middle school creative writing club

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50 creative writing prompts for middle school students.

• September 11, 2023
• 11 min read

Table of Contents:

Why creative writing matters, prompts to explore personal experiences, prompts for imagining fantastic worlds, prompts for exploring emotions, prompts to unleash adventure, prompts for humor and laughter, writing prompts for middle school mystery and suspense section, prompts to reflect on the future, prompts for historical time travel, writing prompts for middle school to target sci-fi and futuristic fantasies, writing prompts for middle school to dive into nature, writing prompts for middle school for alternate realities, are these prompts suitable for both classroom and individual use, creative writing.

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Middle school is a time of exploration, growth, and boundless imagination. It’s a phase where young minds are eager to express themselves, and what better way to channel this energy than through creative writing? This article explores 50 creative writing prompts for middle school students to worlds of wonder, emotion, and adventure. These prompts stimulate their creativity, boost their writing skills, and encourage them to think beyond the ordinary.

Creative writing holds a significance that extends far beyond the confines of a classroom. It is a form of expression that acts like a mirror reflecting human emotions, similar to what is explored in What are the three main purposes for writing? . It is a powerful medium through which individuals can express their innermost thoughts, emotions, and ideas, allowing them to connect with themselves and the world around them on a deeper level. This art form empowers individuals to unleash their imagination and paint vivid landscapes of words, enabling them to communicate in ways that traditional language often falls short of. For middle school students, creative writing is a journey of exploration and growth, much like the journey described in How to write a good story: A complete process . As they engage with a diverse array of writing prompts for middle school, they embark on a path that enriches their vocabulary, refines their grasp of grammar, and teaches them the invaluable skill of structuring their thoughts coherently and effectively. Through crafting narratives and weaving intricate tales, students learn the art of storytelling, a skill crucial in literature and various aspects of life. Whether it’s penning down a compelling essay, delivering a persuasive speech, or even drafting a well-structured email, the ability to organize ideas compellingly is a trait that serves students well throughout their academic and professional journey. However, the benefits of creative writing go well beyond linguistic and organizational services like book writing services . This form of expression acts as a mirror that reflects the complexities of human emotions. As students immerse themselves in crafting characters, settings, and plotlines, they inherently develop a deep sense of empathy. By stepping into the shoes of diverse characters and exploring the world from various perspectives, students cultivate an understanding of different viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences. This broadens their worldview and nurtures their ability to relate to and connect with people from all walks of life.

• Discovering a Hidden Door

Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious door in your school that no one else has noticed. Where does it lead, and what adventures await on the other side?

• The Day I Traveled Through Time

You wake up one morning to find yourself in a different period. Describe your experiences and the challenges you face in this unfamiliar era.

• My Conversation with a Talking Animal

While wandering in the woods, you encounter an animal that can communicate with you. Write about your unexpected conversation and the wisdom the animal imparts.

• A Mysterious Message in a Bottle

You discover a message in a bottle washed up on the shore. What does the message say, and how does it change your life?

• Life on a Floating Island

Describe a world where entire civilizations exist on floating islands in the sky. What are the unique challenges and wonders of this airborne realm?

• Journey to the Center of a Candy Planet

You embark on a journey to the core of a planet made entirely of candy. Detail your adventures as you traverse the sugary landscapes.

• The Robot’s Secret Rebellion

In a futuristic city, robots have secretly started rebelling against their human creators. Explore the events leading up to this uprising and the consequences that follow.

• When Magic Came to the Modern World

Magic suddenly becomes real in the present day. How does society change, and how do you adapt to this new magical reality?

• The Joy of Finding a Lost Toy

Revisit a childhood memory of losing a cherished toy and the overwhelming happiness of eventually finding it.

• A Moment of Overcoming Fear

Write about when you faced a fear head-on and emerged stronger and braver on the other side.

• The Bittersweet Farewell

Explore the emotions surrounding a farewell to a close friend moving away. How do you cope with the mixture of joy and sadness?

• An Unexpected Act of Kindness

Describe an instance where a stranger’s small act of kindness profoundly impacts your life and perspective.

