Faculty: Matthew Francis, Tiffany Atkinson, Katherine Stansfield, Rosie Dub, Jacqueline Yallop, David Towsey, Richard Marggraf Turley
United Kingdom
Faculty: Albert Haley, Chris Willerton, Stephen Weathers
TX, US
CO, US
Faculty: Igor Webb, , René Steinke, Maya Marshall, Jan-Henry Gray, Jacqueline Jones LaMon (Professor Emerita), Judith Baumel (Professor Emerita), Martha Cooley (Professor Emerita)
NY, US
Faculty: Anna Cabe, , Alan Grostephan, Courtney Faye Taylor, Natalie Villacorta
GA, US
AK, US
Faculty: Paul Robichaud, , Robert Hubbard, , Eric Shoeck
CT, US
MI, US
NY, US
Faculty: Christopher Bakken, Matthew Ferrence, Mari Christmas
PA, US
Faculty: Karen E. Bender, Anna Clark, Dhonielle Clayton, Leslie Contreras Schwartz, James Daniels, Matthew Gavin Frank, Benjamin Garcia, Donald Quist, Robert Vivian, S. Kirk Walsh, Shonda Buchanan
MI, US
MA, US
Faculty: , Stephanie Grant, David Keplinger, Rachel Louise Snyder, , Rachel Louise Snyder, Melissa Scholes-Young, Patricia Park
DC, US
SC, US
IN, US
MD, US
Faculty: , Scott Wrobel, , William Breen, Melody Heide, Jasmin Ziegler, Tracy Youngblom
MN, US
Faculty: Gayle Brandeis, Carol Potter, Sharman Apt Russell, Alistair McCartney, Jim Krusoe, , Brad Kessler, Francesca Lia Block, Genevieve Hudson, , Jaswinder Bolina, Natashia Deón, Vandana Khanna, Sarah Van Arsdale, , Aminah Mae Safi, Pitor Florczyk, Lisa Locascio Nighthawk, Ana Maria Spagna, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Ross Brown, Nikki Darling, Anjali Enjeti, Colette Freedman, Reyna Grade, Guadalupe García McCall, Tomas Moniz, Josh Roark, Aditi Khorana
CA, US
OH, US
Faculty: David Starkey, Tananarive Due, Jenny Factor, Steve Heller, Kate Maruyama
CA, US
NC, US
Faculty: Monica Fuglei, Jamey Trotter, Andrea Mason, Juliet Beckman, Jomil Ebro
CO, US
Faculty: Richard Wertime, Joshua Isard, Stephanie Feldman, James Warner, Genevieve Betts, Paul Elwork, Eric Smith
PA, US
Faculty: , , T. M. McNally, Alberto Alvaro Rios, Matt Bell, Natalie Diaz, Jennifer Irish, Mitchell Jackson, Safiya Sinclair, Sarah Viren
AZ, US
AR, US
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To promote development, detail, and focus of ideas in students' writing, it sometimes helps to start with a fun, creative writing activity that encourages what you want to see in all of their writing. In this minilesson, students practice writing detailed, sensory-rich descriptions by framing a small piece of nature and freewriting about it. From this, students can develop a variety of types of writing including poetry, short stories, science writing, reflections, and other academic genres.
This lesson explores figurative language comparisons formally known as simile and metaphor; however, the focus of the lesson is on students' use of their their imaginations to describe their observations in writing rather than on the official terminology for language use. In Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom , author Katie Wood Ray advises, "Give it [the craft element you identify in a text] a name so you can refer to it easily in the future as you study craft and as you writing your own texts"; yet the name that students use need not be the formal, "correct" name (42). The formal name of the element simply detracts from the ways that writers work. As Ray explains, "What's important is that, in seeing it and naming it for yourself, you have a new vision of what's possible when you try to write well" (42). When we do use formal names for craft elements, best practice pairs such words with students' definitions of the elements. Ray and Lisa Cleaveland say, "We are careful to use the words most writers in the world use for the important concepts of writing . . . if we embed kid-friendly explanations of what they mean...we need not shy away from the words themselves" (98). Further Reading
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
Students will:
As long as students participate fully in the freewriting activity and complete at least three pages on their Flip Books, they should receive full credit for this activity. If you would like to turn the Flip Book into a graded assignment, you might require that each page include at least three sensory images and one instance of figurative language. Students might also earn credit by reading one of their pages aloud in front of the class.
by Elizabeth Dukart ·
Looking to include some creative writing in your homeschool this fall? Fall writing prompts are a great way to get the kids writing, and thinking, creatively during the fall season and beyond! Today, I’m sharing some fun fall-themed writing prompts for kids, tips for implementing them, and a fall-themed printable freebie…you’re gonna love it!
