Reading like a writer stuff
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Frequently Asked Questions
These questions may be on your mind as you consider advising a creative writing club. Follow the linked questions for more information!
What is a creative Writing Club?
Whatever You* Want it to be
*and your members and organization
QUICK ANSWER: Creative writing clubs are what you make them. Facilitators are encouraged harness their own creativity (and that of their members) to create an innovative, engaging space that promotes a love of language. Beyond expectations from members and administrators, there are few limits to the focus, activities, and events that a creative writing club might do.
What comes to mind when you imagine a creative writing club? Do you imagine silence except for the squeak of pencils as members diligently write? Do members submit stories and poetry to a school literary magazine? Do they go to competitions? Do they simply sit in a circle to share their writing? Do they read mentor texts? Do they play games? These activities–and more–are within the constellations of possibility.
The root of the idea of a “creative writing club” may simply be that members gather around the idea of combining imagination with language. Experienced creative writing club facilitator Cassandra Lawton (2022, personal communication) acknowledges that creative writing clubs may have a wide variety of focuses and goals. She recommends that facilitators cultivate a consensus about the focus of the club so that members have compatible expectations.
Three Goal Categories:
Academic goals refer to the art of writing itself. These clubs might focus on building creative writing skills to prepare members for the disciplinary and/or professional sides of creative writing: workshopping and publishing.
Social goals relate to using creative writing clubs to build on members’ ability to connect with others. This could relate to creating positive bonds between members or even using writing to build social-awareness and work towards social justice.
Personal goals refer to using clubs to boost self-understanding and process difficult emotions. These clubs leverage creative writing as a tool for improving members’ mental health.
This list is not exhaustive, but it helps me organize the best ideas I have encountered so far. One club will probably have one major focus, while hitting on the other benefits to a lesser extent. For example, members of an academic-focused creative writing club might still gain friends and understand themselves, but this might become overshadowed by the product-focused mindset of the club. When deciding what to focus on, it will be important to consider your own interests, the needs of your students, and the interests of your organization.
Example organizations
Young Chicago Authors
Young Chicago Authors is an inspiring example of how a club can fuse academic, social, and personal goals to provide space for young people to develop their voices.
Power of the Pen
Power of the Pen is a great example of an academic creative writing club. The organization engages middle schoolers in a tournament based competition, encouraging schools to create teams of writers.
International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers
The International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers loosely unifies writing centers around the world. This website features many examples of international writing organizations for young people.
Am I Qualified to lead one?
Probably.
QUICK ANSWER: While some organizations have established creative writing groups, many do not. Simply being willing to take it on in a way that uplifts your members may be qualification enough.
IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE A WRITER. . .
Even among English teachers, “creative writing” can be a frightening phrase. This is not surprising; we don’t tend to feel good at skills we don’t have opportunities to practice. Creative writing instruction continues to be rare in Western secondary schools, generally taking subservience to reading skills and essay writing (McNeil, 2020; Belas, 2016; Purcell et al., 2013; Broekkamp et al., 2011; Zemelen and Daniels, 1988). These tendencies have left many graduates with little experience or confidence with creative writing; English teachers are not excepted from this.
Focus on Facilitation
A facilitator is defined as someone who makes a process easier. This is exactly what you can do for your writing group, regardless of your personal writing accomplishments. After interviewing 23 facilitators of community based creative writing clubs across America, Cassandra Lawton (2021) shares these insights about good facilitation strategies. A keen educator will notice that these traits overlap with the skills necessary to teach.
Is this worth my Time?
It depends.
QUICK ANSWER: Educators interested in facilitating creative writing clubs should consider whether the returns will balance the costs.
