creative writing club resources

Join the Club: Creative Writing Club Explained

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

What is Creative Writing Club?

Benefits of joining a creative writing club, activities and workshops offered by creative writing clubs, how to find and join a creative writing club, tips for maximizing your experience in a creative writing club, advantages of joining creative writing clubs:, opportunities for publication:, networking and building connections within a creative writing club, frequently asked questions, future outlook.

Our Creative Writing Club is a community of passionate writers who come together to share their love for storytelling and hone their craft. Whether you’re new to writing or a seasoned wordsmith, our club offers a supportive and inspiring environment where you can explore your creativity, develop your writing skills, and connect with fellow writers.

In our club, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Participate in writing exercises and workshops: Join us as we engage in various writing activities designed to stimulate your imagination and develop your writing techniques.
• Receive feedback on your work: Share your writing with other club members and receive constructive feedback to help you improve your storytelling abilities.
• Explore different genres and styles: Be exposed to a wide range of writing styles and genres through our discussions and workshops, allowing you to expand your writing horizons.
• Connect with like-minded individuals: Forge meaningful connections with fellow writers who share your passion for the written word. Exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and support each other on your writing journeys.

Join our Creative Writing Club and unleash your creativity while growing as a writer. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, feedback, or simply the camaraderie of other writers, we welcome you to become a part of our vibrant community.

Introduction to the World of Imagination:

Joining a creative writing club opens up a world of imagination and possibility. It offers a platform for aspiring writers to explore their creativity and develop their writing skills among a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Through engaging workshops, group discussions, and constructive feedback sessions, members can broaden their horizons by stepping into the shoes of various characters, exploring different genres, and experimenting with diverse writing styles. The club serves as a safe space for writers to express themselves freely, fostering a sense of self-discovery and personal growth.

• Creative Inspiration: The creative writing club provides an environment that inspires and motivates its members to pursue their writing ambitions. By regularly interacting with fellow writers and sharing ideas, participants can tap into a wealth of creativity and inspiration. The club’s members often engage in stimulating writing exercises and prompts, sparking new ideas and breaking through writer’s block. This constant flow of creative energy nurtures a fertile ground for imagination to flourish.
• Constructive Feedback: One of the greatest advantages of joining a creative writing club is the opportunity for constructive feedback. By participating in workshops and critique sessions, members can receive valuable insights and suggestions to improve their writing. This feedback is invaluable in identifying strengths and weaknesses, polishing writing skills, and refining one’s literary voice. With the constructive guidance of fellow writers, club members can gain a deeper understanding of the art of storytelling and hone their abilities to captivate readers.

Joining a creative writing club offers an exciting array of activities and workshops that nourish your writing skills and ignite your imagination. Here are some of the captivating opportunities that await you:

• Writing Prompts: Get those creative juices flowing with a myriad of thought-provoking prompts designed to push your boundaries and inspire unique story ideas. From surreal scenarios to character-driven dilemmas, these prompts will challenge you to explore new genres and writing styles.
• Feedback Sessions: Engage in constructive discussions with fellow writers who are enthusiastic about fine-tuning their craft. Share your work-in-progress and receive valuable feedback, allowing you to identify strengths, improve weak points, and develop your unique voice in a supportive environment.
• Guest Speaker Events: Attend exclusive talks by established authors, editors, and literary agents. Gain insight into their writing processes, listen to captivating anecdotes from their career journeys, and learn valuable tips and tricks to enhance your own craft. These events offer a unique opportunity to interact with industry professionals and expand your network within the literary world.

But that’s not all! Creative writing clubs provide a platform for various enriching workshops that cover a range of topics, such as:

• Character Development: Learn techniques to create compelling and well-rounded characters that resonate with your readers.
• Plot Structure: Explore different plot structures and discover how to add suspense, build tension, and craft captivating story arcs.
• Worldbuilding: Dive into the intricacies of building fictional worlds, from designing unique settings to establishing believable rules and cultures.
• Editing and Revision: Acquire essential skills for revising and polishing your work, ensuring your writing shines before it reaches an audience.

By immersing yourself in these activities and workshops, creative writing clubs provide an inspiring community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for storytelling. Joining a club today will not only improve your writing skills but also offer a supportive space to nurture your creativity and connect with fellow writers on your journey toward literary success.

Joining a creative writing club can be a fantastic way to connect with like-minded individuals, improve your writing skills, and get valuable feedback on your work. If you’re wondering how to find and join the perfect club for you, here are a few tips:

1. Research Online: Start by doing a quick search on the internet to find creative writing clubs in your area. Look for clubs that align with your interests and goals. Check out their websites or social media pages to get an idea of their activities and the type of writing they focus on.

2. Local Libraries and Bookstores: Visit your local library or bookstore and ask if they have any creative writing clubs or if they can recommend any in the area. These establishments often have community bulletin boards where clubs advertise their meetings or workshops, so keep an eye out for any notices.

3. Online Writing Communities: Don’t limit yourself to physical clubs! There is a wealth of online writing communities where you can connect with writers from all around the world. Platforms like Meetup, Goodreads, and Reddit have dedicated spaces for writers to share their work, give feedback, and even arrange virtual meetups or workshops.

4. Attend Open Mic Nights: Open mic nights are not only a great way to showcase your own writing talent, but they can also be an opportunity to meet other writers and learn about local creative writing clubs. Strike up conversations with fellow writers during these events, and you might find yourself on the path to discovering the perfect club to join.

Ready to dive into the world of creative writing? Joining a creative writing club is one of the best ways to sharpen your skills and connect with fellow writers who share your passion. To ensure you make the most out of your experience, here are some invaluable tips to keep in mind:

• Embrace diversity: One of the most exciting aspects of a creative writing club is the diversity of writing styles, genres, and perspectives. Embrace this diversity! Engage in discussions and workshops with an open mind, appreciating the unique approaches of your fellow writers. This exposure will not only broaden your own writing horizons but also foster a supportive and inclusive community within the club.
• Consistency is key: To truly maximize your experience in a creative writing club, consistency is crucial. Attend meetings regularly and actively participate in writing exercises, critiques, and group discussions. Consistency not only helps you stay accountable in your writing journey but also allows you to build strong connections with other club members. Remember, the more you invest in the club, the more you’ll benefit from the invaluable insights, feedback, and inspiration that your fellow writers can offer.

