Do you have a passion for poetry? Perhaps you have notebooks filled with imaginative short stories? Do you wish for a place where you can pour your deepest thoughts onto paper? Or are you simply just looking to learn how to write a good story? Portage High School has a class for you! Check out the Creative Writing course, offered to grades 10 through 12, and taught by Mr. Joshua Cavan.
Creative Writing is a one semester course, with one quarter focusing on writing short stories, and the other focusing on writing poems. Unlike most English classes, Creative Writing focuses on utilizing language in order to write in more fun and artistic ways rather than essays and research papers.
“We really get to focus on the creative aspect of writing rather than the academic aspect that we focus on in most of our English classes,” Cavan said when asked about the class. “We get to have fun with language, and you get to throw a lot of the rules out the window that you would normally have to work with.”
The short stories unit includes learning how to develop good plotlines and engaging conflicts, as well as complex characters and realistic dialogue. The assignments have encompassed many different genres, such as horror, superheroes, action, comedy, and realistic fiction.
Sophomore and current student Caddick McKee states that his favorite piece of writing has to be for the “Not-So-Super Superhero Story.”
“My favorite was a short story titled “White Lightning” for the Not-So-Super Superhero assignment. It’s about a boy with super speed, but unlike the Flash, who can think fast and can control himself, he is as fast to himself as he is to the rest of the world, so he can only go like 50 miles per hour tops.”
During the poetry unit, students learn how to look at the world figuratively, engage in their senses, and express their experiences in writing. Many students have found this unit to be their favorite, as they have the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and personal lives through poems.
“My favorite part of Creative Writing is the self-expression in the poetry unit. There’s so much of like, putting yourself into your work, and that is something that I am very passionate about.” Caddick McKee stated when asked about his favorite part of the class.
One of the most important lessons students learn is how to be open with one another, resulting in bonds that last long after the course ends. Many of the writing assignments involve students to read, discuss, and provide feedback to their classmates in “workshopping groups.”
“I always say that we become kind of a family in here,” Cavan expressed, “We share our writing with each other, and you’ll learn from each other. You have to be willing to share your writing. You also have to be willing to give and receive feedback from others.”
Before taking Creative Writing, students should either be enrolled in, or have completed English 10, as well as show a willingness to and an ability to write. If you are interested, you should speak to your guidance counselor when the time comes to schedule for next school year.
