As one of the newer electives on campus, Creative Writing has grown from a club to a class. Students learn how to craft sensory details, create characters, and establish vibrant settings and situational methods as they read renowned authors and model their writing after particular styles. In the course, students study and practice different forms of narrative storytelling: short stories, novels, autobiographical narratives, films, poetry, and spoken word poems. While students get to partake in the reading of their literary creations to a live audience, the main emphasis in this class is on writing. A huge part of the class is engaging in whole-group constructive criticism and small-group “Writer’s Workshops”, establishing a safe space for all aspiring literary artists to grow. Mrs. Grogan, the Creative Writing teacher, defines the class as examining “how writers of the various genres appeal to audiences of all different types.” Mrs. Grogan says the workload is “whatever students want it to be… class time is given for all projects. Right now, they’re finishing up, those that wanted to, a novel. I gave them the option of working on a novel or two short stories. They can spend the whole class period working on that, or they can work on it at home, but there is plenty of class time given for all the work that we do.” When asked how the class is organized, Mrs. Grogan explained that they, “start the year learning the elements of fiction, then [they do] flash-fiction (which is basically shorter short-stories), then [they] move into short stories. Next semester, we are going to be working on poetry, short film, screenplay writing, and working on the PGHS literary magazine.” 

Mrs. Grogan further described that the highlight of the class is “that there’s a lot of student choice and the students really get to work on projects that they want to work on. It’s up to them. They have a lot of control over what they do.” We then asked Mrs. Grogan why people should join the class next year; “If you like creative writing and you want to just be able to work on projects that interest you in that world of creative writing, then you should join the class. It’s very student-directed, student-choice-driven. It’s fun, it’s a supportive environment where we are not overly critical of each other. We are focused on helping each other be better writers and being supportive of developing our creative writing skills.”

Maram Haddad (12) and Leaf Groban (10) also answered some questions as they are currently enrolled in the class. Following are their responses.

Isa: What is your favorite part of the class?

Maram: I think it is the fact that you get options, you get to choose what creative side of writing you want to take. That is really important because everyone has a different perspective on what they want to write about and how they want to write it. 

Leaf: My favorite part of the class is just how much I feel like I belong in the class. There was this really fun project we did where I got to work with two other people and they were really nice. I made a lot of good memories, and I feel like I click in this class. 

Isa: How has this class helped you grow?

Maram: I find myself being able to write more and more confidently. I find it easier to get in the flow and be able to write because you write more often.  

Leaf: In a lot of ways, I have learned to be more organized with my writing. I really like Mrs. Grogan, she is very uplifting and always rooting for us to do our best. 

Isa: Who would you recommend this class to?

Maram: Anyone who wants to write, even if you aren’t that big of a writer. If you have a big creative outlet, it allows you to enhance those skills. 

Leaf: I would recommend this class to incoming freshmen because then they get to explore all these parts of themselves and what they want to do with these four years of high school.

The Creative Writing elective is an effective way for students to access their creative ability and hone their writing skills. An advanced form of Creative Writing is also being integrated next year, allowing students to take the course for credit over multiple years and gain even more experience. Mrs. Grogan has established a constructive and open environment that is ultimately advantageous for budding young writers at PGHS who are ready to release their creative ideas.