Exploring Opportunities for Publication through Creative Writing Clubs

Joining a creative writing club can be a fantastic way to unlock opportunities for publication and share your written work with a wider audience. In these clubs, you’ll find a supportive community of fellow writers who understand the struggles and joys of the creative process. Together, you can cultivate your skills, gain valuable feedback, and discover a variety of avenues for showcasing your talent.

One invaluable benefit of creative writing clubs is the opportunity to participate in writing competitions and literary magazines. Many clubs organize regular contests, providing you with a chance to submit your work and potentially win recognition for your creativity. Additionally, these clubs often collaborate with schools, local organizations, and literary publications, increasing your exposure and facilitating potential publication. By participating in these activities, you not only enhance your writing abilities but also establish connections within the writing community.

• Gain inspiration and motivation from like-minded writers
• Receive constructive feedback to improve your writing skills
• Expand your network by connecting with professionals in the literary field
• Participate in writing workshops and learn new techniques
• Access valuable resources and recommendations for editors and agents
• Submit your writing to contests organized by the club
• Showcase your work in club-sponsored literary magazines
• Collaborate with local organizations and schools for publishing opportunities
• Connect with established literary publications through club affiliations
• Explore self-publishing options with the support and guidance of fellow club members

Being a part of a creative writing club not only allows you to explore your writing skills, but it also provides an exciting opportunity to network and build connections with like-minded individuals. Building connections within the club can open up doors to new perspectives, collaborations, and even potential publishing opportunities. Here are some ways you can network and build connections within the creative writing club:

• Participate in club events and activities: Attending club events like writing workshops, open mic nights, or book discussions is a fantastic way to interact with fellow writers and exchange ideas. Engage in conversations, actively participate, and be open to receiving feedback on your work. These events provide the perfect platform to connect with writers who share your passion.
• Form writing critique groups: Establishing a writing critique group within the club can be highly beneficial. This allows you to regularly share your work with a smaller, dedicated group of writers who can provide valuable feedback and help you improve your writing skills. By actively engaging in critique sessions, you not only strengthen your bonds with other writers but also enhance your own writing abilities.
• Utilize online platforms: Many creative writing clubs have online platforms or social media groups where members can connect and interact outside of physical meetings. Take advantage of these platforms to share your work, provide feedback to others, initiate discussions, and seek advice. The online space provides a conducive environment for networking and building connections with writers beyond the boundaries of the physical club.

In conclusion, can significantly enrich your writing journey. By actively participating in club events, forming writing critique groups, and utilizing online platforms, you can foster meaningful relationships with fellow writers, gain valuable insights, and open doors to exciting writing opportunities.

Q: What is a creative writing club? A: A creative writing club is a group of individuals who share a passion for writing and come together to foster creativity, hone their writing skills, and receive feedback on their work.

Q: Why should I join a creative writing club? A: Joining a creative writing club can be a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow writers, gain inspiration, and receive constructive criticism on your writing. It provides a supportive community that can help you grow and improve as a writer.

Q: How does a creative writing club work? A: The structure of creative writing clubs can vary, but most typically include regular meetings where members share their writing and receive feedback. Some clubs may also host workshops, writing exercises, guest speakers, or even organize writing competitions or publishing opportunities.

Q: Do I need to have previous writing experience to join a creative writing club? A: Absolutely not! Creative writing clubs welcome writers of all levels, from beginners to experienced authors. The focus is on nurturing creativity and providing a space where writers can develop their skills, regardless of their experience level.

Q: Can joining a creative writing club improve my writing skills? A: Yes, joining a creative writing club can significantly enhance your writing skills. Through regular feedback and critique sessions, you’ll receive valuable input from fellow writers, helping you to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. The exposure to different writing styles and techniques shared by club members can also inspire and enhance your own writing.

Q: How can I find a creative writing club to join? A: There are several ways to find a creative writing club. You can check with your local community centers, libraries, or universities, as they often host such clubs. Alternatively, online platforms and forums dedicated to writing can provide information about virtual writing clubs where you can participate from anywhere.

Q: What are the benefits of joining a creative writing club? A: Joining a creative writing club offers numerous benefits. Apart from receiving valuable feedback on your work, you’ll find a supportive community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for writing. This sense of camaraderie can boost your motivation and provide a platform for networking and collaboration with fellow writers.

Q: Is it necessary to share my writing with others in a creative writing club? A: Sharing your writing with others is typically encouraged in a creative writing club but is not mandatory. Many clubs provide a safe and nurturing environment where you can share your work and receive valuable feedback. However, if you prefer to simply absorb the discussions and critique of others without sharing your own writing, that is usually respected as well.

Q: Can I join multiple creative writing clubs? A: Yes, you can join multiple creative writing clubs if you wish. This can provide you with a wider range of perspectives and feedback to help improve your writing. However, do keep in mind that joining too many clubs might divide your time and attention, so find the balance that works best for you.

Q: What is the most important thing to remember when joining a creative writing club? A: The most important thing to remember when joining a creative writing club is to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow. Be respectful towards your fellow club members, embrace constructive criticism, and actively participate in discussions and activities. This will help you make the most of your experience and nurture your growth as a writer.

In conclusion, joining a creative writing club offers a supportive community, valuable feedback, and endless opportunities for growth as a writer. Explore your creativity and meet like-minded individuals today!

Data Insights: What Is a Well-Known Write-Blocking Data Preview and Imaging Tool

Sands of Creativity: Mastering the Art of Describing Sand in Creative Writing

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities.

Welcome to Creative Writing Prompts

At Creative Writing Prompts, we believe in the power of words to shape worlds. Our platform is a sanctuary for aspiring writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and everyone. Here, storytelling finds its home, and your creative journey begins its captivating voyage.

© 2024 Creativewriting-prompts.com

Get the Reddit app

Discussions about the writing craft.

What should we do in a creative writing club?

My friend and I started a creative writing club last year at school but we are running out of ideas for what to do this year. We did some meetings with writing prompts and we tried NaNaWriMo. Are there any other activities we could do?

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

now taking clients for 2024

Now taking clients for 2024

10 Creative Writing Prompts to Get Your Group Started

Last updated on July 14th, 2022 at 08:55 am

This article is part five of a series about starting your own creative writing group/club. Part one is here .  Topics will include giving constructive criticism , running a workshop , and writing games / prompts .

Writing prompts are both fun and a great club icebreaker. There are several types of writing prompts. My favorites are story prompts and first-line prompts. I used to come up with them for the teen creative writing club I ran. I’ve put some of each below to get your club started.