• Quest for the Enchanted Crown

Embark on a quest to retrieve a stolen enchanted crown from a treacherous dragon’s lair. Chronicle your epic adventure and the challenges you must overcome.

• Lost in a Haunted Forest

You find yourself lost in a mysterious and haunted forest. Describe your eerie surroundings and the spine-chilling encounters you experience.

• Exploring an Abandoned Space Station

Write about your exploration of a deserted space station, uncovering its secrets and unraveling the mysteries of its past.

• Time-Traveling to Historical Events

Where and when would you go if you could time-travel to any historical event? Describe your experiences and the impact they have on your perspective.

• The Day I Turned into a Vegetable

Imagine waking up one day to find yourself transformed into a vegetable. How do you communicate, and what hilarious misadventures ensue?

• Conversations Between My Pets

Write a humorous dialogue between your pets discussing their daily lives, adventures, and their peculiar perspectives on the world.

• When My Room Became a Miniature Zoo

Describe a scenario where your room suddenly becomes a mini-zoo filled with various animals. How do you manage this unexpected turn of events?

• The Misadventures of Super Socks

Create a quirky superhero story where a pair of socks gains extraordinary powers and embarks on comical crime-fighting escapades.

• The Puzzle of the Whispering Walls

Detail a suspenseful investigation into the strange phenomenon of walls that whisper cryptic messages, leading to an unexpected revelation.

• Footprints in the Forbidden Attic

You discover mysterious footprints leading to the forbidden attic in your house. Write about your daring exploration and the secrets you uncover.

• The Disappearance of the Midnight Carnival

Describe the mysterious disappearance of a beloved carnival that only operates at midnight. What clues do you follow to solve the enigma?

• The Secret Diary of a Famous Explorer

You stumble upon the secret diary of a renowned explorer. Unveil the adventures chronicled within its pages and the hidden truths it holds.

• A Glimpse into Life as an Adult

Imagine yourself as an adult and write about a day in your future life. How have your goals, priorities, and perspectives evolved?

• Inventing a Revolutionary Gadget

Design a revolutionary gadget that changes the world. Describe its features, benefits, and the impact it has on society.

• My First Day on Another Planet

Transport yourself to an alien planet and narrate your experiences on the first day of your interstellar adventure.

• The World After Solving Pollution

Describe a world where pollution has been successfully eliminated. How does this achievement reshape the environment, society, and daily life?

• Prompts for Exploring Friendship

Write about a strong and unbreakable bond between two friends. What challenges have they overcome together, and how has their friendship evolved?

• Adventures of the Dynamic Duo

Create a story about a dynamic duo who embark on thrilling adventures together. What makes their partnership special, and how do they complement each other?

• A Magical Friend from a Book

Imagine a character from a book coming to life and becoming your friend. Describe your magical friendship and the escapades you share.

• Messages in a Bottle Between Pen Pals

Two pen pals communicate through messages sent in bottles across a vast ocean. Write about their unique form of friendship and the stories they share.

• An Interview with a Renaissance Artist

Travel back in time to interview a famous Renaissance artist. Explore their inspirations, struggles, and the impact of their art on the world.

• Surviving the Titanic Disaster

Imagine being a passenger on the Titanic and surviving the tragic sinking. Chronicle your experiences and the lessons you learn from the ordeal.

• Ancient Egypt: Through the Eyes of a Pharaoh

Experience life as an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Describe the grandeur of your rule, interactions with subjects, and leadership challenges.

• Encountering Dinosaurs in Prehistoric Times

Describe an adventurous journey to prehistoric times, where you encounter dinosaurs and experience the wonders and dangers of the ancient world.

• When Robots Ruled the World

Envision a world where robots have taken over as rulers. Detail the consequences of this robotic regime and the struggles of human resistance.

• Galactic Explorers on a New Frontier

Join a group of galactic explorers as they venture into uncharted space territories. Describe their discoveries, encounters, and the mysteries they unravel.

• The Day I Met an Alien from Mars

Write about the day you encounter a friendly alien from Mars. How do you communicate, and what do you learn from each other?

