Creative Writing: First Sentence Story Prompts

New class

Ages 14-18

Live Group Class

This six-week class allows students to develop writing skills in a variety of genres.

Shilo Dawn

Average rating:

5.0

Number of reviews:

(6 reviews)

Live video meetings

1x per week, 6 weeks

2-10 learners per class

50 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

6 live meetings

5 in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12

This class offers a fun opportunity for students to develop their writing skills. Each week, we will begin the class by spending about five minutes discussing that week's genre. This will allow students to express their understanding of the genre and ensure that all students understand how to write this literary genre. Once we have discussed the genre, I will present the students with that week's first sentence prompt chosen at random by me. This will be a sentence that should begin the students' stories. Students will then have 20-25 minutes to create their own stories. Because students are unlikely to be able to finish their stories in this timeframe, they are encouraged to complete their stories after class. 

Once students have had time to start their stories, anyone who wants to will be allowed to share their stories. Students may read what they have written as well as discuss where they plan to have their story go from there. Because different students are interested in different genres, we will cycle through different genres depending on the week. This allows students to enjoy genres they are already familiar with as well as develop an understanding of some potentially unfamiliar genres. The genres will be as follows:

Week One: Historical Fiction
Week Two: Mystery
Week Three: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Week Four: Sports
Week Five: Coming-of-Age
Week Six: Classroom Choice

Please note, students are welcome to write the stories that they want. If they want to share their stories in class, though, they must be what I call "PG." This means no swearing, graphic violence, or sexual content. If students include graphic or inappropriate content in their stories, I reserve the right to turn off their microphones and if necessary, remove them from the classroom temporarily. 

Students are also welcome to interpret these genres the way that they like. They can bring in elements of other genres when necessary.

Learning Goals

Students will focus on writing stories based on a first-sentence prompt. They will also practice writing stories from different genres.

Other Details

Supply List

Students will need a way to write their stories. They can use paper and a pencil or a pen or they can write their stories on an electronic device using a word processing program.

External Resources

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Shilo Dawn

Joined July, 2022

5.0

6reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

2 Degrees

Master's Degree in English from Central Michigan University

Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University

I am Ms. Shilo. I enjoy reading, writing, and sports. My favorite sports are soccer and American football. I'm also a bit obsessed with watching the Olympics and will watch as many events as possible when they are going on.

I have a BA in Communication Studies and an MA in English Language and Literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing. My ultimate career goal is to write Young Adult novels. I would like to write about female characters who, like me, really enjoy sports. I feel like this is a novel market that needs more great novels. 

I have taught classes both online and in-person for a variety of age groups. For about four years, I taught English to children in China, and I had several regular students who took over 100 classes with me. I have also worked as a one-on-one aide for children who were 3-4 years old as well as a substitute teacher for a variety of age groups. 

Because of my passion for reading, I generally read at least 100 books every year. I want to share my love for reading, writing, and grammar with my students.