Here are my general rules for writing games/prompts:

• Encourage everyone to share their writing, but no one ever has to share. This creates an environment where people feel comfortable. The important thing is doing the exercise. If they decide to share, they must read their prompt aloud so everyone knows what it was.
• Set a time limit. I would generally give everyone five to ten minutes per round to write, and then I would open up for sharing. Once everyone had the opportunity to read their work, I would start another round or move on. This also encouraged people to share. After all, no story is good after five minutes.
• No one ever has to keep their prompt. If someone doesn’t like their prompt, they’re allowed to put it back and pick something else.

One last thing. My personal rule for coming up with prompts was I would never put it in the basket unless I could take the prompt in at least a couple of directions. Take the first line prompt below, “I hated that smile.” I could imagine a creepy story where the main character faces someone that scares them. I could also see the main character coming home to their mother, and the smile means they’re about to do something they don’t want to, like spend the weekend volunteering. Those are two very different stories. So, the prompt went into the basket.

I would always allow people to change the pronouns for their prompts. He to she, she to I, you to they, etc.

Story Prompts:

• You’ve decided to go on a road trip by yourself.
• You’ve wandered farther than usual and discovered an old cabin in the woods behind your house.
• You’re reading a book in the middle of the night when you hear a massive bang downstairs.
• You’re walking home, and you think you’re being followed.
• It’s been raining for a week straight with no signs of stopping.

First Line Prompts:

• I hated that smile.
• “Wait, isn’t he supposed to be dead?”
• It was too quiet.
• “Have you seen this?”
• Was that a scream?

Check out my Pinterest board for weekly writing prompts!

• Pingback: How to Start a Creative Writing Group – Erin Lafond
• Pingback: Four Creative Writing Games to Get Your Group Started – Erin Lafond

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Overview

Walking by the Way

the road to inspired learning

Eight Free Creative Writing Lessons

February 17, 2012 by Ami 17 Comments

I know I throw around the word favorite all the time. But this is the truth: teaching creative writing lessons is my favorite. 

I have taught creative writing enrichment for summer school students. I have taught creative writing in various homeschool settings and co-ops. I have taught big students and little students. And I love it. 

Since I love to share homeschool co-op class ideas , I have compiled the creative writing lessons from a co-op class that I taught. 

Creative Writing Lessons for a Homeschool Co-op Class

First, please remember that any teacher can use these creative writing lessons. You don’t need to be teaching homeschoolers. You can be a classroom teacher or a homeschool teacher at home with one student. You can even be a librarian who needs a fun program series.

Second, I used these creative writing lesson plans with upper elementary students (with maybe a few 7th graders thrown in). However, you can adapt and use them for older students or younger students!

Creative Writing Lesson Plans

Creative writing lesson one.

The first lesson focuses on cliché and metaphor. It prompts students to consider how words matter.

Grab lesson one here .

Creative Writing Lesson Two

The second lesson teaches students about sensory details: why they are important and how to include them in their writing. Students will begin using sensory details to evoke smells and sounds and sights.

Grab lesson two here.

Creative Writing Lesson Three

The third lesson introduces showing vs. telling. Students learn how to recognize authors who utilize showing, and students are able to articulate the difference between showing and telling.

Grab lesson three here.

Creative Writing Lesson Four

The fourth lesson teaches students how to capture images. We use examples of poetry and prose to discuss this important writing skill.

Grab lesson four here.

Creative Writing Lesson Five

The fifth lesson introduces the story elements of character and conflict.

Note: You may choose to split this lesson into two lessons since it covers two big elements. I only had nine weeks with my students, so I had to jam character and conflict together.

Grab lesson five here.

Creative Writing Lesson Six

The sixth lesson introduces the students to point of view and perspective. We have fun reading poems and using pictures to write descriptions from different points of view.

Grab lesson six here.

Creative Writing Lesson Seven

The seventh lesson puts everything we’ve learned together. I read the students some fractured fairy tales, and we watch some, too. Students then use the prewriting activities and their imaginations to begin drafting their own fractured fairy tales.

Grab lesson seven here.

Creative Writing Lesson Eight

The eighth lesson focuses on revision. After a mini-lesson, students partner up for peer editing.

Grab lesson eight here .

For our final class day, students bring revised work, and I host coffee shop readings. This is a memorable experience for students (and their teacher).

Creative Writing Lessons FAQ

Since posting these creative writing lessons, I have had lots of questions. I decided to compile them here in case you have the same question.

Q: What are copywork quotes? A: Copywork quotes are simply great quotes that students copy as part of their homework assignments. You can use any quotes about writing. I’ve included my favorites throughout the printable packs.

Q: Can I use this with a younger or older student? A: Absolutely! Just adapt it to meet the needs of your student.

Q: Can I use this for my library’s programming or my homeschool co-op class? A: Yes! I just ask that it not be used for profit.

Do you have any questions about teaching creative writing? What’s your biggest hang-up when it comes to teaching creative writing? I’d love to hear from you and help you solve the issue.

January 7, 2016 at 1:57 pm

Hi Theresa,

As long as you are not profitting from using them, they are yours to use! Enjoy! Wish I could be there to help facilitate all those young writers! 

[…] Creative Writing Class […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Primary Hub
• Art & Design
• Design & Technology
• Health & Wellbeing
• Secondary Hub
• Citizenship
• Primary CPD
• Secondary CPD
• Book Awards
• All Products
• Primary Products
• Secondary Products
• School Trips
• Trip Directory
• Trips by Subject
• Trips by Type
• Trips by Region
• Submit a Trip Venue

Trending stories

Top results

• Creative Writing Ideas How To Club

Creative writing – How to nurture your young authors

Get pupils into the scribbling spirit with these ideas for the classroom and after-school clubs…

Get children excited about creative writing and use it to get to know your students better with this advice from teachers and education experts…

Use creative writing to get to know your pupils

How to run your own creative writing club, creative writing year 6 project.

Want to learn more about your class? Just let them write, says teacher Simon Hunt…

It’s remarkable what you can discover as a teacher when children have the freedom to express themselves in their writing.

At the beginning of term, I use creative writing to understand where a child is academically and to help me get to know all the children in my class.  

Why not just give them a test, you ask? Well, you can learn a surprising amount about a child from a piece of their creative writing. 

Interests and passions 

The choice of topics and themes in their writing can unveil children’s interests and passions, which is an incredibly valuable thing to know. Whether it’s street dance, football or dogs, you can use this knowledge to help spark their interest in maths, science, or any other subject by tailoring examples to suit them. 