• Earth 3000: A Utopian Dream or Dystopian Reality?

Transport yourself to the year 3000 and describe the state of the Earth. Is it a romantic paradise or a dystopian nightmare? What led to this outcome?

• Conversations with Forest Creatures

Imagine having conversations with animals in a magical forest. Write about the wisdom they share and the adventures you embark on together.

• My Adventure in the Enchanted Rainforest

Describe your thrilling adventure through an enchanted rainforest with mystical creatures and hidden secrets.

• The Underwater Discovery: Mermaid’s Tale

You discover a hidden underwater world inhabited by mermaids. Chronicle your underwater journey and the interactions you have with these mythical beings.

• Exploring a World Inside a Dewdrop

Write about a micro-adventure inside a dewdrop, where you encounter miniature worlds and experience nature from a new perspective.

• Stepping into a Mirror Universe

Describe an experience where you step into an alternate reality through a mirror. How is this world different from yours, and what challenges do you face?

• The Butterfly Effect: Changing a Single Moment

Explore the butterfly effect concept by narrating a story where changing a single moment in the past has a cascading impact on the present and future.

• My Life as a Fictional Character

Imagine living the life of a fictional character from your favorite book. Describe your experiences as you navigate their world and story.

• When Dreams Became Our Reality

Write about a world where dreams have the power to shape reality. How do people use their dreams to create their lives, and what challenges arise?

• The Ethereal Library

Imagine a mystical library that holds books containing the stories of every possible life you could have lived. Write about a person who stumbles upon this library and can read the book of their alternate life stories.

• The Reality Architect

In a future society, some specialized architects design alternate realities for individuals seeking escape from their own lives. Write about a reality architect and their journey to create the perfect alternate world for a client.

• The Convergence Point

Describe a world where all alternate realities converge at a single point in time. People from different realities can meet and interact for a brief period. Write about the challenges and opportunities that arise during this unique convergence.

The suitability of writing prompts for middle school for classroom and individual use depends on their content and complexity. Prompts encouraging critical thinking, creative expression, and thoughtful discussion can work well in both settings. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Ensure that the prompts are clear and easily understandable by individuals and a group of students. Avoid overly complex language or concepts that might be confusing.
• Writing prompts for middle school allow various interpretations, and responses can engage individual learners and groups. This flexibility encourages students to express their unique perspectives.
• Choose interesting and relevant writing prompts for middle school to the target audience, whether in a classroom full of students or individuals working independently. Engaging prompts are more likely to spark enthusiasm and thoughtful responses.
• Prompts that invite discussion and debate can lead to rich and meaningful conversations for classroom use. These prompts should be open-ended and encourage diverse viewpoints.

Middle school is critical for nurturing creativity, similar to the journey detailed in How to launch a book: The ultimate guide for authors , young students’ creativity, and honing writing skills. These 50 creative writing prompts for middle school offer many opportunities to explore diverse themes, emotions, and scenarios while refining their writing abilities. Whether they’re crafting tales of time travel, exploring futuristic realms, or delving into the mysteries of the past, these prompts will ignite the imagination and open new avenues of self-expression for budding writers.

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Articles / Writing

Starting a Writing Club Outside the Classsroom

by MiddleWeb · Published 10/10/2023 · Updated 10/16/2023

By Sharon D. Ratliff

A extracurricular writing club can be a safe space for students to escape the world, express true feelings, and embrace creative ideas.

So how do we as teachers facilitate a safe space? Although my curriculum allows students to write, I realized that students wanted an opportunity to write outside the walls of the classroom and connect with other friends beyond their designated English period.

So I decided to start a writing club in our middle school that would exist beyond curriculum boundaries and provide a comfortable, social experience for all writers.

Three years into the experiment, here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. I hope these suggestions will help you establish your own campus writing club.

Establish a time and common place to meet .

Meeting in a common area encourages multiple grade levels to participate and avoids the stigma that the writing club is for a certain type or age of student. Our club meets 3 times a month in the library from 8:00 till 8:45. Membership is flexible; any student may join the club at any time. Attendance varies from 30 students to 10 students.

