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HOW TO TEACH CREATIVE WRITING

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General
How to Teach Creative Writing Activities
Ways to Teach Writing Creatively
How to Teach Creative Writing to Children
Creative Writing Teaching Ideas
Ideas for a Creative Writing Course Plan
Creative Writing Lesson Plans and Activities

Primary/Elementary School
Creative Writing Activities for Primary School
How to Teach Creative Writing to Elementary School Students
Ways to Teach Elementary Creative Writing
Ideas for Creative Writing Activities for Preteens
How to Create Creative Writing Lessons for Elementary

Middle School
How to Teach Creative Writing to Middle School Students
Creative Writing Ideas for Teens
The Best Writing Prompt Ideas for Middle Schoolers and Teenagers
Creative Writing Ideas for Middle School Students

High School
How to Teach Creative Writing to High School Students
Creative Writing Activities for High School
High School Creative Writing Topics
Creative Writing Ideas for High School
Creative Writing Activity for High School Students

GENERAL

How to Teach Creative Writing Activities

Students may feel reluctant and threatened by a blank piece of paper and a request to write
a story about a given topic. However, with some inspiration and fun activities, reluctant
writers gain confidence and eager writers gain the skills to create higher quality writing. Use
these activities as building blocks to improving student writing and as tools to help you teach
creative writing skills. Once learned, the activities serve as tools that your students can keep
using as they write in the future.

Show students how to use graphic organizers

o Show students how to use graphic organizers such as story maps to think through
their writing before they start. A story map is a tool, often used in both reading and
writing instruction, that helps students to understand the important elements of a
story. Before beginning a story, have kids plan out story elements such as character,
plot, setting, theme, problem and solution on a story map so they have it to refer to
as they write the story. Fill in the graphic organizer together with your students the
first few times to help them through the thinking process of coming up with the
story elements that should be in the organizer.

Read to your students

o Read to your students, no matter how old they are, so that they know what highquality writing sounds like. Utilize a list such as the one linked below to find books
that focus on one or two characteristics of quality writing. Before reading the book,
introduce a characteristic of writing, such as unique word choice, and then ask
students to listen for samples of it in the book as you read. Later, have them mimic
the characteristic of the book you read in a creative writing piece of their own,
focusing on improving it in their writing.

Write poetry with your students.

o The short, fun nature of some poems makes them perfect for the hesitant beginning
writer. Start with something simple such as one-verse, simple ABAB pattern rhymes
where every other line ends with a rhyming word. Always write an example with
your students on the board, chart or overhead so they have a model or frame of
reference. Use fun poems by writers such as Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein to spark
interest. As students gain confidence, teach them about longer, more complex
poetry.

Write letters
o Students love writing notes, so formalize this and teach students how to write a
proper letter. Give students a meaningful task that requires writing a letter. They
might write to ask someone to come and speak to their class. Older students might
write letters convincing someone in authority to allow something not yet allowed.
With a meaningful task and some instruction in proper letter format, students take
writing a note to a friend and turn it into a meaningful creative writing challenge.

Choose some familiar fairy tales, stories or nursery rhymes.

o Choose some familiar fairy tales, stories or nursery rhymes. Write a list and ask
students to tell you from whose point of view the story is written. Discuss which
story elements tell you who is telling the story. Discuss that character's voice or
personality characteristics and identify those in the story. Have students pick a story
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and retell all or part of it from a different character's point of view using that
character's voice and personality in their writing.

Use circle-writing activities

o Use circle-writing activities from time to time for a quick, fun and non-threatening
creative writing exercise. Place students in groups of four to six people. Each group
needs one pencil and one piece of paper. Give students a strange topic or story
starter such as "Yesterday, on the way home from school I saw the strangest
creature. It had..." Each group chooses one person to start the story. The student
begins to write the story when the teacher says, "Go!" and continues to write until
the signal to stop is given. At that point, students pass the paper to the next person
in the circle who reads aloud the story so far to his group. The activity continues for a
given time period or number of rotations around the circle. Always give the signal to
the group when the last rotation arrives so they begin to end their stories. Writing a
story together with their group gives hesitant writers some peer assistance and a less
threatening environment for creating a story.

Tips & Warnings

o Use a word wall with different list categories such as seeing words, hearing words,
tasting words, family words, action words, feeling words. Teach children to think
about an object or place through all their senses when describing it. How does it feel,
taste, smell, sound and look.

Ways to Teach Writing Creatively

Teach your students the fun aspects of writing. Students of all ages write short stories and
papers, from younger elementary-school writers through college-age students. When you
teach writing, you want creative ideas and methods that keep the students interested in the
lesson and eager to record their own stories. Different ways of teaching writing creatively
include ideas with a basis in reality and fantasy-based ideas.

Use Past Experiences

o

Use a memoir or biography-based assignment that gets students excited about

writing. Combine the project with an art lesson, asking students to include
photographs or drawings of their past experiences. Base the size of the project on
the age of the students, asking for a one-page report from younger students and
longer papers from older kids. Brainstorm the project in class, asking the students
to record the top five moments of their lives and expand those moments into small
stories for the finished book.

Humorous Writing
o

If you want your kids interested in writing, then opt for writing assignments that
have a humorous or funny slant. Give your students a short prompt and ask them to
write a story based on that prompt. For example, have the students write a story on
what they would do if they found a bag of money or gold on the way home from
school. With older students, use the prompt as inspiration for short stories not
based on themselves. Give your students a short opening sentence that has no
ending and ask for a story that finishes the sentence. For example, tell the students,
I never believed that unicorns existed until and ask them to finish the story.

Work With Groups

o

Divide your classroom into small groups and ask the groups to write a short story
based on a prompt you give them. Sometimes students suffer from writers block
and have difficulty creating a story on their own. Putting the kids into groups lets
them brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other, until they create a story that
shares elements from each student.