Emotional expression 

Creative writing also provides an avenue for children to express their emotions and thoughts, which will allow you to understand more about their feelings and concerns. It can unveil a child’s depth of insight and emotional intelligence that they may be hesitant to express verbally. This will really help you choose the right support for them through the school year. 

Confidence and oracy 

Reading aloud is an important part of writing stories, as it gives children the opportunity to practise their oracy skills: pitch, tone, and intonation. And, vitally, hearing them read out loud will allow you to baseline their reading fluency. Presenting their writing to an audience can be very intimidating though, so should be handled sensitively. 

Some children naturally have quieter voices and may avoid volunteering to read aloud, as they are aware that not everyone can hear them. In class, we have a pass-around microphone that children use when reading.

The microphone is connected to a speaker, meaning that everyone can hear them. The simple act of holding the microphone can significantly impact a child’s focus when reading aloud – often serving as a sort of comfort blanket, boosting their confidence.

Ultimately, the important thing to note is that stories are meant to be read and heard, and anything we can do to encourage that nurtures children’s literary and communication skills. 

Imagination and creativity 

Creative writing reveals a child’s imaginative abilities, giving insights into their capacity for original thinking and storytelling. It can be surprising to see the children that excel at this and can help to highlight an aspect of a child’s personality that might otherwise not have come to light until later in the term. 

How to make it work 

If we want children to be excited about creative writing, we have to be too, so think about how you introduce the lesson. 

I often begin by telling my new class about how I felt about writing as a child. I loved reading books, but I struggled at school with spelling and grammar (in fact I still do).

Sharing how creative writing helped me overcome my fear of writing allows me to explain how I realised that what was important was the imagination and creativity I could bring to my story. 

As a published children’s author, I show them the books I’ve written and connect them back to what I learnt at school. I hope this helps them to overcome their worries about spelling and grammar – I’ve found post pandemic that more children feel anxious about ‘getting things wrong’.

Of course SPAG is still incredibly important but in creative writing I really want them to tell me a good story. 

There are so many ways to understand the children in your class and what makes them tick and, as teachers, we’re attuned to gathering this information from day one. However, I think creative writing is one of the best because it gives us the basics but also tells us so much more about the child. 

Simon Hunt is a Year 3 & 4 teacher at an inclusive school in Greater Manchester and education consultant for 500 Words 2023, the UK’s most successful children’s story writing competition hosted on BBC Teach. He also advises on 500 Words Live Lesson, which you can  watch online .

Would you rather fly, or be invisible? Explore endless impossibilities and get pupils into the scribbling spirit with these ideas…

If you could wish for one thing, knowing that it would definitely come true, what would it be? A million pounds? To fly? Talk to animals? Live in a tree house? Travel the world at the click of a finger?

I’ve asked this question hundreds of times to thousands of pupils, and their answers are always imaginative, normally well thought-out, and quite often, impossible . 

I then follow it up with the question, “What if you could experience that thing right here, right now?” Cue eyes widening, ears pricking and backs straightening. “All you need is… a pencil.” 

Creative writing club

Before becoming an author, I ran creative writing clubs in 30 schools a week for almost a decade. I hired over 100 tutors, won some awards, teamed up with publishers to arrange author events, and even had requests from teachers in Europe, Dubai and Australia asking to launch a writing club in their schools.

There were long waiting lists in almost every setting, and teachers, parents and librarians would ask on a weekly basis, “How have you turned that reluctant reader/writer into someone that actually wants to do more writing after school?”   

Just another writer

The secret? First and foremost, I planned workshops that were FUN. I knew if I enjoyed running them, pupils would enjoy taking part.

I was just another writer in the room who talked about the books I was reading, collaborated on ideas, and asked for feedback on stories in the same way they asked me.

At this point I wasn’t a published author – just someone that loved to invent characters and write about fantastical, magical worlds.

I wrote alongside the students, making mistakes, scribbling over anything I didn’t like, and asking for help whenever I got stuck.

Everyone knew this was just ‘rough’ work. There was no pressure. No marking. No tests. And we didn’t have to share our ideas if we didn’t want to.

Jumping-off points

I genuinely looked forward to every single workshop I ran, and I know the students felt the same when they came racing into the classroom and didn’t want to leave at the end (yes, even the ones who ‘hated’ writing to begin with!).  

Of course, I couldn’t rely on pupils simply coming up with new ideas each week for enjoyment. I had to provide them with inspiration, jumping-off points, and exciting writing hooks, too.

For this, I turned to the experts – children’s authors. I chose five ‘Authors of the Term’ that I knew would enthuse and inspire the students, and designed workshops around their books.

This was always a fun part of the process – I looked for books that had wide appeal, simple concepts, and an excitable element that made my inner child say ‘ oooh!’.  Here are a few examples . . . 

Writing for pleasure

I used Abi Elphinstone’s Rumblestar to write fast-paced adventure stories. We plotted our adventures on maps, devised the main action in ‘cloud planners’, and focused on exciting ‘world-crossing moments’ to start our stories.

At Halloween, I chose books like Guy Bass’ Stitch Head and Joseph Coelho’s Zombierella , and ended each workshop with a spooky storytelling session where we turned off the lights, closed the blinds, and sat on the floor as if we were gathered around a campfire!  

The most successful workshops were the simplest. I used L.D. Lapinski’s Strangeworlds series and copied what happened to the protagonist when she jumped inside a suitcase and travelled to another world.

Pupils planned their new setting, focused on the five senses, and described the first thing they noticed when they arrived.

Their stories were thrilling, fast-paced, hugely descriptive, and completely individual, because they had the freedom to take their ideas in any direction they chose. 

I normally scheduled two sessions around each book – the first session involved planning and starting stories (or poems / diary entries / letters, etc), and the second session involved extending, improving, or continuing them.

I also added one ‘paint a picture’ session (using images for inspiration) and ‘free writing’ at the end of each term to give pupils a chance to finish their favourite piece of work.   

Remember, if you want to boost writing for pleasure, pupils should know that they can write about anything. Nothing is off limits, impossible or ‘wrong’.

And if you’re not sure how to start your first session, why not ask your pupils that if there was one thing they could wish for, knowing that it would definitely come true… what would it be?

Creative writing activities

1) distraction.

Beware: pupils love this game so much, they might ask to play it every week! The idea is simple. Children write for 10 minutes, in silence, and if they speak / laugh / stop writing for an extended period of time, they get a ‘strike’.

If a table gets three strikes, they risk not being allowed to read their work out. The twist? It’s your job to distract them!