Our most important ‘rule’

Using an open platform, students created the rules for writing clubs. Specifically, I wrote down what they thought a writing club should look like, and we discussed their suggestions. One of the first “rules” the students established in the writing club: there are no “rules” or limitations on what you write! In our club, writing is a haven from the constant barrage of what thumps us in the outside world.

Let the students name the writing club and establish a “purpose.”

While there are no “rules of writing club,” students came up with the following purpose: to freely express ourselves in any genre we select, use words to encourage others, receive feedback from peers on personal writing, and participate (if you want to) in various writing contests.

Writing club embraces both handwriting and using technology to write. Without a doubt, it is essential for students to name the club in order for them to establish ownership. To facilitate this process, at the beginning of each year students brainstorm one week and the following week vote on what the club will be called. For the past two years we have been “Ink and Fable.”

Build a community .

Using icebreakers, giving out free “journals” (colorful composition books) along with pens, providing publishing opportunities, and serving occasional celebration snacks all help build a community. To see some ways I use writing activators to build community click here. For example, students might watch this peaceful scene of waves washing up on shore and respond to a prompt:

Use your learning management system (LMS) and give students access.

I created a course on our district LMS-Canvas (you might choose another space). The course is used for students to post their writing and gather inspiration from the group. I also use the LMS to inform the members about upcoming opportunities to compete in writing contests. Numerous contests abound; here is a WE ARE TEACHERS resource by Sean Hogan that I use to find writing contests.

Establish a light agenda for meeting.

Students thrive on routine. If students know the basic format, their energy can be funneled into creation instead of guessing what we are going to do. The agenda consists of an activator which may include an attention-getting nature picture, a 3-2-1 exercise, a cartoon, a video, or an introduction to a contest.

After the warmup students springboard to work on any type of writing they choose. Sometimes, I encourage students to group themselves according to the genre they are working on.

All levels of writers welcome

Writing club is an eclectic group. Some students come to just write haikus or journal, some to write rap, and some come seeking specific feedback for a writing contest piece. We’ve also had some students come just to get feedback about their English essay!

Words of encouragement

Our writing club had some stationery donated. We have used this to write notes of encouragement to custodians, counselors, or other “unseen” yet important employees in the school. Since there are no rules of writing club, this is not a requirement. Yet students love to participate, and this is where they begin to learn how much their words matter.

Advice Column

One of our activators consisted of students responding to an old newspaper column from a teen seeking advice. We then compared the club members’ responses to the actual advice published. Some club members then asked if they could write an advice column for our school.

Yes! Club members then created a QR code from a Google Form for all students on our campus to anonymously submit problems to the writing club. A group of students from the writing club might then select a question/problem and draft an answer. I then proofread the answer for content, and the writing club students alternate on who will record the answer for playback during the school announcements.

Make this idea your own

I hope these tips and tricks help any ELA teacher interested in starting a writing club. Just remember – there are no rules; the writing police will not appear at your school door, just students who want to connect and create. While kids struggle with self-image, peer relationships, and communication, ink and paper have no judgment.

After all, their words matter!

Sharon Ratliff  (@sharondratliff) recently shifted from 7th grade ELA teacher to middle school gifted and talented facilitator in Katy, Texas. Before stepping into the mysterious land of middle school, Sharon taught upper elementary in Texas, Florida, and with the Department of Defense.

Over the past 20 years, Sharon has mentored young teachers, hoping to pass along a love for educating young minds. She enjoys working with all students, developing curricula that emphasizes critical thinking and discovering reading and writing techniques that empower students in real-life applications. See Sharon’s other MiddleWeb articles here .

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Tags: advice column community creative writing SEL Sharon D. Ratliff Sharon Ratliff student led writing club writing contests

MiddleWeb is all about the middle grades, with great 4-8 resources, book reviews, and guest posts by educators who support the success of young adolescents. And be sure to subscribe to MiddleWeb SmartBrief for the latest middle grades news & commentary from around the USA.