Share Stories
o

Share the stories that your students create in the classroom. Make small books
from pages wrapped with ribbon through holes on the sides. Let the students pick
their favorite stories and create pictures for the books. Give the students one
prompt and ask each one to create a story with the same theme or idea for the
finished book. Get the students excited about creating stories for others. Send
home copies of the books for the parents.

How to Teach Creative Writing to Children

Start with the Six Traits of Writing
o Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions. These
six traits provide a way to assess students' writing. When students understand the
traits, they know what is expected of their writing. Using and teaching the traits
gives you a way to provide specific feedback about each student's skills and needs.
Go to http://www.thetraits.org/scoring_guides.php to print out rubrics with
detailed feedback for each trait. Use the rubrics to score student's work.

Begin each class with an engaging prompt

o These prompts could be used for short stories, journaling or oral stories. Vary the
types of prompts. You could use famous quotes, paintings, photographs, comic
strips, passages from novels, poems, story starters or anything else students might
relate to. Visit http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/# to view more than 300
prompts to get students started writing.

Teach students how to hold peer conferences with each other

o During these evaluations, students read each other's writing and give feedback.
Model or script an effective, valuable conference for the class to see. Vary how the
partners or groups are organized; choose a friend, teacher's choice, student to the
left, etc. Give students a sheet of questions to ask each other and turn in for a grade
or credit. Questions could include: What is your favorite part of this story? Is there
anything that is confusing to you, if so what? Go to
http://oregonstate.edu/~petersp/ORST/WR121_files/course%20resources.htm#gra
ding%20and%20peer%20review to learn more about peer evaluation and download
examples of student work.

Demonstrate how to do a story or character graphic organizer.

o Students use these to plan out their ideas, characters, plot, main idea and direction
of the story before writing. These graphic organizers take brainstorming a step
further. They begin to take their ideas and develop them. Go to
http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/character_story.htm to download
graphic organizer templates.

Show students how valuable the writing process is by giving

multiple opportunities to edit and revise their work.
o According to Alice L. Trupe, author of "Revising Practices," "As he [the student]
internalizes the feedback, he becomes a better critic of his own writing and
progressively incorporates those critical insights into his own drafting and revising
processes when writing outside of the classroom."

Teach mini-lessons at the beginning of each lesson.

o Focus the lessons on a small topic like using adjectives to replace the word "good."
Teach other mini-lessons about strong verbs, fragments and run-on sentences,
figurative language and good leads and conclusions. Go to
http://www.jmeacham.com/writers.workshop/writing.mini.lessons.htm to see
primary grade mini-lessons.

Start a writing club to join together students who already enjoy

writing.
o Don't limit it to "good" writers, open it up to anyone who wants to join. Let students choose
their topics on some assignments. Some students may be discouraged or frustrated if they
are always told what to write.

Creative Writing Teaching Ideas

Instructors of creative writing classes are happily situated, as the instruction calls for some of
the most inventive and interesting pedagogy around. Writing exercises for poetry, fiction
and nonfiction are many, and there is a wealth of fantastic essays on writing and workshops.
Teachers will find a healthy supply of ideas and may wind up developing some of their own.

Writing Exercises: Poetry

The list of writing exercises for poetry (and all genres really) is exhaustive. Here are
some of the most successful:
o Translation exercise: Bring in a poem in a language unfamiliar to your students.
Without giving them any ideas about the poem's content, have them "translate" the
poem by mimicking the lines and line integrity--the spacing of the poem. In terms of
language, the students may do their best to divine subject matter and imagery. The
result is a selection of poetry from students that is wildly different in focus, but
which holds the original shape of the poem. When the exercise is completed, read
the original out loud. Occasionally, students will happen upon the actual subject
matter, so do not let that surprise you. A poem in German about a deer has yielded,
for instance, five poems about deer in a class of 12. The object of the exercise is to
examine pacing and tone.
o Found poetry exercise: Find an old book and select a page of text. Write a poem
using only the specific lexicon on that page. Some poets choose to mark out words
with a marker, leaving behind words that form an unexpected poem. This exercise is
particularly useful when discussing language, as so many of us call upon the same
vocabulary over and over again. Borrowing language pushes writers outside of their
own self-imposed limitations.
o Photograph exercise: Hand out the same photograph (or image) that features at
least two people to all students and have them write a poem based on the picture
before them. Encourage varied approaches (first person point of view, dialogue,
etc.), but limit the length. Restrict space to an index card or drawn square that is the
same size as the photograph. Have students read their poems out loud, one after
the other, with no commentary between poems. The idea behind the exercise is to
encourage focusing on a particular image, voice or character.

Writing Exercises: Fiction

o First line exercise: Select a first line from a previously published work that appeals
to you--the sentence can be one that is gripping or one that simply presents
opportunity. Have students begin a short story using this common starting point.
The idea is to take something small and specific and begin with that, as opposed to
entering a story with more universal ideas in mind.
o Fortune cookie exercise: This exercise requires a nominal purchase by the
instructor, but bringing in fortune cookies for the class can produce surprising
results. Once you have handed out the cookies, have them use the fortune inside as
a first line for a story.
o Second person exercise: Ask students to develop a short story told entirely from
the second person point of view. Discuss the advantages, which include producing a
sense of immediacy or urgency and intimacy with the reader born of the direct
address form. Caution students against didactic, imperative sentences that may
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push readers firmly out of the story. The exercise is useful as it encourages writers
to experiment with point of view; you could also, for example, assign them first
person plural or third person limited.

