submitted by Nichole Smith, Montverde Academy
Since creative writing was first offered as an elective in the Middle School in 2020, it has been a popular option for students who are interested in fine tuning their writing skills. This year, students have 24 electives to choose from, the highest number of electives ever offered in the Middle School, yet the creative writing class has still managed to surpass even its usual popularity, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after electives.
Mrs. Sara Parets, the creative writing teacher, attributes some of the recent increase in popularity to the addition of Café Fridays. At the beginning of each week, she gives students a couple of writing prompts within a given genre. Students work on their drafts in class throughout the week and then read their work to the class on Café Fridays. When students enter this dimly lit coffee shop environment first thing in the morning on Fridays, they ease into the day with a cup or coffee or hot cocoa as they put the finishing touches on their work before presenting to the class. This relaxed vibe, she feels, puts students more at ease about their writing and more open to the experience of expressing themselves through their writing.
“What sets this year’s group apart from previous years is the diversity of the group itself,” said Mrs. Parets. “I have a more even distribution of girls and guys this year, where it used to consist primarily of girls. The guys this year are into it. They’re writing, they’re enthusiastic, and they’re having fun. I have a lot of athletes who are taking it that I have taught in the past. Since this class is more relaxed, they can have fun with what they’re writing.”
Each week begins with a new writing prompt. Last week, students could choose between two prompts: 1) Write a story that begins with the line, “She wanted me to break it.” 2) Your writing prompt for today must start with this line: “In short, we have been telling ourselves some lies.” On Café Friday, students read their work with enthusiasm, passion, and even some laughter.
“Creative writing has enabled me to have fun writing about different genres,” said seventh grader Abieyuwa Yisa-Salami. “It also allows me to think outside the box.”
“I enjoy writing because I get to freely share my ideas, change or add my own twist with no rules,” said eighth grader Talei Price. “I feel relaxed in this class because writing comes natural to me.”
“I chose to take creative writing because I love making short stories, and I wanted to learn how to make them better,” said Caleb Seetahal. “This class has benefited me in that I have learned many ways to make writing more entertaining as well as how to write stories from different perspectives and in different genres.”
Mrs. Parets hopes that students will continue writing beyond her class, so she gives them an opportunity to participate in various contests, such as the New York Times Writing Contest: My Tiny Memoire: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest. “The contests were designed for teenagers 13 and up,” said Mrs. Parets. “The benefit for my middle schoolers to practice writing and enter contests is that it gives them a taste of what they can do with their writing and shows them where they can go with it. The ones who are considering writing as either their passion or a career can find out where to get plugged in and how they can get published.”
