Creative Writing Club promotes storytelling, socializing
Creative Writing meets during second period for a Halloween party.
Creative Writing Club proves to be a fun and relaxing club for all students who love to write and want to enhance their writing skills while still being able to socialize. This club is perfect for students after a long day of school who just want to wind down. “The idea was to develop a camaraderie, to have creative fun along with some writing,” English teacher Annette Evans, the sponsor of the club, said.
On the days the club meets, 45 minutes is spent on writing while the rest is spent on sharing and reading the stories made. There are other activities besides writing such as being able to make your own prompts and sharing them, playing games like Two Truths and a Lie, Codename or taking turns writing one story. “That last activity is a favorite tradition in the club, and they always turn out really chaotic and fun. We also have times when we’re just chilling and chatting,” Jamin Day, the club president, said.
By joining this club, students develop and enhance skills aside from writing. While presenting, students grow more confident during public speaking and presentation skills. “Our environment is very chill, thoughtful, and quiet. Other than that chaotic journal days, our meetings are very relaxed and easygoing,” Day said.
If students don’t like the idea of sharing their story out loud, they are encouraged to write their story out on Google Classroom. If they still aren’t comfortable sharing and just want to practice, that is respected. “I think sharing stories and receiving feedback really boosts people’s confidence about their writing skills while also showing them ways that they could enhance their writing. Sharing allows us to see all different approaches to writing stories, as well as different perspectives about the world in general, giving way to more ideas and more stories. Reading a beautiful or funny story also helps us relax and have fun at the end of the day,” Day said.
The club has a Google Classroom on which they post prompts so that students can write. Meetings are only twice a month so the Classroom helps keep the creative flow going. There is a wide variety of prompts in terms of the number of prompts posted to choose from to an intentionally vague prompt. “We have prompts that we use every year. They’re usually holiday related, like Valentine’s Day or Halloween,” Day said.
This club is open to any student regardless of how good they are at writing and creating a story. Students who struggle in making their stories can always turn to their peers for guidance, feedback or ideas. “I’ve seen students come out of their shell and feel supported by their fellow writers. I’ve seen creative writing leaders grow in how to best hold an encouraging space for a wide range of students and writing interests,” Evans said.
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