Shake tables and shout ‘EARTHQUAAAAKE!’, steal their pens, use rulers as drumsticks, play songs they’ll want to sing along to, bust out the YMCA and get caught by a bemused headteacher.

Between the giggling and dancing in their seats, pupils will write so much in these 10 minutes, and it’s a great way to get them writing without overthinking.

2) Where am I?

Give students a setting (e.g. a library / the moon / horse stables / a rocket ship) and challenge them to describe it without saying where it is.

They should focus on the five senses. They must give at least three clues before the class can guess where it is, and the person who guesses correctly gets the next go.

The winner is the person who gets the most correct answers or the person that comes up with your favourite description.

3) Five-minute challenge

Tell pupils that most adults can write two lines in one minute, and then challenge them to write 10 lines in five!

Give constant time reminders, walk around the room shouting out ideas or words of encouragement, and watch their competitiveness soar.

This is a great game to play if, like me, you spend most of the lesson talking about books and story ideas, and realise there’s not much writing time left!

4) One-word game

This game is a great way to warm up imaginations at the start of a workshop. Ask pupils to stand behind their chairs and give them an opening line such as, ‘I was walking through the haunted castle when . . .’.

Walk (actually, it’s more of a run) around the room, pointing at each pupil in turn, and asking them to add one word to the story.

It must make sense and they have three seconds to answer. If they can’t think of a word, if it doesn’t make sense, or if they take too long, they are out and must sit down.

The winner is the last person standing. Note: when they get really good, try introducing a one-second hesitation rule – it’s hilarious!

5) What’s your problem?

Remind students that every story needs a problem to make it exciting.

Then ask them to stand behind their chairs and each give one problem like, ‘aliens invaded Earth’ or ‘I broke a fingernail’.

Problems can be big or small, but they must give an answer in three seconds, and they can’t repeat anything that’s already been said. The winner is the last person standing. 

Mel Taylor-Bessent is the author of The Christmas Carrolls and the director of the award-winning educational website, Authorfy . See more of Mel’s work at meltaylorbessent.com . Browse more creative writing prompts .

Combine twisting tongues and paperback publishing to produce an exciting writing project that allows pupils to make their very own book …

Have you ever tried to get your class excited about a writing exercise, only for them to pipe up with “But what’s the point?”.

We’ve all been there, and it can be incredibly frustrating when you don’t have an answer lined up.  

Well, with this project, the outcome is both evident and impressive!

As part of a workshop, we decided to show children the amazing process of publishing, while adding in some humour, and – of course – essential literacy skills…  

We visited Helen and her Y6 class for a morning, and explained to the children that we would do some writing that would lead to the publication of their very own paperback book.

We’d act as their agents, editors and publisher; they would have full control over all other aspects of the process.   

The class settled on tongue twisters as our subject, and began by inviting children to try out some old favourites.

After much twisting of tongues and accompanying laughter, we showed the children probably the best-known English example: the one featuring Peter Piper. Most knew the first line but didn’t know there were three more: 

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper.  

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.  

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,  

Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?   

We challenged the class to compose 26 brand-new twisters, each following the  alliteration  pattern of that original but finding their own vocabulary.  

Dictionary skills

Helen organised the class into pairs or threes, and each group was given two letters of the alphabet to work on, ensuring no group got two of the trickier letters.

Armed with dictionaries, the children got to work, and by breaktime had produced some impressively inventive twisters.

Here’s an example, cleverly coping with one particularly difficult letter: 

Xavier Xmas x-rayed an extra-terrestrial xylophone.  

An extra-terrestrial xylophone Xavier Xmas x-rayed.  

If Xavier Xmas x-rayed an extra-terrestrial xylophone,  

Where’s the extra-terrestrial xylophone Xavier Xmas x-rayed?  

Although writing was the focus of the project, there were clear opportunities throughout for lots of worthwhile speaking and listening, too.

The pupils engaged in planning their tongue-twisters, and shared drafts in small groups.

Next, the groups came together to swap ideas and ask for opinions, and, finally, children read aloud their contributions and again asked for feedback.

Reading comprehension KS2

As the children worked, they giggled a lot, but the seriousness and concentration they brought to the task was impressive throughout.

The talk was easily focused, because, in  National Curriculum  terms, pupils were ‘discussing writing similar to that which they [were] planning to write’.

There was also a clear need for writers to read the original text very carefully, which was built into their discussion and planning for their own verses.

This focus was nicely balanced by the eager and sustained use of dictionaries and the need for creativity in their word-hunting, showing their ‘enjoyment and understanding of language, especially vocabulary’. 

Throughout, the process was always collaborative; writers understood they were working towards a shared, larger whole, and to tight deadlines, with a clear need for some ‘speedy writing’!

Once drafts were complete, all the children had to do some editing, and lots of proofreading. 

Paperback publishing

After breaktime, we explained that once we were gone, they, the writers, would be in charge. All 26 twisters must be typed up and emailed to us by the end of the week. For the book, they must write a blurb and an introduction, and choose a title.

We explained how easy and low-cost it is to self-publish; the only cost came with the ordering of actual copies and so they must settle on a price per copy and crucially decide how many they would like to order (sneaking in a bit of economics!).

The children listened with real attention to all this and asked a good number of questions after, showing a remarkably mature commitment to the task.   

Helen reported that the children very much liked the novel approach to writing.

They enjoyed their shared creativity and loved being entrepreneurs, relishing the involvement and control they had over the tasks, the decision-making, and the purpose.

For that short time, they had turned their classroom into a genuine publishing house and experienced purposeful writing for a real-world outcome – we won’t soon forget the looks on their faces when they saw their books for the first time.  

David Horner was a writer-in-schools for over twenty years. Mike Jackson is a former primary school headteacher. 

Sign up to our newsletter

You'll also receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Which sectors are you interested in?

Early Years

Thank you for signing up to our emails!

You might also be interested in...

Why join Teachwire?

Get what you need to become a better teacher with unlimited access to exclusive free classroom resources and expert CPD downloads.

Exclusive classroom resource downloads

Free worksheets and lesson plans

CPD downloads, written by experts

Resource packs to supercharge your planning

Special web-only magazine editions

Educational podcasts & resources

Access to free literacy webinars

Newsletters and offers

Create free account

By signing up you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy .

Already have an account? Log in here

Thanks, you're almost there

To help us show you teaching resources, downloads and more you’ll love, complete your profile below.

Welcome to Teachwire!

Set up your account.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Commodi nulla quos inventore beatae tenetur.