4 Responses

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Sharon, this is wonderful. I wish I had had such a club as a middle schooler myself. Your tips are very helpful — the way that you create structures around what is a very open space. I think that balance is key for our age group (I teach 8th grade).

I’ve just written a book – Who Gets To Write Fiction: Opening Doors to Imaginative Writing for All Students — about creative writing and how it can and should be a central part of ELA and our study of literature. The book is more focused on integrating imaginative writing regularly into our regular class work. However, there are always a number of my 8th grade students who really take to fiction and/or poetry writing and want to continue.

My colleague in the HS has started a creative writing club and many of my now former students have joined. I will share your article with him. But I’ll also considering starting a MS club after school. A space for those who are called beyond the classroom and school day to write is important.

Ariel, Thank you for the positive feedback. I’m excited about your book and will check it out! If you start a writing club at your school, maybe we can Zoom sometime and just exchange ideas… My former students started a creative writing club at their high school and published their first anthology last year. It is amazing. These kids crave a space to write beyond the lines…

Thank you Sharon Ratliff for a thought provoking article. I am a retired teacher, but I still look for activities in which I can become involved. I was an elementary schoolteacher in my early teaching but spent 26 rears in middle school math along with 10 years of middle school language arts. I get involved with church and community education activities when they are available.

Glendora, I am sure you are a WEALTH of knowledge! Retired teachers are treasures! I hope you will continue to be involved with your church and community education opportunities–maybe there could be a writing club opportunity there? If your church does any type of Thanksgiving baskets, gift gathering, or shoe boxes students could write notes of encouragement, experiment with poetry, or compose post-it positives. Thank you for reading my article :).

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Teaching Creative Writing to Middle Schoolers

There are fewer things my students get more excited about than the chance to write their own stories. This makes sense to me—we all yearn on some deeper level to be creative. Some of my students are much more creative than others, but they all enjoy getting that chance. 

Over the past few years, I’ve taught creative writing several times. The length of the unit varies, depending on how much free time I have. Sometimes it’s as long as twelve lessons, sometimes as short as five. No matter what, these are the essential topics I always cover:

• Showing vs. Telling
• Story Structure
• Point of view, Dialogue, & Body language (on separate days or together, depending on timing)
• Endings 

If time permits, I will sometimes dive deeper with these topics:

• Finding ideas
• Diving deeper into worldbuilding (specifically if lots of students write fantasy!)
• Description using the five senses

Over many years and a concentration in creative writing, I’ve read many books about the craft of writing. However, when I’m teaching, I always return to my first craft book, which I bought at age 13. It’s written by Gail Carson Levine, author of beloved classic Ella Enchanted. 

This delightful book, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly , covers all the topics I listed and more. Not only does it break down each topic into easy parts, but it also provides wonderful examples! Sometimes I use the same ones as Levine, and sometimes I find my own, but I am always grateful for them. Finally, each chapter ends with fun writing exercises, which I often do in class or assign as homework for my students. 

If there is a topic that you want to teach that isn’t covered in her book, she has an excellent blog that is much more comprehensive! 

While most of my lectures come from Ms. Levine’s book, I have created my own lectures for teaching story structure and character building, using Frozen and Mulan . They are available to purchase here .

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• Set Up A School Writing Club And Boost Childrens Confidence

Writing club – How to set one up and boost children’s confidence

In the inspiring environment of a well-run writing group, children’s literacy skills will flourish – so why not set up your own?

Lynda set up a lunchtime writing club, ‘Buzzwords’, in her primary school. She began with Year 6 and, after a while, opened the writing club to children across KS2.

Children were given notebooks and encouraged to ‘loosen their writing muscles’ with a range of word hunts, lists and short writing exercises. She found oral anecdotes and memories powerful ways of engaging less confident writers.

She always read aloud a piece of writing to broaden the children’s vocabulary, ideas and structures, and to increase their literary knowledge.

A collection of simple writing prompts also proved effective – pictures, maps, word collections, opening lines and newspaper headlines .

Children were happy to find their own materials and spaces, under desks as well as at them, and to write for 20 minutes.

