Engaging Creative Writing Activities for Students

Teaching creative writing can be both a rewarding and challenging endeavor. To keep students engaged and motivated, incorporating diverse and stimulating activities is key. Here are three engaging activities that have proven to be favorites among my students, while also serving as useful tools to enhance their creative writing skills.

1. Story Armor: A Collaborative Storytelling Game

One of the most popular activities among my students is Story Armor. This exercise supports a lesson in story structure: beginning, middle, and end. Depending on the class, you can adjust the time for each round, with shorter times fostering more spontaneity.

To start, each student begins with the opening sentences of a story and writes two sentences. Then, they pass their paper to the left or right. The receiving student continues the story by writing two more sentences that maintain the tone and flow of the narrative. This process repeats until one or two students have their stories end with them, allowing them to write the concluding sentences.

Occasionally, Story Armor encounters some hitches, such as a student who refuses to deviate from a specific theme (like vampires) or another who repeats the same line repetitively. For smoother transitions, you may allow the initiating student to add the conclusion, or you can have the last writer close the story.

This activity works best with smaller groups, particularly with younger students, to minimize the one-upmanship often seen among male peers who strive to be as entertaining as possible. Despite these challenges, it remains a favorite among my students, often leading to enthusiastic requests to do it again.

2. Negative Spaces: Filling the Gaps

Another effective activity is Negative Spaces, where each student starts with a blank page and writes at the top: “Something happens, and then…'”. This requires a certain level of maturity from the students, as they need to maintain a coherent narrative and avoid leaving too many gaps. I have had instances where I have had to prohibit overly dramatic or inappropriate responses to keep the class on track.

3. Connecting the Dots: A Photo-Based Creative Writing Challenge

Connecting the Dots is a fun and engaging activity that involves giving students four random photos. The goal is to write a poem, song, story, or article that weaves the four photos together and interconnects them with a common theme or tangent. This activity not only encourages creativity but also helps students practice narrative structuring and thematic integration.

For instance, I once gave my students four photos of a broken mirror, a solitary tree, a busy street, and a digital clock. Their creativity led to a variety of perspectives, from reflections on life and technology to stories of a soulful journey through time.

4. Character and Setting Fusion: A Creative Writing Game

To add a twist to the creative writing process, you can engage students with the Character and Setting Fusion game. In this activity, you provide two lists:

List 1: Characters
1. Narendra Modi
2. Guy Fawkes
3. Tony Stark
4. Will Smith
5. Bill Gates List 2: Vague Situations
1. Writing a Bollywood review
2. Doing submissions
3. Playing kabaddi
4. Walking the ramp
5. Talking to an alien

Students choose a character from the first list and an activity from the second, then they are free to write a creative piece integrating both. This exercise not only sparks imagination but also provides a structured approach to narrative development.

As an example, I had one student write about Tony Stark doing submissions at an engineering college. This idea alone showcased the students' unique perspectives and the potential for diverse narratives.

These activities, when introduced thoughtfully, can significantly enhance the creative writing experience for your students, making each class session an adventure in imagination and storytelling.