An Unexpected Answer

Funny interaction of the day #2: In my creative writing class with seniors, I’ve been pretty happy with how things have been going so far. I’ve rejigged the course this year and am using shop-worn wisdom from the creative writing world to structure things: “Activate the Senses” and now “Show Don’t Tell.” Cliches, certainly, but inarguably very good advice for a novice creative writer.

I am trying to give the students space and time to write a pretty sustained piece of fiction - a short story that they could complete in a two-to-three-week timeframe, but it could possibly be a short play or movie script, if that where the student’s interest lies.

Yesterday for the small number of kids who didn’t have a solid idea emerging from the last two weeks of writing prompts, I called them out in the hallway one by one to draw out their ideas.

Me: “Any pieces you liked from the previous assignments that have some potential? Is there something you’ve started that you can expand on?”

Student (a serious kid, a good writer): “No, not really.”

Me: “So what do you think you will write about?”

Student: “I was thinking pirates.”

Comments

  1. Tracy BroschMarch 22, 2024 at 8:56 AM

    Pirates! ... you'll have to let us know where that goes!

    ReplyDelete

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