Creative Writing
Are you secretly Shakespear in the shadows? How about a whimsical author with writer’s block? Maybe you just need an English credit. Creative writing may be a course you want to look into.
Ms. Bonanni, one of the creative writing teachers, holding a student-made picture book with another student book on the left.
May 2, 2022
This course is a single trimester and worth half a credit. There are no precious courses that need to be taken before this and none that further the course, making this class a stand-alone.
This course has been around 15 to 20 years and was started by Dave Morton a teacher who has now since retired.
The teachers offering this course as of the 2021-2022 school year are Ms. Bonanni, Mr. Fulton, Mrs. King, and next year Ms. Gibson will be joining teaching the course.
There currently aren’t any higher levels offered for this course such as an AP version or honors although that road was explored.
In an interview with Ms. Bonanni, she told me what she wanted for her students leaving her class stating, “ I want students to come out of it writing at least something that surprised them, to challenge themselves.”
This course is one where students will be writing daily. The course is broken into 6 major plot points. The list is a biography, flash fiction, poetry collection, monologue, 1 act play, children’s book, & a memoir.
The pace of this class is set more by students. There will be lessons but it mainly is student’s self-pacing while they write. If a student struggles with time management the course will be challenging and not the best fit.
Along with an interview with Mr. Fulton about the class, he said, “ In our world, people enjoy consuming the creativity of others’ stories, films, music, etc., but they’re less willing to discover themselves artistically, which, in a way, seems kind of sad. “
“ It’s a relief to express my emotions through my writing without my English teachers looking at me weird.”
— Alycia Ellis Former Student
This class takes students and lets them destroy the box letting students feel complete creative freedom. Leaving only their creativity as the stopping point.
With this one of a type class, many jobs can come from it. Ranging from students going on to being musicians all the way to TV production and humanities. The class itself is its own unique experience.
Some students have even been known to get their stories published.
Even for the students who feel they are not the best writers but have a voice that wants to be heard this course is still for you. As the class brings plenty of room to flourish and grow really to find a student’s voice and a place to let out creativity.
