks from people who saw what seemed to be a 30 year-old woman and a seventy-something year old man as a couple. I regretted ever wishing to be young forever. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Another six months went by. Andrew had died, and I felt alone in the world. Chloe had long moved away and we stayed in touch by phone, but she was busy with her life and had not visited in quite some time. I was out of place with my friends, and those who looked my age were not the kind of people I wanted to spend time with. I was near death myself; my health deteriorated each day. I was feeling sick again, and decided to go to bed. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">That night, I dreamt about a voice that would whisper, “A sip is all you need to make your wish come true...” over and over again. I would search for the source of the whisper, but could not find it. I followed the sound of the voice into a forested area. It was dark, rainy, and dim except for a clearing I saw up ahead. There it was sunny and bright. I thought I saw Andrew there, and I moved toward the light. In the clearing, there was nothing but blinding light. I tried to find Andrew, but could not see in front of me. I lay down in the grass. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">“A sip is all you need to make your wish come true,” whispered the voice one last time. In the grass I closed my eyes and finally saw Andrew. We walked together in the blinding light that turned to darkness, at last together in old age.