Creative Writing Process

    I'm obviously a sucker for anything related to English or Language Arts, so, naturally, I have a talent for creative writing.  I've done everything from nonfiction to poetry to journalism, and I can honestly say, without a doubt, that fiction is my favorite form of creative writing.  You can do anything within the scope of this genre, and I appreciate the freedom it gives you to write literally whatever you want.

    When you teach creative writing, I find it a lot simpler if you just let your students have as much fun with it as possible, including picking their own topics.  Now I know that's not ideal for every subject area or topic you're studying, but giving kids as much freedom as you are allowed will be more beneficial to their writing process.  It will also result in a much better final product, complete with effort, which is a fleeting hope at best when it comes to student writing.
    As I've stated in a previous post, I'm a huge fan of the multi-genre projects, which give students multiple options with which to tell their story and interpret information differently.  Within the multi-genre project are smaller writing activities built to engage the writer and incorporate their prior knowledge about the subject they're writing about.  Some of these include, but are not limited to, narratives, dialogues, letters and fairy tales.  All of these options and more can be used as creative writing activities.
    Another tool I like to use in creative writing is a notebook.  Never underestimate the power of a good notebook.  Students can use them for note-taking, jotting down ideas for projects or essays, making lists, comparing and contrasting ideas and just general brainstorming.  They are also good for free-writing activities, which are meant to give students the opportunity to write down their thoughts in the hope that some vital information will surface.  In creative writing, notebooks could represent the beginning stage of any piece.  Notebooks can house various drafts of writing, inspirational dreams and story arc maps to generate more ideas.

    Notebooks are one of my favorite things to use in my writing process.  I've been writing in a composition notebook since first grade, and I have kept almost every single one up until now.  I still keep a notebook for writing about various occurrences in my life, but in the past, I've used them for writing short stories, interpreting my dreams and experimenting with voice and character development.  Notebooks have been a huge part of not only my academic career, but also my inspiration to teach writing.  I believe that notebooks would be an asset to any English and/or Language Arts classroom.
    The versatility and freedom that come with writing should not be ignored or misused.  Students should be allowed to choose their own paths to writing and feel that their ideas and opinions are honored and respected.  There is no wrong way to write, nor is there a right way; only your way.
Writing is an integral part of any school curriculum and it would be a shame to waste all our energy and great skill on state-mandated essays and writing assessments.  Teachers should work with their students to find the writing style that bests fits their personality in order to create an open-minded learning environment.  Creative writing is meant for students to broaden their minds, reach into their imagination and explore writing as an enjoyable art form, not as a boring requirement.
    Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.