I would like to receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Log in to Teachwire

Not registered with Teachwire? Sign up for free

Reset Password

Remembered your password? Login here

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Creative writing club

Creative Writing Club Docs & Flyers Bundle {editable}

Food Truck Book Report Project and Writing Activity Book Club

Creative Writing Club Workbook - Making an Impact with Writing

Zombie Club Sandwich Creative Writing Halloween Day of the Dead

ASTRONOMY CREATIVE WRITING PROMPT: THE ASTRONOMY CLUB & THE VIMANA

Creative Writing Club Application {editable}

Character Motive Lesson and Cards (Drama Club , Theater, or Creative Writing )

The Losers Club CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Join the Club , Maggie Diaz CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Creative Writing Club Workbook- Powerful Words

“Last Night at the Telegraph Club ” CREATIVE WRITING

Rules of the Game, Amy Tan Short Story from Joy Luck Club , PDF & Google Drive

Book Club / Lit Circle Study for Any Chapter Book

Newspaper Club Resources (class/school newspaper template)

Ivy and Bean Book 1 Book Club

Creative Writing Bundle for Middle School and High School Writers

Yearbook Club Application

Discussion Questions & Creative Writing I Korman's Slacker I Print & Digital

60 Writing Stationary With Black Border- Creative Writing Papers

Novel Study The Joy Luck Club

Fright Club Book Companion and Craftivity

Literary Analysis Discussion Cards + Writing Prompts for Book Clubs , Lit Circles

All About Monologues - Drama Club Activity W/ Scripts - Villain POV Edition

Beowulf Boast: Creative Writing Activity/Project to Improve Public Speaking

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

• EXPLORE Random Article
• Happiness Hub

How to Start a Creative Writing Club

Last Updated: June 1, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Ashley Pritchard, MA . Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine. This article has been viewed 36,502 times.

Do you have a passion for creative writing that you want to take to the next level? A great way to grow your writing skills is to start a creative writing club, where you can share your work with others who are invested in cultivating the same craft. Working with people who share similar interests to you is both fun and incredibly rewarding!

Things You Should Know

• If you’re a student, talk to your favorite English teacher and ask them to sponsor the club; the odds are extremely high that they’ll be thrilled by the idea!
• If you’re running the club, remember that different members are likely there for unique reasons—include a variety of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and screenwriting activities.
• For a younger crowd, include a writing activity with every meeting and encourage members to share their work—be super supportive!
• Make sure that if you’re doing any workshop-style discussions that the members understand that critiquing someone’s work does not mean criticizing them as people.
• Clubs with older members will likely attract a good number of experienced writers, so you may want to start meetings by asking members if they’ve been working on anything they’d like feedback on before going into activities, lectures, or discussions.

Forming Your Club

• Possible locations include your house, public park, an open classroom, or anywhere else you can meet and converse without disturbing others.

• Word of mouth: Invite friends and acquaintances, and ask them to spread the word and bring their friends! Talk openly and excitedly about your club: your enthusiasm will help draw the interest of others. It’s a good idea to invite very broadly to begin with: the people who are truly invested in your club will show up and stick around.
• Posters and fliers: Design a cool flier and post it around school or your workplace! This is a nice way to draw attention to your club.
• Social media: For example, you can create a Facebook Event for the first meeting and share it widely with your friends!

• If you do decide to ask someone to be your advisor, be considerate of their time and respectful when making your request. Sending them an introductory email explaining your plans (in as much detail as you can) will allow them to make an informed decision. It is also courteous to offer to meet in person or talk over the phone/Skype so that they can ask any questions they might have before they make their decision.
• Advisors can be involved in a variety of ways, and this should be a conversation that you have directly with your potential advisor. Will they attend meetings? Will they offer guidance from afar? These are questions that are best to ask early on.

• This is related to possibly need an advisor: some schools require an advisor's signature on club registration forms. Once again, just be sure to research your school, university, or organization's requirements.

Holding for Your First Meeting

• You can choose an icebreaker that is relevant to the theme (if applicable) of your club, or you choose something entirely random. The point of this activity is to lighten the mood and help your members get to know each other and feel more comfortable opening up and sharing their work. Classic icebreakers like "Two Truths and Lie" (where everyone shares two true facts and a lie about themselves, and others guess the fabrication) and the "Name Game" (where each person has to find an adjective to describe themselves that starts with the same letter as their name) can be great simple options. [2] X Research source

• Write about an animal of your choice.
• Open up a dictionary, pick a word, and write what it means to you.
• Create a poem or story that starts with "Hello."
• Write a piece that's inspired by a conversation you've recently overheard.
• Write about something you dread or fear.

• If voting proves too messy (this might be the case, especially if you have many members), an easy and neutral online tool that may help you decide when to hold meetings is doodle.com (or other similar scheduling applications).

• Is your main goal as a group to spark new writing ideas together and actually practice writing during the meetings, or to critique and improve one another's written works? Alternatively, you may want to operate as more of a social/support group for writers, where you talk about your craft and hold one another accountable for your personal writing goals. Decide your focus together, and build that into your mission. [4] X Research source

• Bringing a large sheet of paper and pens (or whiteboard markers if your location has a whiteboard) can be a nice way of involving members in this process. Members can take turns suggesting and writing ideas. You can keep this piece of paper as a reminder for future meetings, or you can take it, type it up, and print it and share copies (or a combination).

Keeping Your Club Going

• It is helpful to bring a notebook to meetings so that new members can share their e-mails and/or phone numbers, and so that you can then add them to any groups or lists.

• It's a good idea to start an e-mail list, a Facebook group, and maybe a group chat so that you can add members and keep them informed and up to date on club meetings and activities. It's all up to you, but clear communication will help your club flourish.

• If you do choose to have writing partnerships be a part of your club structure, you may want to consider assigning writing partners randomly as well as have people change partners periodically. It's a good idea to try to prevent cliques from forming for many reasons: so that no one feels left out, so that members are receiving feedback on their work from multiple perspectives, and so that people are establishing many connections with many different members of different style, backgrounds, and personalities.
• Give members ideas of how to connect with their writing partner. Suggest accessible practices such as, "After you've written your piece, share it with your partner via Google Docs so that you can read each other's work. Then, coordinate a time to meet and discuss one your work in person." Encourage members to do whatever feels most comfortable to them.