Perhaps more now than any other time, teachers need to protect their time. As our schools are overburdened and underfunded, teachers are in constant jeopardy of exploitation and burnout. In a study on Extra Role Time (ERT), Brown and Roloff (2011) propose that extra role time, such as leading extracurriculars, can contribute to burnout because it often demands that teachers expend their resources, such as time and energy, without sufficient returns. Returns could refer to compensation or intangible benefits such as improved relationships with the students and recognition from administrators. Hensch (2021), in a study of extracurriculars in one suburban school district, found that younger teachers took on more extra-role responsibilities. This tendency is dangerous, considering the well-known statistic that 50% of new teachers leave education within their first five years.
For a creative writing club, there are many returns. These clubs can help students grow academically, socially, and personally. For you, creative writing clubs offer an opportunity to build connects with students and invigorate interest in writing.
Here are some steps that might help educators maximize returns and minimize costs of creative writing clubs.​
MAXIMIZING RETURNS:
Gain buy-in from administration for support and comepensation. Brown and Roloff (2011) found that administrative support influenced teachers’ feelings of burn-out. Not only can administrators provide the room space and some materials for the club, but they can promote your work and help you and your writers gain acknowledgement from the community. Some schools even offer supplemental contracts for leading clubs, so it is possible to be paid.
Promote a positive club atmosphere to make the club a peaceful place. As mentioned by Cassandra Lawton (2021), creating a positive and affirming space greatly contributes to the success of the club. It will also facilitate positive peer and teacher relationships that can be one enormous benefit for everyone involved in these clubs. Practices like creating a shared constitution and list of group norms can actively cultivate this environment.
Seek out partnerships to gain possibilities. Cassandra Lawton (2021) recommends seeking out connections with libraries, bookstores, and local authors to connect your writers and yourself to the surrounding literary community. These connections can inform you about events, publishing opportunities, funding, and other ways to enrich your club. Literary communities, in general, tend to be inviting.
Write alongside your members to reconnect with your imagination, too! Not only is this a best practice for facilitators (Lawton, 2021), but it will give you an opportunity to reconnect with creative writing as well.
Minimizing Costs:
Minimizing costs:
Recruit an executive board to promote student ownership. Once the club has 3-5 dedicated members, encourage them to take ownership of some club activities. Not only will this take some pressure off you, but it may also make sure that the club is attuned to the needs and wants of the students involved.
Establish a meeting protocol to ease planning. Although it will be advisable to shake things up, a standard meeting format can save you from having to constantly create new plans. In my high school club, we came, wrote, and shared every meeting. The facilitator only needed to provide prompts (another task that can be delegated). This format may seem basic, but the club was very successful. Whatever your style, it may be helpful to have a basic meeting to fall back on.
What should I do about sensitive content?
Again, It depends.
QUICK ANSWER: When deciding how to handle sensitive content, educators should especially consider the nature of the content, the individual student, the rest of the group, and the attitudes of administration.
Some educators are reluctant to allow students to write freely because, frankly, they are afraid of what their students will share. “Sensitive content” is a blanket term that refers to writing that obliges the facilitator to take an action for the safety of the member, the well-being of the group, and/or for their obligations as a mandatory reporter. Although the frequency of sensitive content varies, a facilitator should be prepared with a response to these situations.
Types of Sensitive COnent
There are many kinds of sensitive content, and they should not be treated equally. Brown and Buskey (2014), studying the prevalence of violent writing in the classroom, proposed the term “violent writing.” This term refers to writing that contains “depictions of physical force or dangerous behavior against oneself or others resulting in physical, mental, or emotional harm, and potentially indicative of violent or aggressive impulses that warrant closer attention by school, legal, or mental health professionals” (Brown and Buskey, 2014, p. 37). Within this category, they created seven sub-categories:
“Shock and gory violence,” “victim violence,” “self-inflicted violence,” “obsession violence,” “fantasy violence containing indirect threats,” “direct threat violence,” and “mixed violence category” (p. 38).
Shock and gory violence. Uses violence as a means of enertaining or exliciting a reaction, often using intense or gruesome details.
Victim violence. Describes violence from the point of view of the one experiencing it.
Self-Inflicted violence. Contains depictions of self-harm or suicide.
Obsession violence. Depicts a character with consuming thoughts of violent acts, usually against a specific victim.