Writing Exercises: Nonfiction

o Voice exercise: Students will pick a family member or close friend whose character
fascinates them in some way. Have students begin an essay by doing a character
sketch of this person. Suggest that they include traits unique to the person and
passages of dialogue that showcase that person's voice.
o First sound exercise: Have students work on the difficult task of teasing out early
memories by focusing on the first sound they remember hearing. Afterward, ask
students to begin an essay that both describes the memory and explores the
significance of it. An entire essay can be constructed around memories of
something specific, like sound. Often, writers will go regularly to the same
memories for inspiration and neglect the small memories which can sometimes
inform the entire character or crisis of the narrator.
o House as character exercise: Tell students to begin an essay with a description of a
house or room. The space should function as character and reveal something of the
people who inhabit the space. Imagery should address all the senses and
communicate the appropriate mood for the story.

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Ideas for a Creative Writing Course Plan

Creative writing is a way for students to express themselves in new and exciting ways. A
creative writing student can gain a greater sense of community and creativity when he
writes with his peers, and he can also enhance his introspective skills while writing by
himself. Having unique creative writing activities can make the difference between a good
class and a great class.

Writing Cycles
o

The focus of a writing cycle is to give students a sense of collaboration with other
classmates as they create stories together. Seat the students in a circle and give
each student one or two blank notebook pages. Instruct the students to start a
story from a prompt of your choice. An example prompt is, "It was noon and the
sun was hot..." Allow the students to write from that prompt for two or three
minutes, then instruct the class to pass their stories to the person sitting to the left.
Repeat the three-minute cycle, passing stories to the left until each story has gone
around once. Once students receive their own stories back, ask them to conclude
the story with another three-minute time slot of writing.

Six-Sentence Paragraphs
o

This activity takes a special attention to detail and concentration. Instruct each
student to write a six-sentence paragraph without repeating any word twice. This
includes contractions, such as "do not" and "don't." Tell the students that the
paragraphs must make sense and not be a random mixture of ideas. Once the
students are finished, gather each paragraph and read it aloud to the class without
revealing the names of the authors.

Journaling
o

Spend a week with your students in a journaling unit. Each student should have at
least seven pieces of paper available to use for journaling. During each day, starting
on the first day of class for the week, instruct the students to fold each piece of
paper in half, writing the titles "What I Saw" and "What I Thought about What I
Saw." Ask students to journal once or more a day about the things they see
throughout the day, and then to reflect upon what they experienced. The purpose
of this activity is to form a greater sense of introspection and reflection and to show
students the value of keeping a record of daily thoughts.

Marathon
o

This activity is exactly what it sounds like: a marathon. This is a good assignment for
classes that seem to be "stuck" or experiencing writer's block. At the beginning of
class, instruct students to take out a notebook and pen or pencil. Explain to them
that you expect them to keep the writing utensil on the paper for the entire class
period. The point is for students to simply write in a continuous stream. Some
students may become tired during the activity, but it is important to encourage
them to continue writing, even if what they write does not make sense. This
stream-of-consciousness style of writing can help break writer's block and help
students find new inspiration.

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Creative Writing Lesson Plans and Activities

Creative writing lesson plans and activities should be as varied as the participants who
undertake them. After all, the outcomes will be slightly different for every student. One of
the goals of any creative writing class is for students to learn different ways of expressing
themselves through writing and to gain exposure to different forms of writing. Creative
writing lesson plans and activities should incorporate a variety of instructional methods that
encourage students to practice and perfect writing as a form of artistic expression.

Spoken Word Poetry

o

Spoken word or "slam" poetry units typically consist of modeling or observation

followed by drafting and performance pieces. Students listen to spoken word poetry
and may even attend a spoken word poetry workshop or poetry cafe. The teacher
then instructs on different techniques for writing poetry. Students may use the
"empty vase" technique where they write a paragraph and then erase filler words,
keeping the essence of the paragraph with just a few words that are the beginning
of a poem. Another technique is to use sensory imagery only to capture the feeling
of a moment in time or an event. After drafting poems, students perform them in
front of one another, or in small groups after which they edit and polish their pieces
continually in preparation for a public performance.

Writing from Art

o

Students may begin a creative writing piece by writing about a piece of art or a
photograph. The instructor shows a photograph or painting and without any
discussion, students write about what feelings or mood the piece inspires in them.
Then, students share their ideas and thoughts to brainstorm ideas for a piece of
writing. The teacher might give a short prompt such as: "Write as though you are
one of the people in this photograph." The teacher might also ask students to draft
a list of words they would use to describe the piece of art and then use those words
to create a short story or poem about the piece.

Drafting from Imagination

o

Elementary students in particular love telling the story of ordinary objects that
surround them; for example, the story of a dollar bill -- who has handled it, what
has happened to it, where it's been. The teacher might instruct students to tell the
story of one of their favorite objects from home and to write as though they are
that object. Teachers can also provide story prompts to students starting with
"What if..." Another way to craft a lesson around imagination is to have students
alter the end of a well known story or put themselves into a famous tale. Children
have vivid imaginations, and creative writing is one place where expressing that
imagination isn't only encouraged, it's essential.

Personal Narratives
o

Personal narratives are most intriguing when the reader feels a connection to the
author. Beginning personal narratives works best when students can recall a story
that they felt a connection to and why. Sensory detail, metaphors and similes are
essential parts of personal narratives because they bring the reader in to the
writer's experience. Teachers might start with asking students to create lists of
similes and metaphors that apply to their lives. The students might identify with
being as hungry as a wolf or as angry as a bull and then craft a story around that
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simile or metaphor. Personal narratives are windows into the soul and snapshots
into a moment in time that may have passed but lives on forever in memory.

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PRIMARY/
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL

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15

Creative Writing Activities for Primary School

Plant the seed, then watch them grow. If you were to ask any bestselling authors when they
started writing, you can bet many would say they found their passion back in primary school.
Their inspiration may have come from a certain assignment or an outgoing teacher.
Stretching a child's imagination at an early age will help her in the future. All you need are a
few writing activities that are creative and fun.