As we head into another year of homeschooling, I can tell you that homeschooling during the fall season is filled with plenty of opportunities for learning and celebrating all things fall! Coming into the cooler weather of the fall season (we are NOT summer people) encourages us to bring our learning outside more often and allows us to snuggle up with warm mugs of hot cocoa when we do our learning activities in the family room.
When I was a teacher , and even a student, in New Jersey, we would always start school right after Labor Day. While many of the schools in the south tend to start schools in August, it just makes sense for my family to wait to start our homeschool “year” after the summer has ended.
Not only are there plenty of “national day” holidays we can celebrate in the fall months of September , October , and November , but we also love including some Halloween-themed fun into our days. There are so many opportunities for learning in the fall and beyond!
Even though our homeschool planner has plenty of outings and celebrations already scheduled during the fall season, there’s always time to include some fun, fall writing prompts into our day!
It’s no surprise I love including writing prompts in our homeschool day. Not only do the give the kids an opportunity to think creatively, but they also give them a chance to work on improving their handwriting and spelling.
Because they tend to be a pretty quick activity (10 minutes give or take), they’re wonderful for waking up sleepy brains and allow us to start our day being creative. My National Days to Celebrate writing prompts are usually our go-to writing prompts, but I will totally include holiday and seasonally-themed writing prompts as we approach our favorite holidays and seasons.
Today, I’m sharing 35 fun Fall writing prompts that you can include in your homeschool days. I have a feeling the kids will really enjoy them! You might also want to grab my free Fall-themed lined paper printables following the writing prompts to make the prompts (and your letter writing station !) even more fun!
These Fall writing prompts were created with upper-elementary & middle school age kids in mind, but, change a word or two…or shorten the prompt…and you can totally use them for younger kids. Two of the following writing prompts do have a Halloween theme! If you want more Halloween fun, definitely check out my list of Spooky Halloween writing prompts !
Here you go:
You’ve got the writing prompts, you’re going to download the fall lined paper in the next section…how else can we make learning during the Fall season fun?
Here are three ways to do just that:
Make your fall season even more educational and fun with these cute (and free!) printable lined papers! There are two different sets included in the download: one for the older kids and one for the littles. With 20 designs per set, there are plenty to choose from.
To get the lined papers, just fill out the form below. Confirm your request in your inbox and they’ll be sent, via email, with a link to download the files. Super easy!
Let your friends know about this fun freebie by sharing this article with them! I’d also love to hear how you’ve implemented the writing prompts into your homeschool days! Leave a comment below or, better yet, share your experience in That Homeschool Family Hangout .
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Georgia-based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.
Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family : a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook , TikTok , Instagram , YouTube , and Pinterest . She can also be found in her Facebook Group: That Homeschool Family Hangout .
When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!
Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!
by Elizabeth Dukart
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September 13, 2024
HarperCollins PublishersLtd, the UBC School of Creative Writing and CookeMcDermid Literary Management are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2024 HarperCollins PublishersLtd /UBC Prize for Best New Fiction , co-sponsored by CookeMcDermid Literary Management:
The winner, chosen by CookeMcDermid and the editorial team of HarperCollins, will be offered representation by CookeMcDermid and a standard contract to publish from HarperCollins, with a negotiated advance. The shortlisted authors will each have the opportunity to engage in an editorial discussion about their work with a HarperCollins editor.
Now in its twelfth year, the contest continues to attract submissions from UBC Creative Writing students and graduates. Paige Sisley is a literary agent at CookeMcDermid who has served on the HarperCollins PublishersLtd /UBC Prize for Best New Fiction jury since its inception. She says: “Since the beginning, this prize has been a wonderful way for us to connect with new and exciting literary voices. It was a delight for us to read this year’s submissions, and we are so impressed by the manuscripts selected for the 2024 shortlist. We believe that Cann’s, Hopkins’s and Shidmehr’s works are a strong representation of the kinds of stories readers are hungry for right now: engaged with the world around us, interrogating its horrors and the challenges we face, but also filled with human connection, heart and hope.”
“We look forward to reading and considering the submissions each year this prize is held,” says Janice Zawerbny, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Canada. “It’s always exciting for us to read such a variety of voices, genres, stories and styles. Thank you to all the writers who submitted their work this year. We would also like to extend our congratulations to this year’s three finalists.”
“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with HarperCollins and CookeMcDermid, and thrilled that our wonderful students and alumni continue to have this opportunity to advance their writing careers,” says Annabel Lyon, Director of the UBC School of Creative Writing.
The winner will be announced September 27, 2024. The HarperCollins PublishersLtd /UBC Prize for Best New Fiction is awarded bi-annually. The next opportunity will be in 2026.
