Writers’ Nook: The Joy of Creative Writing
In this on-going class young writers will grow in the art of creative writing through study and practice.
Tory Anderson
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(452)
What's included
1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
1-2 hours per week. Homework will include: writing on personal writing projects; writing on writing prompts assigned in class; reading short stories and novel excerpts as assigned in class.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
In this class students will expand their creative writing skills by looking closely at examples of successful authors to understand what they are doing and how they are doing it. Additionally students will respond to writing prompts to discover and exercise their own creative possibilities. In-class writing will be expanded to out-of-class writing to allow further development of ideas and techniques. Students will have the opportunity to share their writing projects with the class where they will learn to receive and give honest, helpful, positive feedback to the work of others. Unit 1 Saffy’s Angel - Creating colorful atmosphere Unit 2 In-class writing/reading Day - Writing Prompt – “Dinner at my friend’s house.” Unit 3 Saffy’s Angel – Creating realistic humor with characters Unit 4 In-class writing/reading Day - Writing Prompt – “There’s been a mistake.” Unit 5 Saffy’s Angel – Character development Unit 6 In-class writing/reading Day - Writing Prompt – “Something funny happened in school today.”
Learning Goals
Students will increase their understanding of the following elements of good creative writing: theme, plot development, character development, and world building.
Students will learn basic formatting techniques for short stories and novels.
Students will learn the art of the sentence.
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2020
4.9
452reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Receiving a master’s degree in English from BYU with an emphasis in creative writing was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with all things creative: novels, plays, movies, painting, music, dance, origami, cosplay, juggling, computer games, DnD . . . the list goes on.
On the STEM side of life I spent eight years in the United States Air Force as a radar technician. Working with the highly mobile radar of a forward air control post I traveled the world in C-130s, was buzzed by A-10s, and became proficient with various weaponry. Since the third grade I have been a student of the history of military aircraft, especially World War II.
As a published author of many short stories and four young adult novels I’m ready to help students create with the written word. In creative writing I teach the power of the word, the beauty of the sentence, the joy of the completed story. As a university instructor in critical reading/writing, I learned that a good author won’t tell you anything. A good author wants to see what you see after you read his/her book. We will learn how to know what we see and how to talk and write about it.
As a dad I homeschooled all eight of my children to support positive, independent thinking. I kept reading with my children long after they could read for themselves—until they left for college. I advocate reading and writing with classroom presentations and programs. I’ve been mentoring youth writers in the Juab Jotters writing group for several years.
When I’m not teaching you will find me pursuing my own never ending education, playing computer games with my children (great family time), cosplaying (last year it was Mystery Men), and spending time with my children and grandchildren (soon to be six).
Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
50 min
Completed by 243 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
3-10 learners per class