Using Picture Books

o One advantage of using picture books is they show the link between reading and
writing. Choose books that have the words positioned away from the pictures. This
makes it easier to cover up the words. Once the words are covered, have the
students look through the book and write their own stories, based on what they
see. You will be surprised by how many different stories the students will write.
Then read the book and have them compare the original story to their versions.

Journals
o Not only are journals a way to have students practice writing every day, they are
also a way for the students to keep a memento of their school years. You can have
the students make their own journals using construction paper and copy paper, or
buy premade journals from an office supply store. You can give the students a topic
to write about or they can write about what they learned that day.

Idea Box
o An idea box is simply a shoe box covered in paper and stickers. Cut an opening at
the top large enough for a child's hand to fit through. Fill the box with different
objects. You can use anything from items about your next lesson, to trinkets you
find around the house. Let one student pull out an item, and then have the class
write a story with that item in it. Have the students add pictures and share their
stories.

Round-Robin Writing
o Round-robin writing is a way for students to put their heads together to create one
story. Give the students a starter sentence, such as "Tommy was late for school,"
and have the students write for three minutes. Next, have the students rotate their
papers in a group. Those students will read the story and continue writing it for
three minutes. Do this for three rounds. The students will read their final story to
see how it has changed.

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How to Teach Creative Writing to

Elementary School Students
Coming up with good creative writing lesson plans for elementary school students can be an
absolute joy. Elementary school creative writing classes allow you as the teacher to harness
the creativity of young minds and use it to inspire a lifelong passion for learning.

Getting Them Writing

Make it fun! Take them on a walk to write poems about a particular tree. Have
them shout out onomatopoeia words, write them on the blackboard and use them
to construct a sound poem as a class. There are probably hundreds of creative
writing lesson plans you can start with. The important thing is that you choose one
that will show your elementary school students that writing can be a lot of fun.
o Bring in examples. Starting is often the most difficult part of the writing process for
elementary school students. Allowing them to imitate a particular poem or a
passage from a story will get them going.
o Consider doing "copy change" assignments. In a copy change, students select a
favorite passage from a story and rewrite it, keeping the structure the same while
changing the content. For example, they can rewrite a paragraph about how happy
a character was so it shows another emotion such as sadness, anger or sleepiness.
o Bring in as many senses as possible. For example, have them describe a favorite
place using sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. Alternately, you could turn off the
lights and have each of them come up with an observation about the classroom that
doesn't involve sight.
o

Improving their writing

Allow each student to choose a favorite assignment to polish and perfect. This will
give your elementary writers a sense of ownership over their compositions.
o Use group feedback. Have each student say two things they like about each piece of
writing and one that could be improved.
o Use partner editing to catch spelling and grammar mistakes. This will help your
students learn how to catch their own errors through learning to spot the mistakes
made by other students.
o Compile all of the finished pieces into a class writing book. Give each student a
copy. Make them feel proud about what they have accomplished, both individually
and as a class.
o

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Ways to Teach Elementary Creative Writing

Creative writing gets original and innovative ideas flowing in a child's head and puts those
imaginative ideas on paper. It also teaches students how to express themselves and allows
them to demonstrate solid vocabulary skills as well as practice their abilities in grammar and
sentence structure. Some creative writing assignments can give students the opportunity to
create characters, settings and plot while others allow them to write creative nonfiction.

Prompts
o One of the easiest and best ways to get students to begin the creative writing
process uses prompts, which can work at any age. Writing prompts start students
with very little information or just a beginning sentence, and then allow them to
finish the story. Starting with "what I did on my summer vacation," "why I like my
best friend so much" and "the place I love to visit most" are all areas that can get
students writing creatively. Older students can write about the difference between
write and wrong or giving alternatives to popular stories. Asking students to write
about an event they remember most or something that affected them deeply can
also begin a creative writing project.

Storytelling
o At a very young age, children listen to stories regardless if they come from a
grandparent, movie, book or theater production. The basis of creative writing
begins with good storytelling, where students get their introduction to characters,
plot, setting and conflict resolution. Children's authors typically address many of the
issues that children face, including going to a new school, living with a new pet and
cleaning up their room. By exposing children to as many stories as possible, this
helps them learn good structure and what makes a good story.

Field Trips
o Taking students out of the classroom and letting them observe human behavior,
visuals and scents forces them to take note of the details that play a vital role in the
creative writing process. Teachers can take students to a farmers' market, park or
even a school library where, with notepad in hand, the students can write down
what they see and observe. Instead of the student just writing down that the
student sees "a woman in a red dress," teachers can press the students for details,
such as asking about the person's height, color of hair and if she wore a hat. While
students can write down as many adjectives they can think of, just a few allow the
students to get into the habit of taking notice.

Pictures and Photographs

o As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Allowing students to
write about what they see in a picture or even a photograph gives them the
opportunity to write about what they see and what they feel. Picking photographs
of landscapes or people that may contain multiple meanings allows students to
create their own story. Picking out artist drawings can also create the same effect.
This exercise also begins to develop critical thinking skills at a young age by letting
students make connections and create words from things they see or infer.

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Ideas for Creative Writing Activities

for Preteens
Creative activities show your students that writing can be fun. Get your preteen creative
writing students excited about writing and thinking with a creative mind. Incorporate
individual or collaborative learning activities into your lesson plans. Your students are more
likely to be attentive to your teaching if you provide lessons that are rich in hands-on
activities for your young writers.

Basket Writing Prompts

o

Assign your students to write a creative writing piece in response to a writing

prompt hand-picked from a basket. Have students get into groups of three to four
people. Give each student three small pieces of paper: one blue, one red and one
yellow. Each student should write the name of an interesting place on the blue
paper, the name of an interesting person or thing on the red paper and an action or
event on the yellow paper. Have students fold and toss the papers in the basket.
Each student should grab three pieces of paper from the group's basket --- one of
each color. Each student is responsible for writing a story that incorporates the
ideas written on each of the three pieces of paper.