Lynda established an atmosphere of respectful attention so children who wanted to would read out their work. They were always keen to know their peers’ responses and became fond of each other’s distinctive humour.

Greatest success

In Lynda’s view, children’s increased ease with writing was the club’s greatest success. This was especially the case for children with learning difficulties who had previously under-achieved because of low self-esteem, and for able writers hampered by the limitation of prescribed or over-structured writing tasks.

You may have heard of the National Writing Project UK (NWP UK). Perhaps you have attended one of its growing networks of ‘writing clubs’, which since 2009 have been bringing teachers together to write, share their work and enhance their practice.

But have you considered setting up your own for your school’s children? As the example above illustrates, the results can be well worth the effort…

How to set up a writing club

On your own.

Firstly, start writing today! Fix a regular time when you can sit quietly, and aim to write for at least 20 minutes. Sometimes this will be easy, at others hard, but you need to gain confidence to write even when you’re not feeling like it.

Try out the ideas you plan to use with the writing group. Once you’ve done this for a week or so, you’ll be ready to start.

You don’t have to share any of this with your club or class, but it really helps to write alongside pupils, using the same prompts, and to be prepared to show, share and discuss some of the evidence.

With the children

Sound out your individuals and classes. Identify your keen writers. Discuss the idea with them. Establish a convenient time (lunchtime or after school), so that you can meet once a week for at least half a term before you review or change anything.

Engage your enthusiasts by word of mouth, and advertise. In a primary school assembly with about 300 children, one teacher announced the start of her Year 5 and 6 writing club with these words: “I will be doing this in Mrs X’s classroom at lunchtime. If you would like to come along, we’re going to be writing things that we want to write and, you know, it’s for fun, basically.”

17 children came to the first session and 25 to the second. The club is still running after two years.

Get them engaged

• Your club should be fun and stress-free, with a range of quick writing games and short challenges.
• Meet in a quiet place.
• Give each writer a notebook and pen, or encourage them to buy a nice one.
• Establish ground rules about privacy, experimentation, practice, sharing and reflection.
• Write alongside the children.
• Get to know and value the different voices.
• Celebrate diversity and withhold judgement.
• Be prepared for the membership to change over time, but keep the invitations personal and positive, and keep repeating them.

Quick writing exercises for your writing club

You need something easy to break the ice and ‘loosen up the writing muscles’. And if it’s a lunchtime club you have to have an activity “that they can do while they eat their sandwiches…” noted one group’s leader!

The following list may provide some inspiration:

• Newspaper headlines
• Opening and closing lines
• Lists of words
• Word tiles to arrange
• A simple stem-structure such as “I like…”, “I hate…”
• A ‘scavenger hunt’ of the place you are in
• Freewriting for five minutes without stopping

Agree beforehand whether this writing will be shared or not. It’s often good to have a shared and a private piece – that way children can get into the habit of trusting themselves to have a go, and of letting other, more considered, writing ‘brew’ inside them for a while.

Main writing activities

After a while this is best left to individuals to decide, but at first, some children may appreciate some guidance. Try:

• Extending your writing from one of the first exercises (take a word, idea or phrase as a starting point)
• Writing in voices or from a particular perspective – what the woman in the picture was really thinking; how the artefact came to be here; what the tree remembers
• Using snatches of overheard conversations or ‘found’ phrases to launch you into your own writing
• Finding an object/picture/view that interests you and write about it twice, moving your writing position/perspective to do so – once from one point of view, once from another

Again, agree beforehand how you will share the writing that takes place.

Establish ground rules, for example, listening to each other attentively and not being afraid just to say thank you. It’s useful to model how to respond to the writing process, rather than the product:

• Where did you get your ideas from?
• Which words/parts came easily and where did you struggle?
• What would you like to do next with your writing?

When children are ready to share, model attentive listening to tone and content (it helps to hear the writing before you see it).

This process may be better in pairs at first, but where possible it’s fascinating to read around the group and hear what different writing has emerged during the session from similar stimuli.