• One way to do this is creating and sharing the link to a standing Google Form that is specifically designed for feedback. Creating an anonymous Google Form (or whatever type of digital survey works best for you) will encourage members to voice their opinions. It's good to establish protocol for how this feedback will be dealt with, early on: will you (as the leader) check the responses regularly, and will suggestions be discussed at meetings?
• Another way to gather feedback is to designate an allotted amount of time during meetings to open up the discussion for feedback and suggestions.
• If you and your members do decide that you want to discuss feedback weekly (however you choose to gather it, whether electronically or during meetings), you may also want to discuss the format of this discussion. Will it be an informal discussion? Will people vote? Will it depend on the feedback? These are good points to consider early on when determining club guidelines.

• Let members know what they should bring to the next meeting (i.e. laptop, notebooks, pens, etc.).
• Ideally, set at least a loose agenda for your next meeting, before you wrap up your first one. Your goal should be to get right down to writing and club discussions in your subsequent meetings, now that you've set some ground rules and expectations. [6] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

Community Q&A

• Bringing snacks can be a fun addition to any meeting. But be sure to communicate any allergens (nuts, dairy, etc.)! This will help incentivize people to come to the meetings, and—particularly if your club is hosted during lunch or after school—makes sure that no one is hungry entirely. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Bringing some extra notebooks and pens to the first meeting (or first few meetings) is always a good idea, just in case someone forgets their own. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try this fun activity: Pass sheets of paper around so everyone has one. Have everyone write the beginning of a story, pass the sheet to the person on their right, and have them continue the story (then folding the sheet over so the next person can only see the most recently added sentence, not any of the previous sentences). It's sort of like the game "telephone," and you can theme it around a particular topic! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/7-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-starting-a-writers-group
• ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/quick-icebreakers/
• ↑ https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts
• ↑ https://www.inkedvoices.com/writing/types/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/writing-groups/writing-group-starter-kit/

About this article

Did this article help you?

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Creative Writing Club – members' area

² navigation, resources to print – toys.

Download a writing frame for this activity: toys_storymaker

TIP: There are lots of ways to use Creative Writing Club. You can let the kids loose with it in a lunchtime club, you can get the class into pairs using iPads. One very simple way is to demo the story using the App and then switch over to pen and paper (with one writing frame between two). To make this simple we’ve created a printable version of the activity for you. (Remember to print them out in advance – one between two).

LEVEL: Toys is a BLUE activity (blue = easiest, purple = medium, green = hardest)

How to use in class (Demo using App followed up by pen and paper).

• Log onto Creative Writing Club. Use your Interactive White Board to do a demo of the story writing activity to the whole class. (Get the class to vote on the options as you go. Use the ‘next’ button in the bottom right of the screen if you need to move on).
• Get the class into pairs and hand out a printed version of the writing frame.
• Tell students to write the story one line each – from the most exciting part.
• Tell them to put their hands up if they are going to write the first line. ‘First liners’ should write a line of speaking.
• ‘Second liners’ should write a line of describing.
• After this they can write anything they like: speech, description, action etc.
• At the end of the session, choose some pairs to come up and share their work with you.

Tip: If you are working on paper, you can still submit work to our Hall of Fame . Take a picture of the story and email it to us.

Creative Writing Club

About the club.

Have you ever written something you've never had a chance to share? At the Creative Writing Club, we provide a space to share your work with other writers, develop your writing skills, collaborate and discuss writing. We are open to students of all levels of writing experience and all different voices. We encourage everyone to write, and we believe everyone's voice should be heard. Artistic expression is part of what makes us human. Writing helps our soul to flourish and grow.

Learn More!

The Creative Writing Club is a space to meet and socialize with other creative writers of all kinds and engage with many different voices and styles. Through sharing our work, we can expose ourselves to a greater writing diversity and expand our artistic vocabulary. We will have many opportunities to collaborate with other artists too.

Each month we will host Writing Workshops where members will create themed submissions and share them with the club. These will encompass a wide variety of creative writing forms such as short stories, poetry, playwrighting, screenwriting, creative non-fiction, etc., so writers can increase their literary versatility.

We welcome anyone to join the club and share their work at any time. They can receive specialized feedback from multiple perspectives to cultivate everyone's unique styles. Everyone's voice is worthwhile.

We will also hold discussions where we analyze and interpret different forms of writing together, i.e. movies, plays, TV, books.

Contact Dr. Welsh if you are interested in participating in the creative writing club.

Seattle selects CWU rugby standout in first round of professional draft

September 5, 2024

by University Relations

Football background leads to promising rugby career

September 4, 2024

by David Leder

The Creative Writing Club

Group novel.

Here’s where you’ll find all the info you need on the Group Novel, one of the Creative Writing Club’s long-term projects. Here, writers gather together, creating their own stories that all fit within the grand plot of the group novel and eventually intertwining them together to produce one collective story.

For more information and questions, either email us at [email protected] or talk to our president, Ben Lucot.

Resources for Group Novel 2022-2023

Dialogue Rules

Character Form

Meeting #1 – 09/14/22

Meeting #2 – 09/21/22

Meeting #3 – 09/28/22

Meeting #4 – 10/05/22

Meeting #5 – 10/12/22

Meeting #6 – 10/19/22

Meeting #7 – No powerpoint

Meeting #8 – 11/02/22

Meeting #9 – 11/09/22

Meeting #10 – 11/16/22

Meeting #11 – 11/30/22

Meeting #12 – 12/07/22

Meeting #13 – 01/18/23

Meeting #14 – 01/25/23

Meeting #15 – 02/08/23

Meeting #16 – 02/15/23

Meeting #17 – 02/22/23

Meeting #18 – 03/01/23

Meeting #19 – 03/15/23

Meeting #20 – 03/29/23

• Make a Gift
• Request More Info
• Faculty & Staff
• Current Students
• Attend an Info Session

Search form

You are here.

• Student Services
• Student Life
• Student Clubs and Organizations

Creative Writing Club

• Academic Advisement
• Academic Resources
• Career Services
• Student Counseling Services
• Health Services
• Student Disability Services
• Activities and Events Guidelines
• Student Association
• Professional Development Grant
• Applied Theater Club
• Black Student Union
• Cooking Club
• Disability and Access Coalition
• Health Information Management Club
• Health Services Administration Organization
• Human Relations and Sociology Club
• Islamic Studies Club
• Management and Entrepreneur Leadership Organization (MELO)
• Museum Studies Club
• Painting Club
• Parent Club
• Psychology Club
• Software Development Club
• South Asian Student Union (SASU)
• Student Veterans Organization
• Club and Organization Toolkit
• Register to Vote
• LGBTQIA+ Student Resources
• Mentoring Programs
• Student Leadership
• Technology Fee
• Technology Loan Program
• Student Profiles
• Military and Veteran Students

MISSION STATEMENT

As the CUNY SPS Creative Writing Club, we will come together once a month and answer writing prompts. We will use our creativity to enhance our writing skills and create an environment of safety. We will gain new writing skills and showcase our talent. We will share our love for writing and creating new stories. 