Headline Poems
o

Have your preteen creative writing students create poems based on popular
newspaper or magazine headline topics. Assign your students to look through
newspapers and magazines individually or in pairs and select a main topic as seen
often in the headlines. The students will then create an original poem about that
topic. The poem can be free-verse or rhyme. You can also assign a specific type of
poem to be written, such as a cinquain. Once students have finished, host a poetry
reading in your classroom so students can share.

Magazine Picture Writing

o

Assign your creative writing students to write a story based on five photos clipped
from a magazine. Students can work individually or collaboratively with a partner.
The students should cut out magazine pictures that appear to be interesting or have
the potential to generate a creative piece of writing. Provide students with phrases
on the front board like, "Once upon a time," to help jump start the writing process.
Once each student or pair has finished a story, allow students to share with the
class or compile the stories into an anthology that you can read aloud to the class.

Collaborative Story
o

Provide your students with the opportunity to create a collaborative writing piece
while working on the progression of a story. Each student takes out a blank sheet of
lined paper and writes his name at the top. Give the student five minutes to write
the beginning of an original story. Remind students to keep it appropriate and not
include the names of any students in the class. The student then passes the story on
to another student who adds on to the story for five minutes, creating the plot. The
story is passed on one final time to another student who spends five minutes
writing the conclusion to the story. Return stories to the original writer to read.
Completed stories can be read aloud.

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How to Create Creative Writing Lessons

for Elementary
Encourage your students to write what's on their mind each day. Creating writing exercises
stimulate students' imagination and enhance their ability to express themselves in words. In
the early years of a child's education, creative writing exercises must be enjoyable for
students so they're engaged in the lesson. The exercises also have to teach students about
creative storytelling and the fundamental components that make up a story.

Make journals a daily or weekly part of the classroom experience.

o Each week, give students daily or weekly journal prompts and encourage them to think
creatively about their answers. Some possible questions include, "What would you do if
you woke up and saw a dinosaur in your backyard," or "If you could sit down to lunch
with a someone famous, who would it be and why?" Creative journal writing prompts
that encourage students to invent stories or describe family members and pets are also
effective.

Have students create a "jumble story."

o Ask students to pick three numbers between one and 10. Each number corresponds to
a specific character, setting and situation that you've selected. Students match their
chosen numbers to find out what elements they need to use in their stories. For
example, a student may need to write about an alien at a shopping mall late at night or
a new mom at a city park during a concert.

Turn a creative writing exercise into a history lesson

o Turn a creative writing exercise into a history lesson by having students write about a
historical figure. It can either be a historical figure you've assigned to them or a person
of their choosing. Students write from the perspective of the historical figure and
examine questions such as the accomplishments they are most proud of, their most
regrettable moment and their favorite childhood memory.

Tips & Warnings

o

In the beginning of the school year, students can create and personalize their own
journals with a stack of white-lined paper tucked between two pieces of card stock or
construction paper. Have these journals professionally bound or simply staple them in
place, depending on your classroom resources.

20

MIDDLE
SCHOOL

21

How to Teach Creative Writing to

Middle School Students
Coming up with creative writing lesson plans for middle school students can be a little tricky
at times. High school students are often mature enough to strive for artistic, polished
writing, and elementary students have an unvarnished imagination that is easy to direct
towards learning, but getting middle school students to open up requires careful planning
and good classroom control.

Preparations
o Make a list of your goals. You should include educational standards in your creative
writing program, but you should not be ruled by them. Teaching your students to
open up and express themselves is every bit as important as teaching them correct
grammar and organization of ideas.
o Divide your writing assignments into two categories: "loosen up" and "tighten up."
"Loosen up" lessons are designed to help your students free up their inner voices.
Free writes, brainstorming and sound poetry are some examples of "loosen up"
writing. "Tighten up" lessons are geared towards helping your students polish and
improve their writing.
o Combine "loosen up" and "tighten up" lessons into each assignment. For example,
you can start a poetry assignment with a free write. Then, you can have them select
a passage from the free write to develop and turn into a polished poem.
o Connect the writing assignment to the core curriculum. For example, if your
students are learning about the gold rush, you could create lesson plans which
allow them to write a journal from the point of view of someone living through
events from that era.

Teaching Creative Writing

o

Vary you classroom setup and teaching style. On some days, lecturing from the
front of the room is just fine. On other days, arrange the desks in a circle or in small
groups to allow students to share their projects.
Make your students feel comfortable. For some creative writing assignments, it is
best to not require the students to share their projects. Everyone should participate
sometimes, but no one should have to participate all the time.
Participate in the creative writing class. Middle school students love to see their
teachers required to do the assignments! In addition, it gives them an example of
polished writing that they can follow if they want to.
Give your students options. Instead of focus on drilling many different creative
techniques into their heads, allow them to choose what kind of poem, essay or
narrative they want to write.
Demand excellence. The best stories, poems and essays often start as sloppy free
writes. Real writers take a piece from humble beginnings, through several revisions,
to a perfect final draft. Your students should learn to as well!

Tips & Warnings

o

Free writes are a great way to get middle school students writing. To hold a free
write, tell your students to write continuously for five minutes. They can write

22

about anything they want to during that time but cannot edit their writing or stop
before their time is up.
o Never require students to share free writes or other raw, unpolished writing. This
kind of writing is meant to be very spontaneous and personal, and students need to
feel safe when things come out that they don't want to share.

23

Creative Writing Ideas for Teens

Look for unusual ways to view the world, then write it into words. Creative writing comes
from inside yourself. It is your highly individual response to the world around you. Writing
begins with observing the world and storing away images to be recorded later, then sharing
the best bits with others. It can be in the form of poetry, short stories, essays or even factual
accounts. Your unique, personal view will shape your written work. Even when you write in
response to an assignment, your viewpoint makes the work your own.