JURY CITATIONS & AUTHOR BIOS FOLLOW
BRANCHES by Emily Cann
In the year 2098, North America is recovering from a devastating series of climate disasters and a war between the countries formerly known as Canada and the United States. New scientific and social developments—including the invention of hyper-carbon-fixing plants, the return of colonized lands to land stewards and Indigenous nations, and the mandating of e-vehicles—have enabled a world where climate optimism is finally possible. Still, the scars of these traumas have not faded, and many continue to live in fear of another environmental disaster.
Having lost his family and home to forest fires, Charlie moved to the utopian City with hope of a new life and possibly even a family, and now works as an Environmental Compliance Officer. He meets Pinta, a botanical artist, who still struggles with her father’s mysterious disappearance years ago. What starts out as a first date for Charlie and Pinta turns into a dangerous adventure when they encounter a new specimen of fast-growing trees that attack upon the slightest provocation. Charlie enlists help from his colleague Linda, a former war-medic, and her husband, a retired chemist. Together, the foursome begins to uncover the trees’ origins, and their possible link to Pinta’s father. Are they an experiment gone wrong, an act of eco-terrorism, or something else?
Daring, inventive, and fast paced, the novel transports us to a possible future world, where a series of surprising twists propels the story in unexpected directions, grounded by the novel’s cast of complex, fully realized characters. With its winning combination of science fiction, romance and humanity, Branches will appeal to readers of An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim and Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling.
A SPLENDID INDIAN by A.W. Hopkins
A SPLENDID INDIAN is a collection of ten humorous, occasionally magical, compulsively readable linked stories, spanning nearly one hundred years from the 1930s to the present day, within and around Broke Hat, a fictional reserve.
Each story in this remarkable collection works to build a growing cast of unique characters in a fully inhabited world: a boy and his best friend, a talking, poetry-reciting Rez dog, who keep an eye out for “Indian Killers” (“No One Dies in Broke Hat Creek”); a boy desperate for a girlfriend but lacking charm, and a cursed fish with all of the answers (“A Splendid Indian”); a man who routinely finds a pile of mysterious bones on his back steps (“Tuesday’s Bones”); a rooster who attempts to rally his chicken coop and the crows in a revolt against “the thick legged things” and their beheadings (“Blue Native”); a lesbian couple who pick up a rodeo cowboy on their way to an Elvis impersonation competition (“Indian Cowboy”); and many more.
Full of comical dialogue and thought-provoking set ups, the collection forms a universe of liminality, touching on themes of loneliness, death, and otherness against the backdrop of absurdity and community, perfect for readers of Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma, and Mouth by Puloma Ghosh.
FORTY DAWNS OF THE PERSIAN SPRING by Nilofar Shidmehr
For fans of Reading Lolita in Tehran and Marjane Satrapi, FORTY DAWNS OF THE PERSIAN SPRING centers around Raahela Ghaaderi’s forty-day journey to Iran amidst the tumultuous events of the Green Revolution, also known as the Persian Spring. The forty days represent the requisite time for healing, transformation, and spiritual growth in Islamic cultures.
It is 2009 and Raahela, an Iranian expat and former political prisoner at Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, makes the sudden and daring decision to forego her impending wedding and fly from Canada to Iran to immerse herself in the fervor of the revolutionary movement. She believes that this risky undertaking may absolve her guilt for abandoning a teenage inmate who tragically ended her life in Evin Prison two decades earlier. To evade detection, Raahela seeks refuge first with her ex-husband, then friend and later mother, navigating both a treacherous landscape and complicated past relationships as she faces a series of turbulent political events that mirror her inner turmoil. Finally, she visits with a young revolutionary who has suffered arrest, torture, and release. In a gesture of solidarity and hope, she shares her own story of loss and resilience, offering solace and planting the seeds of a new rebellion—what will eventually become Iran’s 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.
This brave, relevant and empowering novel transports readers into the heart of a totalitarian, sexist, and brutal regime and the volatile streets of Tehran, where clashes between revolutionaries and the police threaten to ignite the country. The story showcases a divided society where trust is scarce but crucial for survival, and speaks to the importance of personal relationships—of love, care and empathy—to sustain the human spirit. By fighting for freedom and democracy, Raahela tends to her own unhealed wounds. In striving for her country’s salvation, she is able to achieve her own.
Read our latest collection of comics from creative writing students.
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Here is how to describe a classroom in writing: Describe a classroom in writing by focusing on its physical layout, lighting, colors, and decorations. Detail the furniture arrangement, technology used, and classroom dynamics to paint a vivid picture. Use vivid language to capture to the essence of the classroom.
