We love showing off some of our students' work every week! Check out what our kids at Park Day have been up to in their after-school creative writing class with instructor Zach Wyner! (These are just excerpts of longer pieces.)
Write about something people don't know about you
Something most people don’t know about me is… Once upon a time… no thanks. I am not going to say that story. I like soccer and hockey. Once upon a time there was a boy who… I like lightning. It’s like a weird shape in the sky that’s long and out of order.
-Samuel
Observation: Describe an object in detail
The fur is green and sparkly. There is a ribbon around his neck. The ribbon is different shades of green. The texture is soft. It sits upright. Its eyes and nose are black. It is made up of a bunch of different shapes, mostly round. There is a clover on his chest.
-Ruby S
From a free association word game.
I was in the left wing of the big stone house when I heard the mistress yell, “Do not be like them!” As I walked over to the sound of her voice, I saw a new boy. He was about five and had probably just come to the Sorten Orphanage. He was getting the lecture from Mistress Sorten about rules. Mistress Sorten didn’t think that rules were good for her but she thought that they were good for kids so we had to obey her. Can you believe her?
-Clara
List making as inspiration: What would you take to outer space?
What I would take with me to outer space: 1. Food (potato chips) 2. Sweets 3. Spaceship 4. Magicians 5. Broom (to sweep up space) 6. Chocolate 7. Cold medicine for when I’m cold 8. Dancing bananas (to entertain me) 9. Clothes 10. Yoda (in case I get attacked)
-Emmet
Free-write prompt: When I look at the stars I...
When I look at the stars I can’t figure out how they manipulate the brightness of showing themselves and making shapes. I just cannot figure it out. The sun shines so much brighter than the stars, that’s why I think it’s cool. The moon is a different matter altogether. It is so weak it can’t shine at all, just asks the sun to help it. It’s like asking a friend to help you do an awesome trick but doing it in a way that makes you look cool. The earth is very cool but I wonder if all the lights on earth put together would be brighter than the moon. I doubt it. If it was that would mean that humans have done something amazing.
-Jake
From blah to ta-dah. Rewrite a blah piece of writing and make it a "ta-dah" one.
Harry went into the kitchen. It was nighttime. When he looked out of the window he noticed the moon was out.
Harry stepped into the kitchen with a loud creeeeeak. It was pitch black outside. When he looked out the window, he saw a blazing moon.
-Eli
From a free association word game.
This story takes place in Vermont in a little gingerbread house in the woods. I know what you’re thinking – this is NOT the story with the child-craving witch and the two fat German kids or whatever it was. This is a short little story about a little boy with a mother and a father but NO siblings. He went outside. Yeah. Bye.
-Mattie
Use a newspaper headline as the first line of your story.
Almost As Good As In A Restaurant. Almost as good as in a restaurant is when your mom makes octopus cupcakes and you feel like barfing or puking out your nose, ears or eyes. But, when she asks you, “Do you like it?” and your dog comes running, thinking he’s in for a treat, when he gets to the table you accidentally dump it on its feet!
-Tallulah
Write a story using a newspaper headline as the first line.
Grapes Finally In Pristine Shape! Wine is finally good! The grapes are growing like mad! One farmer reported hearing his wife sing when she talked because it tasted so good!
-Ruby
Free write: What would you do if you could stay up one hour later at night?
If I could stay up one hour longer I would watch TV and eat a lot of junk food and junk drinks and bring down the mattress from the guest room and I would jump on it while watching TV, eating junk food and drinking junk drink. And I would never get in trouble. And I would go to the grocery store and buy more junk food and junk drink.
-Hayley
Something most people don’t know about me is that I have a secret identity. I’m only Ruby half the time. Usually, I’m Copa, a Russian accountant spy. I am working for the Russian CIA and I live with my eight venomous snakes. My uniform is neon green (not very smart for a spy, right?). My latest mission was to make a macaroni necklace.
-Ruby
Inspired by an activity practicing the art of listening while on the playground.
That was it. The time had come. Their hearts were pounding. They were ready to race and then they heard it. “GREEN LIGHT!” They started running. “Go back! Eli, go back! I see all of you! Malcolm stop moving! Malcolm, go back! Malcolm, go back! Are you ready?”
-Claire
What is your definition of inspiration?
Inspiration comes from an event, action or previous memories. Example: your friend gets carried off by a zebra. You may be inspired to write a story called “Revenge of the Genius Zebras.” You may be inspired by someone else’s work, something you saw on TV, or even something someone else said. I sometimes get inspired from video games and Justin Bieber!
-Henry
From blah to ta-dah. Rewrite a blah piece of writing and make it a "ta-dah" one.
Harry went into the kitchen. It was nighttime. When he looked out of the window he noticed the moon was out. He opened the fridge looking for something to eat. Inside he found an old apple, a piece of moldy cheese and a then his eyes landed on something good - a piece of chocolate cake. He took it out and placed it on the kitchen counter.
Harry crept into the kitchen. It was the dead of night and he noticed the moon piercing the crisp, black, night sky. He opened the fridge and pried around for something to eat. Inside he found a squishy brown old apple, a crumbling moldy piece of cheese and then his eyes landed on something good: a moist, rich slice of chocolate mousse cake. He took it out and placed it on the wood counter, resisting the temptation to noisily devour it.
-Cate
Use a newspaper headline as the first line of your story.
Richmond city is a city on the East Coast, famous for celebrities walking blue carpets instead of red. Richmond city is also famous for being rich with monds. Monds are like chestnuts but taste like soft walnuts covered in cacao. The monds come from trees called Whitleydid trees. They have soft furry leaves with fuzzy moths called Whitleydid moths. The Whitleydid moths are the only ones who can pollinate the Whitleydid trees so the people are grateful for the Whitleydid moths and often take care of them if they are hurt. They even invented a Whitleydid moth medicine made with monds cacao. The Whitleydid moths only live in Richmond because it is perfect weather and for some reason the perfect place. But with fame comes trouble. Since Whitleydid moths were rare, fuzzy and made monds, which were also rare, Whitleydid moth hunters come to Richmond.
-Kyra
From blah to ta-dah. Rewrite a blah piece of writing and make it a "ta-dah" one.
Harry went into the kitchen. It was nighttime. When he looked out of the window he noticed the moon was out. He opened the fridge looking for something to eat. Inside he found an old apple, a piece of moldy cheese and a then his eyes landed on something good - a piece of chocolate cake. He took it out and placed it on the kitchen counter.
Harry slowly tiptoed to the kitchen. The sky was dark, and when he glanced out the window, the moon was shining bright. He snooped through the refrigerator and found a rubbery-skinned old apple, a piece of cheese green from mold, and a slice of heaven. Chocolate cake! He took it out, carefully cut it, and devoured it cheerfully. Then he went back to bed, slowly digesting the delicious, spongy, rich and secret (very, very secret) piece of cake.
-Ciel
Write a story using a newspaper headline as the first line.
Iran Tied To Plot To Kill Saudi Diplomat but the Saudi diplomat refused and started a fight with Iran. Iran and Saudi fought for two days. The Saudi said, “Sorry.” Then Iran and Saudi became friends and had apple cider. They went bobbing for apples and had the best of times.
-Parker