Journals
o

A good journal is a writer's springboard for future projects. Writing in a journal is a

way to practice recording events, try out a turn of phrase, jot down new vocabulary
and record ideas that might otherwise escape before they can become a story or
essay. Write down descriptions of objects, record conversations and note major
events that happen in your life. This is not for sharing or true confessions; this is
your practice area.

Poetry
o

Poetry isn't just for greeting cards. The best poetry describes strong feelings and
goes straight to the essence of a situation. There are a lot of different poetry forms.
Get a book of poems from your local library, and try imitating some of the rhyme
schemes or rhythm patterns. Play around with them until you get a feel for how
they work. Read a local newspaper; select three articles. Write a poem about each
one, using a different poetic form for each.

Short Stories
o

Short stories range from incredibly short pieces designed to fit from start to finish
on one computer frame to about 30 typed pages, double-spaced. Watch vehicles go
by or around you as you travel, and make up characters that you think would drive
certain types of vehicles. Imagine what would happen if some of these characters
were to meet; add a problem they need to solve and walk them through to a
solution. Add some conversation, a little scenery and turn it into a short story.

Formal Essay
o

Essays are a way of talking about things that are important to you. Topics can range
from a homely diatribe against the quality of school lunches to something as serious
as racial prejudice. Ideally, they should present an opportunity for the reader to
share something important to you or to gain a more enlightened point of view
through reading your writing. Read some famous essays, such as "A Helpless
Situation" by Mark Twain, or one of the State of the Union addresses by John
Quincy Adams. After reading a few, try writing your own essay.

24

The Best Writing Prompt Ideas for Middle

Schoolers and Teenagers
"Low stakes" student writing, such as journal entries, can help students digest class material.
Teachers should expand their use of writing in classrooms, according to Dr. Peter Elbow,
professor of writing and pedagogy at the University of Massachusetts. According to "Writing
for Learning," Dr. Elbow's signature National Teaching and Learning Forum publication, "low
stakes" writing without teacher evaluation can be a strong pedagogical device within the
context of a balanced lesson plan. Consider using writing prompts that encourage creative
and abstract reasoning for classroom journal writing, daily writing practice or student
evaluations at both the middle school and high school level.

Self-Reflection
o

Writing prompts that ask students questions about themselves promote selfreflection and critical thinking. After reading a story about a boy with a mischievous
pet lizard, ask student to write on the prompt, "How I Would Take Care of a Pet
Lizard." Asking questions that relate subject matter to students' personal lives -even if only through the imagination -- can help students relate with central story
characters and better understand the nuances of story plots or character
motivations.

Conceptual Relationships
o

Conceptual relationship topics ask student to think about similarities and

differences, cause and effect or other abstract relationships. These questions
encourage students to grapple with class material at a higher level than simple fillin-the-right-bubble exams or worksheets. Writing prompts that focus on conceptual
relationships might prove especially beneficial in the physical and natural sciences.
For example, after viewing the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, present
students with the writing prompt, "How Does a Caterpillar to Become a Butterfly?"
or "What Causes a Caterpillar to Enter Metamorphosis?" Having student write for
themselves the causal mechanisms of a natural process can help them to learn the
details of those processes.

Metanarrative Observations
o

For movies, plays and books, give students the opportunity to get inside the writer's
or creator's head by asking questions that take a step back and look at the creative
process. Why did the author choose a certain name, birthplace or personal history
for a character? What is the relationship between the creator's own biography and
that of her main character? These questions helps students conceptualize the
creative process and can add to their appreciation and understanding of the literary
or cinematographic work.

Changing Elements
o

Combine critical thinking with creative writing and writing prompts that ask
students how situations or events may have turned out differently if one or more
variables had been different. These prompts work well in history and government
lessons. After reviewing the history of a major invention like the printing press, for
example, present student with a prompt like, "How Would the World Be Different If
the Printing Press Had Never Been Invented?" Learning experiences that engage
25

students' creative sides and their analytical sides are often more effective than
learning experiences that engage strictly one or the other.

26

Creative Writing Ideas for

Middle School Students
Motivating middle school students to write requires well-chosen topics that appeal to their
growing sense of independence and individuality. Topics that may have held their interest
during early elementary years suddenly appear lame or childish. An experienced teacher
knows that encouraging middle school students to write means loosening the strings and
allowing them to write about issues and concerns that are meaningful to their lives. Finding
those meaningful topics takes some exploration on the part of the teacher, but the results
outweigh the effort.

Get to Know Students

o

Implementing a successful writing program depends in part on getting to know your

students and their interests. Although there are always one or two students who do
not share the same interests as their classmates, each age group tends to focus on
specific interests depending on the environment and the social climate in your
community. Knowing your students interests provides the basis to form writing
assignments. While one group of students may be interested in nature-relatedactvities like hunting, fishing and camping, another group may be more concerned
with personal safety and current issues in their communities. Knowing the concerns
and interests of the specific group helps you to design writing activities that are
relevant to their lives.

Jackdaw
o

A jackdaw is a bird that like to collect and horde shiny objects. In the educational
setting, a jackdaw is a collection of objects (or words and images to represent them)
that symbolize the students talents and interests. Whether you choose to use actual
objects or simply to create visual representations in a folder for students to share
depends on the maturity level of the students and your personal preferences. Early
middle school students may benefit from a jackdaw of physical tokens to represent
concepts. A small chess piece to symbolize a love of chess, a scrap of fabric for
crafty teens, a fishing lure or a favorite book all illustrate the student's interests. By
eighth grade, a decorated folder with images and words can be used successfully.
Include requirements that the jackdaw include the student's interests, concerns,
dreams, activities, talents and relationships to others.

Jackdaw Writing
o

Middle school students enjoy writing about themselves and about their interests.
Challenge them to review their jackdaw and select one of their talents. Direct them
to write about their talents and how they can use those talent for help others. This
activity encourages students to think about how they connect to the outside world,
strengthens thinking skills and develops writing skills.

