Stories. As human beings, we tell them, hear them, and grow through them. Across cultures, the sharing of our inner worlds and experiences through words binds us together. Creative Writing has long been considered the "fun" side of writing, and rightfully so! Who doesn't love to thrill and delight his or her readers with a spellbinding tale? However, "creative" doesn't just translate into "fun"; our writing represents us. From the standardized test essay to the cover letter that might just open the door to a dream job, our words are often our first impression. In this class, we will explore different writing styles and types of "creative" writing. We will model exceptional writing and determine what makes it that way. What are the parts of a story, and how do we make stories our own? How does the masterful use of vocabulary and grammar evoke a positive response in our readers? Through reading, writing, and story-mapping, we will joyfully answer these questions and more!