Everyone analyzes and speculates what Taylor Swift's songs are about. Now, we can use that to our advantage! We can imagine what they are about, and create our own stories. In this class, we will use Taylor Swift lyrics and songs to inspire us, then we will write short stories. Most of class will spent writing, and learners will have the opportunity to talk and learn about each other while we create. We'll first share our ideas for our stories, then we will begin writing. I will guide those who need it, as they need it, checking in intermittently. 

By the end of the class, or for homework, learners will complete a polished short story  and share their work with the class, building confidence in their creative writing abilities, and providing opportunities for feedback from peers. If stories are not finished in class, they can be finished for homework. Learners do not have to share their stories if they do not want to, but all stories should be sent to me in a private message for feedback. 

This class is for beginning to intermediate writers, which means background knowledge in creative writing, with previously written stories is . I do have a beginning to intermediate class, where I provide less guidance/structure. 


Week of August 26
Song: Willow
Lyrics: "Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark/ Show me the places where the others gave you scars." 
Option 1: What are the emotional scars they have, and how did they get them? 
Option 2: Why are they meeting after dark, and what are they meeting for? Maybe they heard about some buried treasure and need to find it. Perhaps they are catching fireflies,  or maybe they are running away from something. 
Option 3: We have a song and music video, but the music video doesn't show us how they were separated. How'd it happen?

Week of September 2
Song: So Long London (TTPD)
Lyrics: I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath/ I stoppеd CPR, after all, it’s no use/ The spirit was gonе, we would never come to
This isn't a ghost story, but it's perfect opportunity to write one!

Week of September 9
Song: Who's Afraid of Little Old Me (TTPD)
Lyrics: "I was tame, I was gentle ’til the circus life made me mean/ Don’t you worry folks we took out all her teeth … You caged me and then you called me crazy/ I am what I am ’cause you trained me." 

Week of September 16
Song: How Did it End (TTPD)
Lyrics: "Come one come all, it’s happening again/ The empathetic hunger descends/ We’ll tell no-one except all of our friends/ We must know, how did it end?"   

Week of September 23
Song: Love Story
Why were they star-crossed? Why didn't Juliet's dad like Romeo (not from the play, but in your own story that is a recreation)? What changed her dad's mind?

Week of September 30
Song: Fifteen (Fearless)
Lyrics:  "It's your freshman year/ And you're gonna be here for the next four years/ In this town." What are her aspirations for the next 4 years? What was middle school like and what does she hope high school will be like?

Week of October 7
Song: Blank Space (1989)
Lyrics: "New money, suit and tie/ I can read you like a magazine/ Ain't it funny? Rumors fly/ And I know you heard about me/ So, hey, let's be friends/ I'm dying to see how this one ends/ Grab your passport and my hand/ I can make the bad guys good for a weekend" & "But I've got a blank space, baby/ And I'll write your name" & "'Cause, darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream"
Option 1: What's the backstory of this "new money" person? It's giving The Great Gatsby 
Option 2: Where are they going? How does it end? What does it mean when she writes his name in a blank space?
Option 3: Write a couple descriptory paragraphs, one for how she is dressed, and another describing how her personality is contrary to that. Taylor is A+ with her symbolism, even with her outfits, so consider that while you write. 

Week of October 14
Song: Look What You Made me do (Reputation)
What is the story behind the entire song?

Week of October 21
No body, no crime (Evermore)
This song gives me chills. It does have more mature themes of infidelity and murder, but learners do not need to include either in their stories. This would be a great opportunity to add a different twist ending to the song. 

Week of October 28
Song: Mine (Speak Now)
Lyrics: "You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter / You are the best thing that's ever been mine."
Why was she so careful? In what ways did she become a rebel? Who changed her, and what realizations did she have about herself? 

Week of November 4
Song: The Story of Us (Speak Now)
Lyrics: "You held your pride like you should have held me"

Week of November 11
Song: Anti-Hero (Midnights)
Lyrics: "It's me / Hi / I'm the problem, it's me"
I think we've all felt this way at some point, so can relate. What's the story behind this?

Week of November 18
Song: Out of the Woods (1989)
Lyrics: "The monsters turned out to be just trees / When the sun came up you were looking at me"
This is the perfect opportunity for a fantasy adventure!

Week of November 25
Song: Champagne Problems (Evermore)
Lyrics: “You booked the night train for a reason / So you could sit there in this hurt” 
Night train sounds ominous, or lonely, depending on how you look at it. Is this a physical injury? Emotional? How'd it happen?

Week of December
Song: Our Song
Why didn't they have a song yet? This song is full of symbolism. What is really their song? What is the relationship like? What do they do for fun? This can be a platonic or familial relationship, too. 

Future songs/lyrics to be determined based on learner requests.