Writing Prompts
o

Writing prompts can be effective tools if used properly. Avoid trite and overused
prompts like "My Summer Vacation." By the time students have reached middle
school, they have already written to the topic many times and have most certainly
lost interest. Try prompts that engage higher level thinking skills such as "If I could
choose a new talent I would choose _____because ______." Instruct students to
27

complete the sentence and write about how that talent would change their life and
the lives of those around them.

Student-Created Writing Prompts

o

Allow students to suggest writing prompts and create a master list. Students often
suggest intriguing prompts that are likely to engage their peers in the writing
process. Edit the list for appropriateness and use for future prompts. Placing the
prompts in a jar and randomly selecting them makes writing fun, as students
anticipate their prompt being chosen.

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HIGH
SCHOOL

29

How to Teach Creative Writing to

High School Students
A relaxed environment in class helps students get creative. Teaching your high school
students to be great writers is not just a matter of drilling them in formal essay writing
techniques. Techniques can be learned, but if your students do not develop a passion for the
written word, they will never become truly great writers. A creative writing class is the best
way to show high school students why learning to write matters.

Make the creative writing class as relaxed and informal as possible

o High school students in particular will feel more comfortable expressing themselves
in an informal environment. Set up the desks in a circle. Allow your students to
choose whether or not they want to share their writing. Let the students lead the
discussions as much as possible.

Pick approaches to writing that your high school students may not
have tried before
o For a fiction assignment, you could have your students rewrite a favorite story from
the perspective of a different character. For a poetry assignment, you could have
them describe a favorite place by its smell, sound and texture.

Show examples
o

Bring in a favorite poem or an excerpt from a story to demonstrate the kind of

writing you assign.

Participate in the creative writing process

o

Do the assignments yourself, and share your own writing with the students. By
opening your own writing to the students, you can make them feel more
comfortable sharing with you. They will also benefit from having the voice of a more
seasoned writer.

First loosen up, then tighten up

o

When the class is first starting, the goal is to make your creative writing students
feel comfortable expressing themselves. Once they feel comfortable, you can teach
them lessons about writing tighter prose, using more creative imagery or whatever
other writing techniques you may want to include.

Tips & Warnings

Keep the assignments flexible but not too open-ended. If students are given too
little writing guidance, they will have trouble starting. If, on the other hand, they are
given too formal a structure, they will not be able to loosen up and get creative.
o Although plagiarism is never acceptable, derivative writing is. Some students may
need to feel comfortable with a style of writing before making it their own. Allow
them to use the examples you give them as a template.
o

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Creative Writing Activities for High School

Creative writing can be both incredibly fun and incredibly terrifying for high school students.
It is incredibly fun because it gives students a break from formal essay writing and
vocabulary tests. It can be incredibly terrifying if the students are uncertain of their writing
ability or creativity and imagination. However, learning to write creatively is imperative for
future success in college and the job market. Here are some creative writing activities
suitable for high schoolers to help get the creative juices flowing and make the process seem
less threatening.

Simple Poetry: Haiku

o

Introduce high school students to haiku poetry. Haikus are three line poems
consisting of a first line of five syllables, a second line of seven syllables and a final
line of five syllables. The small poems feature two parts, with a turning point usually
occurring in the middle of the poem. Since haiku poems are most commonly a
personal reaction to an everyday occurrence, the students needn't worry about
coming up with something profound.

Craft a Story Based on a News Item

o

Ask students to find a story that interests them from the news. Have them clip it
from the paper, print it from the Internet or write a summary of it from television
news and bring into class. The students should compose a short story that uses the
news item they found as a springboard. Encourage the students to add or delete
from the story as they wish, making something that is reflective of who they are.

Use Another Story As a Springboard

o

Have students read a story or novel in class or as a homework assignment. Then

encourage them to write their own story using a similar theme or in the same style
as the original story. This activity works particularly well when students are reading
genres such as horror or science fiction. Alternatively, have students read a poem
and then write their own poem in the style read. For instance, if the students are
reading Shakespeare's sonnets, have them compose their own sonnets in response.

Playwriting
o

Playwriting is a great way for students to really play with both language and
imagery. Challenge students to write a play using alliteration, by focusing on a word
chosen at random from the dictionary, or by setting it in an unusual place. A full
length play may be too daunting for young writers while a ten minute play or one
act may be the perfect length. Playwriting is also great for learning to develop
characters. Encourage students to think of what makes them and their friends
unique and assign those characteristics to their characters.

Exquisite Corpse
o

Exquisite Corpses are a fun, simple way to introduce students to collaborative

creative writing. Created by the Surrealists in the 1920s, exquisite corpses are
pieces of writing created by a group of people. The first student writes a sentence
or two, conceals what has been written and passes the paper to the next student,
who writes another sentence and so on. There may be rules regarding the sequence
or the students may be allowed to see the last thing written but nothing prior to it.
The activity helps to open students up since the end product is guaranteed to be
nonsensical.
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High School Creative Writing Topics

Many high-school students do not enjoy writing. Writing essays and book reports is often seen as
a boring chore that cannot be escaped. Teachers can help students enjoy writing by giving them
creative writing assignments. Creative writing activities help students strengthen their writing
skills while helping to instill a love of writing.

Describe a Memorable Event

o Instruct students to think of a memorable event that had a considerable impact on their

lives. Have them describe the event in detail and how they felt while it was happening.
Encourage them to not name the feeling but use words to paint a picture of how the
experience felt. For example, sweaty palms, dry throat, tight muscles and flushed face
are all acceptable descriptions.

Alphabet Story
o Have students write a short story that is exactly 26 sentences long. Each sentence

should begin with the next letter of the alphabet. Give strict guidelines -- as to the
theme, character types and the title students must adhere to -- or you can allow the
class to come up with the topic and characters.