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What Is Creative Writing (Long Description)? Creative Writing is the art of using words to express ideas and emotions in imaginative ways. It encompasses various forms including novels, poetry, and plays, focusing on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes. (This post may have afilliate links.
Creative writing is a form of writing that extends beyond the bounds of regular professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature. It is characterized by its development, and the use of literary tropes or poetic techniques to express ideas in an original and imaginative way. express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a ...
From personal essays and novels to graphic narratives, short stories, and memoirs — here are 10 types of creative writing you might enjoy.
Creative writing is writing meant to evoke emotion in a reader by communicating a theme. In storytelling (including literature, movies, graphic novels, creative nonfiction, and many video games), the theme is the central meaning the work communicates. Take the movie (and the novel upon which it's based) Jaws, for instance.
60 Descriptive Writing Prompts that you will love using in the classroom as students gain confidence in their writing this school year.
8. Do creative writing exercises. To improve your descriptive writing, try simple exercises. For example, try writing one-paragraph descriptions of places or people. Write a description of a room you know well. Take a location every knows—like New York—and describe the city from a fictional character's point of view.
Teaching creative writing isn't always easy, especially in high school. In this interview with Language Arts Classroom, get inspiration about how to build rapport with students and how to make grading manageable and equitable. Plus, read about Lauralee's favorite creative writing assignment, and try
Here are six steps to on how to teach an engaging and successful creative writing class to high school students.
Class pictures. A framed school jacket or school banner. Garbage cans. A floor dotted with debris (discarded gum wrappers, broken pencils, pencil-top erasers, crumpled papers) Janitors pushing wide brooms. Teachers making for their classes or stopping to chat with students. A school police officer wandering the halls.
Descriptive writing is about using the power of words to arouse the imagination, capture the attention, and create a lasting impact in the mind of the reader. In this article, you'll learn how to employ descriptive elements in your writing, tips to enhance your descriptive writing skills, and some exercises to better yourself at it.
This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. They've selected ...
11+ creative writing guide with 50 example topics and prompts. The 11+ exam is a school entrance exam taken in the academic year that a child in the UK turns eleven. These exams are highly competitive, with multiple students battling for each school place awarded. The 11 plus exam isn't 'one thing', it varies in its structure and ...
A descriptive essay gives a vivid, detailed description of something—generally a place or object, but possibly something more abstract like an emotion. This type of essay, like the narrative essay, is more creative than most academic writing.
Learn the definition of creative writing. View examples of creative writing while learning the various types, elements and techniques of creative...
Creative writing should be fun! Try these 55 creative writing activities. We've included options for elementary, middle school, and high school students.
A comprehensive high school writing curriculum will address students' writing skills and grammatical knowledge. Meeting language skills alongside the writing standards can happen naturally. A well-rounded high school writing course will also address essential aspects such as argumentative writing (sometimes referenced as persuasive writing ...
Creative writing is an art form that goes beyond traditional writing, allowing individuals to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas through the power of words. In this blog post, brought to you by Oxford Summer Courses, we will delve into the essence of creative writing, exploring its definition, benefits, and how it can help unleash your creativity.
e fundamental techniques of writing fiction, poetry, and drama; and discuss the use of such techniques by well-known authors in a variety of genres. Each class will be devoted to the examination of techniques and to the workshop of students' drafts toward the enrichment of their manuscripts. Students learn how to combine inspiration and revisi
AWP's Guide to Writing Programs is a free, searchable database of graduate and undergraduate writing programs in the US and abroad. ... Keywords Search for a school name, program description, location, and/or faculty member name. 6. Results. Number of results per page: ... Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Playwriting, Writing for Children ...
Overview To promote development, detail, and focus of ideas in students' writing, it sometimes helps to start with a fun, creative writing activity that encourages what you want to see in all of their writing. In this minilesson, students practice writing detailed, sensory-rich descriptions by framing a small piece of nature and freewriting about it. From this, students can develop a variety ...
The Creative Writer, Level 1 Young writers of fiction and poetry learn vital skills such as point of view, characterization, plotting, dialogue, and description with this creative writing curriculum for middle schoolers (roughly 6th- to 9th-grade).
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Georgia-based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy. Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family: a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond!A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to "Pivot!" her blogging focus after ...
South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we're about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and ...
HarperCollinsPublishersLtd, the UBC School of Creative Writing and CookeMcDermid Literary Management are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2024 HarperCollinsPublishersLtd/UBC Prize for Best New Fiction, co-sponsored by CookeMcDermid Literary Management: . Emily Cann for her adult novel BRANCHES; A.W. Hopkins for his short story collection A SPLENDID INDIAN