Taking it further

You might like to enhance your group by writing together online. Most schools have a VLE with separate forums that can be closed except to those who are password approved.

This enables all children to see each others’ writing and give feedback. A teacher of one Year 6 class said that the biggest boost to children’s writing confidence came from appreciation and suggestions from their peer group.

Resources for your writing club

The following items will help keep your children inspired for hours…

• Small boxes and envelopes, plain and coloured paper, card
• A range of writing implements
• Collections of postcards, pictures, quotations
• A book box with novels, picture books and poetry
• Magazines and newspapers to cut up
• CD/DVDs: music, short films or clips
• Ephemeral texts – newsletters, tickets brochures, catalogues and packaging
• A props box, hats and scarves, glasses, glove puppets
• A collection of objects – buttons, fir cones, jewellery, toys, bric-abrac, shells, stones

Once the group is established, it’s good to ask children to bring and add ideas, texts, objects, pictures, DVDs of their own.

This article is an edited extract of Introducing Teachers’ Writing Groups by Jenifer Smith and Simon Wrigley ( Routledge ), which is available now. It explains the importance of said groups and offers guidance on setting up your own. Browse more ideas for  National Writing Day .

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How to Start a Creative Writing Club

Last Updated: June 1, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Ashley Pritchard, MA . Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine. This article has been viewed 35,695 times.

Do you have a passion for creative writing that you want to take to the next level? A great way to grow your writing skills is to start a creative writing club, where you can share your work with others who are invested in cultivating the same craft. Working with people who share similar interests to you is both fun and incredibly rewarding!

Things You Should Know

• If you’re a student, talk to your favorite English teacher and ask them to sponsor the club; the odds are extremely high that they’ll be thrilled by the idea!
• If you’re running the club, remember that different members are likely there for unique reasons—include a variety of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and screenwriting activities.
• For a younger crowd, include a writing activity with every meeting and encourage members to share their work—be super supportive!
• Make sure that if you’re doing any workshop-style discussions that the members understand that critiquing someone’s work does not mean criticizing them as people.
• Clubs with older members will likely attract a good number of experienced writers, so you may want to start meetings by asking members if they’ve been working on anything they’d like feedback on before going into activities, lectures, or discussions.

Forming Your Club

• Possible locations include your house, public park, an open classroom, or anywhere else you can meet and converse without disturbing others.

• Word of mouth: Invite friends and acquaintances, and ask them to spread the word and bring their friends! Talk openly and excitedly about your club: your enthusiasm will help draw the interest of others. It’s a good idea to invite very broadly to begin with: the people who are truly invested in your club will show up and stick around.
• Posters and fliers: Design a cool flier and post it around school or your workplace! This is a nice way to draw attention to your club.
• Social media: For example, you can create a Facebook Event for the first meeting and share it widely with your friends!

• If you do decide to ask someone to be your advisor, be considerate of their time and respectful when making your request. Sending them an introductory email explaining your plans (in as much detail as you can) will allow them to make an informed decision. It is also courteous to offer to meet in person or talk over the phone/Skype so that they can ask any questions they might have before they make their decision.
• Advisors can be involved in a variety of ways, and this should be a conversation that you have directly with your potential advisor. Will they attend meetings? Will they offer guidance from afar? These are questions that are best to ask early on.

• This is related to possibly need an advisor: some schools require an advisor's signature on club registration forms. Once again, just be sure to research your school, university, or organization's requirements.

Holding for Your First Meeting

• You can choose an icebreaker that is relevant to the theme (if applicable) of your club, or you choose something entirely random. The point of this activity is to lighten the mood and help your members get to know each other and feel more comfortable opening up and sharing their work. Classic icebreakers like " Two Truths and Lie " (where everyone shares two true facts and a lie about themselves, and others guess the fabrication) and the "Name Game" (where each person has to find an adjective to describe themselves that starts with the same letter as their name) can be great simple options. [2] X Research source

• Write about an animal of your choice.
• Open up a dictionary, pick a word, and write what it means to you.
• Create a poem or story that starts with "Hello."
• Write a piece that's inspired by a conversation you've recently overheard.
• Write about something you dread or fear.