Monologue or Letter to a Loved One

o This is an opportunity for students to express their innermost feelings to someone they

are unable to see. The loved one can be a deceased relative or friend, or someone who
moved away and lives in another state or country; all that matters is that the person is
special to the student and that the student has something important to say. Allow
students to write freely, expressing whatever they would like to say to the person.
Once students have written their monologue or letter, they may volunteer to share
them with the class. Students should not be forced to share -- especially if the
monologue or letter is personal in nature.

Pet Story
o This creative writing activity allows students to view the world from their pet's

perspective. Instruct students to write a story about a typical day at home but write
what the day looks like through the eyes of their family pet. Have them include details
about how the pet views the family members.

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Creative Writing Ideas for High School

Creative writing can be a fun and valuable skill for high school students to learn. If you teach
creative writing and need some ideas to spruce up your curriculum, consider ideas for writing in a
variety of genres to let your students flex their creative muscles.

Short Story
o For short story writing, one of the most essential skills is character creation. Help your

students learn to create characters by having them make up social networking profiles
for a character. They should imagine that the protagonist of their next story is creating
a page for MySpace or Facebook; what would the character include in the profile? Ask
your student to include an image, quote, list of friends, list of groups the character
would belong to, photos to upload or online interests. This gets your students thinking
about the characters they create on a deeper level. Remind them that not everyone is
totally honest online. They should make adjustments for lies their characters might tell
the world so they can appear "cooler" online. Another way to boost characterization is
to have students work in groups to brainstorm character traits, both physical and
personality-related. Have students write each trait on an index card (four traits or more
per student) and place them in a group pile. Then each member of the group should
choose two physical traits and two personality traits and write a character profile
paragraph about the person who would have all of those traits.

Poetry
o Give students opportunities to read a lot of poetry and talk about the elements they

see. Then ask them to write poetry that mimics the style of the poems they read. Have
them put together a portfolio that combines these skills. They should include some
published poetry and a written analysis of it, as well as their own original poetry. Let
students use song lyrics, too. This is poetry that is a part of their daily lives, and it might
be easier for them to understand than classic literary poetry.

Film Study
o In a creative writing class, films can provide a break from writing as well as a way to

study creative elements. Show fairy tales or a film such as "The Princess Bride" to
discuss stock characters and plot archetypes. Have students list and explain the
archetypes they find in the films, and then practice writing a fairy tale or fable of their
own using some of those archetypes. Another film for creative writing class can be
"Stranger than Fiction." In this movie, Emma Thompson's character quite literally
interacts with the protagonist in her novel. Talk about the ways in which a character
can take over the plot of a piece of writing, and how a writer needs to be able to adapt
a story as it progresses.

33

Creative Writing Activity for

Creativity stems from the right side of the brain, and learning to access it improves creative
writing. Before children reach the age of eight, they operate from the right side of the brain,
the creative, feminine side. When they draw pictures, these images appear more natural;
and when they write, they "sound like they feel." Dr. Gabriele Rico describes a process to
help high school students regain their natural voice, accessing the creativity hidden within
what she terms the "design" mind, discovering the patterns of meaning, releasing creative
inhibition and putting an end to writer's block once and for all.

Discovering the Current Voice

o This process, taken from Rico's book, "Writing the Natural Way," will go through several

stages to help students discover their "inner writer." The first process in this creative
writing activity starts with four quick writing assignments. Limit students to five
minutes for each of these four exercises to establish their writing style. This is not for
critique but for informational purposes. For the first writing, have students write
something about themselves. They may do so from any perspective desired. In the
second writing, have students describe a feeling, such as fear or love, sadness or joy. In
exercise three, have students write about someone for whom they care. In writing
exercise four, have students write anything they can about the topic of writing.

Review
o More than likely, some students had trouble with one or more of these writing projects.

Yet once students get started, by the fourth entry, the writing will begin to flow. More
than likely, students found that when writing about themselves, they experienced more
trouble while writing about someone they cared for flowed. When it came to describing
a feeling, more than likely, it left students feeling somewhat frustrated. By the time
they completed the last entry about writing, students could chronicle their writing
experience with the first three writing exercises. As a result of this exercise, students
may feel very negative about their writings, but continuing on, they can grow to realize
options exist to express themselves differently.

Accessing the Design Mind

o Using a process called "clustering," Dr. Rico teaches writers how to enter the doorway

to the design mind. Right brain writing follows natural patterns of meaning, uses all
senses in the process, inspires creativity and releases inhibitions. To start the clustering
process, take a blank piece of paper and a nucleus phrase or topic and write it in the
center of the page. Place a circle around it. Without thinking about it, begin to write
words that come immediately to mind, branching off the original phrase with lines,
words at the ends of the lines and circles around the words. If a particular word leads
down another path, branch out from that word. It doesn't matter how the page looks;
this isn't about making it pretty: it's about writing what comes to mind quickly. This
process takes approximately two to five minutes. Have students quit when they feel
they're done. The page should look like an extended spider's web.

Writing Naturally
o Immediately after students complete the clustering process, have them switch to their

writing piece. Students will inherently feel the "internal" shift after the clustering is
complete; when this happens, encourage them to write what comes out. Invariably,
because of the clustering process, just writing what comes to mind will give students a
better sense of what they want to say, and the writing will seem to flow. After about

34

five minutes, tell the students to finish up quickly. This part of the writing process only
takes a few minutes.

Results
o Because "clustering always unfolds from a center, like ripples generated by a rock

thrown in a pond," Rico says, the nucleus phrase in clustering becomes the kernel or
the seed that contains the potential growth of the writing. When the nucleus phrase or
word is allowed to filter naturally through the student's personal experience, it
generates -- almost all of the time -- writing that is expressive of the student's distinct
consciousness. It allows the expression of the student's authentic voice, in essence, an
expression that is natural but unique to the writer.

35