These ten creative writing activities have enough variety for everyone. I use creative writing exercises to encourage young writers and have fun.
Creative writing encompasses more than fictional writing. Creative nonfiction, braided essays, traveling writing, and blogging can all fit under the umbrella of “creative writing.” The activities matter: We language arts teachers want students to explore and find themselves. Previously, I’ve written about how my attitude as a creative writing teacher sets students on the path to seeing themselves as writers. A combined set of powerful activities and attitude can create a dynamic creative writing course.
I use creative writing exercises throughout the school year with survey classes, and I sprinkle these activities during a creative writing class. You can check out my bundle, but you can create variations of these with your own inspiration.
However you incorporate these, you and your students will have great discussions and final products.
Overview of Creative Writing Activities
As I look at the standards and consider the needs of students, I want all my young writers to feel inspired and confident in their abilities to create, to entertain, to participate to the tapestry of social storytelling.
No matter how you adjust these activities, you and your students will have fun with them.
How-to Paper
Students read tips from experts for basic life experiences. They have knowledge too! Shopping for a prom dress? Lifting weights for football? Interviewing for a job for the first time? Applying for college?
Students have a unique perspective to help others. Don’t make this paper is a “normal” step-by-step directions. Students will share their experiences and build confidence as writers. Capitalize on students’ experiences with this paper.
Alternative Point of View
You have seen this activity with various twists in teacher groups and on social media. Overall, students add “googly eyes” which is ALSO what most people call the activity. Students will adhere googly eyes (often on sale around Halloween) to an inanimate object and make the object into a person. Students adhere the eyes to smashed milk bottles, doors, and skeletons. They then create a character, write a poem, or any other fun activity.
I have students share the lesson that the object has learned. A marker among many other markers learns that it must take turns. I
Product Review
Reviewing products has become a genre on its own! Students will find a goofy product, write reviews for it, and write questions and answers for the product.
I use the banana slicer and milk. Other teachers have suggested the giant ball.
Character Creation
Provide students with a list of options for a character to have. Instead of seeing this activity as a “checklist,” encourage students to see the options as a brainstorming for a bigger character sketch.
I have used this activity at various times for fleshing out characters in a narrative. However, I often use this sheet as a one or two day writing assignment for students to create a character. As we close, students read their character sketch, and their peers draw and explain the character. The writer receives immediate feedback concerning the accuracy of the portrayal.
Food Poetry
Who wants to write about food? I have used food poetry in two ways! Students can write a poem about food, or you can randomly assign food for students to examine and then write about. Bringing in the food helps and makes for a fun class period.
This activity is perfect for focusing on figurative language, describing texture and taste, and thinking.
Object Essay
A pencil? A phone? Simple?—Nope! Students will examine an object and write about that object as they explain the object to an audience unfamiliar with the object.
Query Letter
Real authors query their work with a letter. This assignment will work with any other activity as students will explain why the work should be published.
The query letter is the perfect reflection piece. You can ask students to write a query letter about any assignment.
Flash Fiction
A super short story is not easy to create even though students might think that it is.
Flash fiction is short, but students must ensure that all components of a story are present. This activity is perfect for working on editing and revising because every word must count in flash fiction.
Plus, punctuation matters a great deal in flash fiction, so you can hit language standards too.
Children’s Book
Writing a children’s book is incredibly flexible because you can determine the length and the requirements (pictures, format). Students also understand the depth of children’s books by analyzing one.
You can grab inexpensive paper books at a dollar store, or students can create digital books.
Profile
Writing a profile is a difficult practice, and I often save this activity until the end of the semester. The process requires several stages, and writers must consider their subject from a unique angle. After students have worked with me for a few weeks, they understand the depth required in designing a profile. Students will practice interviewing and research skills while learning about a person. A profile requires that writers take an “approach” in telling their subject’s story. Students enjoy this creative nonfiction activity!
Actually, students enjoy all creative writing exercises because they can showcase their interesting beliefs and understandings of the world. They are flexible for grade and ability levels, so you can use them at various times.
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