• If voting proves too messy (this might be the case, especially if you have many members), an easy and neutral online tool that may help you decide when to hold meetings is doodle.com (or other similar scheduling applications).

• Is your main goal as a group to spark new writing ideas together and actually practice writing during the meetings, or to critique and improve one another's written works? Alternatively, you may want to operate as more of a social/support group for writers, where you talk about your craft and hold one another accountable for your personal writing goals. Decide your focus together, and build that into your mission. [4] X Research source

• Bringing a large sheet of paper and pens (or whiteboard markers if your location has a whiteboard) can be a nice way of involving members in this process. Members can take turns suggesting and writing ideas. You can keep this piece of paper as a reminder for future meetings, or you can take it, type it up, and print it and share copies (or a combination).

Keeping Your Club Going

• It is helpful to bring a notebook to meetings so that new members can share their e-mails and/or phone numbers, and so that you can then add them to any groups or lists.

• It's a good idea to start an e-mail list, a Facebook group, and maybe a group chat so that you can add members and keep them informed and up to date on club meetings and activities. It's all up to you, but clear communication will help your club flourish.

• If you do choose to have writing partnerships be a part of your club structure, you may want to consider assigning writing partners randomly as well as have people change partners periodically. It's a good idea to try to prevent cliques from forming for many reasons: so that no one feels left out, so that members are receiving feedback on their work from multiple perspectives, and so that people are establishing many connections with many different members of different style, backgrounds, and personalities.
• Give members ideas of how to connect with their writing partner. Suggest accessible practices such as, "After you've written your piece, share it with your partner via Google Docs so that you can read each other's work. Then, coordinate a time to meet and discuss one your work in person." Encourage members to do whatever feels most comfortable to them.

• One way to do this is creating and sharing the link to a standing Google Form that is specifically designed for feedback. Creating an anonymous Google Form (or whatever type of digital survey works best for you) will encourage members to voice their opinions. It's good to establish protocol for how this feedback will be dealt with, early on: will you (as the leader) check the responses regularly, and will suggestions be discussed at meetings?
• Another way to gather feedback is to designate an allotted amount of time during meetings to open up the discussion for feedback and suggestions.
• If you and your members do decide that you want to discuss feedback weekly (however you choose to gather it, whether electronically or during meetings), you may also want to discuss the format of this discussion. Will it be an informal discussion? Will people vote? Will it depend on the feedback? These are good points to consider early on when determining club guidelines.

• Let members know what they should bring to the next meeting (i.e. laptop, notebooks, pens, etc.).
• Ideally, set at least a loose agenda for your next meeting, before you wrap up your first one. Your goal should be to get right down to writing and club discussions in your subsequent meetings, now that you've set some ground rules and expectations. [6] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

Community Q&A

• Bringing snacks can be a fun addition to any meeting. But be sure to communicate any allergens (nuts, dairy, etc.)! This will help incentivize people to come to the meetings, and—particularly if your club is hosted during lunch or after school—makes sure that no one is hungry entirely. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Bringing some extra notebooks and pens to the first meeting (or first few meetings) is always a good idea, just in case someone forgets their own. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try this fun activity: Pass sheets of paper around so everyone has one. Have everyone write the beginning of a story, pass the sheet to the person on their right, and have them continue the story (then folding the sheet over so the next person can only see the most recently added sentence, not any of the previous sentences). It's sort of like the game "telephone," and you can theme it around a particular topic! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/7-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-starting-a-writers-group
• ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/quick-icebreakers/
• ↑ https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts
• ↑ https://www.inkedvoices.com/writing/types/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/writing-groups/writing-group-starter-kit/

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Creative Writing Club

Albritton Middle School is proud to offer a creative writing club.  We will meet on Mondays after school from 3:15 to 4:00 in Mrs. Troop’s classroom, E3.  Students will be encouraged to share their own writings as well as explore the writing craft through a variety of activities. 

Meets on : Mondays

Meeting Time : 1515-1600

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Phone : 910-861-7000

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