Fantasy violance containing indirect threats. Relates to writing that may indicate that the writer fantasizes about carrying out violence against specific victims, though these victims may not be named or threatened directly.
Direct threat violence. Details true plans to commit a violent act.
There are other kinds of sensitive content as well. Another large category, which partially overlaps with violent writing, is writing containing triggers. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2014), a trigger is “a stimulus that sets off a memory of a trauma or a specific portion of a traumatic experience” (p. 68). The result of a trigger can cause physical symptoms and psychological distress. They can vary widely and be difficult to predict, even for the individual experiencing them. However, it is important to consider ways to help participants manage their exposure to triggering material.
Lastly, sensitive content may refer to writing that deals with themes deemed inappropriate or uncomfortable for the environment. This content will vary widely based on school, cultural, and individual factors. Some common instances of this kind of material include sexually suggestive content, culturally insensitive content, politically charged content, over-disclosure, and swear words.
Handling Sensitive COntent
When deciding how to handle sensitive content, it will be important to consider many factors. Is the sensitive content an indication that the student is at risk of harming themselves or others? Is the writing an honest depiction of abuse or neglect? Does the student exhibit other warning signs? What affect does the sensitive content have on the group, or you as the facilitator? Would administrators, parents, and community members understand and support your handling of sensitive content?
Below, you will find more information about strategies to navigate around sensitive content in your group.
Be Prepared For Mandatory Reporting
Mandatory Reporting refers to an educator’s legal responsibility to report on indicators of potential harm to a child. According to the Children’s Bureau (2016), mandatory reporters such as teachers are obligated to file a report if they learn any information that suggests a child is at risk of “physical or mental wound, injury, disability, or condition of a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the child” (p. 48).
States and schools have specific processes and requirements for filing a report, but the most important information to know is that the report is mandatory if you believe the child is at risk of any form of harm. It is also important to note that evidence of substance use or misuse may also be necessary to report, based on state and school policies.
After you make a report, the situation is often beyond your control. While the outcomes of the situation should never deter you from completing your ethical and legal responsibilities to report, they are important to consider when allowing students to write freely. A best practice is to always be honest about your obligations as a mandatory reporter; this honesty will help create trust between you and your students.
Limit Censorship
Use censorship sparingly. Some censorship may be necessary simply because the club takes place in a school environment. The administration (and your own discretion) may set boundaries about sexually explicit material and obscene language. While these boundaries are often necessary, censorship should not become a method of eliminating all forms of sensitive content.
Most obviously, censorship may cause distrust among your members because it limits their free expression. If you are running a magazine or a press, you will have to defend your use of censorship against legal standards.
But perhaps more importantly, scholars Brown and Buskey (2014) point out that censorship prohibits students from exploring sensitive topics within a safe space. Since writing can be such a powerful way to process trauma, it may be crucially important that students have the ability to explore topics that may come across as disturbing. Additionally, Brown and Buskey (2014) point out that students’ decision to write about concerning topics may be their way of seeking help. Censorship may remove a student's path to help and safety.
Create Content Warnings and Group Norms
With the above information in mind, there is a difference between censoring student writing and maintaining boundaries about what is shared and how it is shared. Sensitive content may include triggers for participants.
Content Warnings refer simply to providing a warning about potentially triggering material. In a creative writing environment, students may be asked to flag common triggers in their work at the top of their first page or before they read aloud. For this practice to work, participants must know that they can leave the room or opt out of reading without judgment. They must also have the time to do so before the writer begins reading. The University of Michigan (2022) has a very helpful resource on content warnings, which can be accessed here:
Group Norms are a way for participants to decide collaboratively on what material is acceptable to share. Content warnings require the group norm that participants can opt out of reading or listening to triggering material. However, they will still have to admit to having a trigger which can come with stigma. By leading the group through a conversation about what is acceptable to share, you may minimize the amount of triggering material that students choose to share. This practice may also help build trust and rapport among members, creating a more positive group culture.