VISION STATEMENT 

As a club, we hope to inspire others to engage with one another and share our love of writing. We will create a safe space where all opinions and values matter. This club is for everyone, whether you are a strong writer or a novice. We respect everyone’s writing capabilities and welcome all. We hope to get to know each other in a deeper level through our writing, whether it is within short stories, poetry, etc. Additionally, our school’s c relative writing club wants to bring together a vibrant community of empowering minds were imagination and artistry knows no bounds.

This Club or organization will:

• Have Poetry Slams 
• Have Short Stories Contests 
• Have Creative Writing Prompts 
• Engage in lively discussions surrounding different topics 

JOIN THE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB

Creative Writing Club Leadership – Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 TBD

President — Secretary — Tresurer —

See our Bylaws and Constitution

More Info About Student Life and Clubs

For more information about any student life activity or program , please contact association director of student life, Anthony Sweeney .

Check out meetings and events for our clubs and organizations by clicking the link below.

Student Life Calendar  (doc)

Office of Student Services

Monday – Friday: (Remote hours by appointment)

Helpful Links

• Current Students Info
• Student Email
• Student ID Cards

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Creative writing club

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Some tasks/choices set for an imaginative writing club that were creating an anthology. KS3 or KS4 Can easily change the word count

Creative Commons "Sharealike"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have downloaded this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Creative Writing Club

Writers Of The World by Luke Beardsley

What's included

1 live meeting, class experience, us grade 4 - 7, learning goals.

Other Details

Parental guidance, supply list, external resources.

Teacher expertise and credentials

Live group class, financial assistance  , outschool international  , get the app  .

More to Explore  

Classes by age  , classes by grade  .

• Visit Our Blog about Russia to know more about Russian sights, history
• Check out our Russian cities and regions guides
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to better understand Russia
• Info about getting Russian visa , the main airports , how to rent an apartment
• Our Expert answers your questions about Russia, some tips about sending flowers

Russian regions

• Bashkortostan republic
• Chuvashia republic
• Kirov oblast
• Mari El republic
• Mordovia republic
• Nizhegorodskaya oblast
• Orenburg oblast
• Penza oblast
• Samara oblast
• Saratov oblast
• Tatarstan republic
• Udmurt republic
• Ulyanovsk oblast
• Map of Russia
• All cities and regions
• Blog about Russia
• News from Russia
• How to get a visa
• Flights to Russia
• Russian hotels
• Renting apartments
• Russian currency
• FIFA World Cup 2018
• Submit an article
• Flowers to Russia
• Ask our Expert

The Mari El Republic, Russia

The capital city of Mari El republic: Yoshkar-Ola .

The Mari El Republic - Overview

The Republic of Mari El is a federal subject of Russia located in the east of the European part of the country, in the Volga Federal District. Yoshkar-Ola is the capital city of the region.

The population of Mari El is about 671,400 (2022), the area - 23,375 sq. km.

Mari El republic flag

Mari el republic coat of arms.

Mari El republic anthem

Mari el republic map, russia, mari el republic latest news and posts from our blog:.

18 December, 2019 / The center of Yoshkar-Ola from above .

28 July, 2018 / Bizarre Sheremetev Castle in Yurino .

10 November, 2016 / Yoshkar-Ola - the view from above .

10 June, 2014 / Palace and park ensemble "Sheremetevo Castle" .

26 June, 2011 / Beautiful karst lake Marine Eye .

More posts..

History of Mari El

The Finno-Ugric tribes inhabited the current territory of the western, northern and central Russia since prehistoric times. The archaeological sites dating back to the first millennium B.C. are preserved on the territory of Mari El.

Due to the fact that Mari written language (tishte) was used only for recording economic information and Tatar written sources were destroyed, almost all of the written information on the history of the Middle Volga is in Russian language.

Between the 5th and the 8th centuries, the ancestors of Mari interrelated with the Goths and later with the Khazars, the state of Volga Bulgaria, which was located on the territory of present Tatarstan and was destroyed by the Mongols headed by Batu in 1236.

From the 9th century, Mari had contacts with the Slavic people of Kievan Rus who were moving eastwards and lived in the towns of Rostov, Galich, Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod. These towns were built on the lands of the Western Mari who converted to Christianity and were assimilated with the Slavs. Mari who refused to accept Christianity moved further east. Cheremis (the former name of Mari) were first mentioned in the 10th century.

More Historical Facts…

In the 13th-15th centuries, the territory inhabited by Mari was part of the Golden Horde and then the Kazan Khanate. In the 16th century, the area became a place of confrontation between the Russian state and the Kazan Khanate. In 1551, the territory of the highland Mari (on the right bank of the Volga River) came under the control of Moscow. In 1552, the Russian state captured Kazan and the Khazar Khanate ceased to exist. The lowland Mari began to pay tribute to Moscow too.

However, the entry into the Russian state was not peaceful and resulted in the so-called Cheremis wars, which lasted about 30 years. The wars ended after construction of towns-fortresses with military garrisons (Kozmodemyansk - in 1583, Tsarevokokshaisk (present Yoshkar-Ola) - in 1584, Yaransk and Sanchursk).

Forcible conversion to Christianity was the reason why a lot of Mari left their villages and went into the woods. During the reign of Peter the Great, Mari began to serve in the Russian army. At the same time, the research of this territory began, the first documents about the Mari language were created.

Mari lived under hard conditions and, in 1775, they joined Pugachev’s Rebellion. In 1872, a pedagogical school was opened in Kazan, which contributed to national revival of Mari. Prior to the revolutionary events of 1917, Mari had no autonomy and lived in Kazanskaya, Vyatskaya, Nizhegorodskaya, Ufimskaya, and Yekaterinburgskaya gubernias (provinces).

On November 4, 1920, Mari Autonomous Oblast was formed. In the 1920s, two equal literary language variants were established: lowland and highland Mari languages. These years were remarkable for rapid development of national culture. However, in the 1930s, when the mass repression began, this process slowed down. Mari population became the minority in the republic and the Mari language was replaced by Russian. On December 5, 1936, Mari Autonomous Oblast was reorganized into the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

During the Second World War, more than 130 thousand people were drafted into the Soviet army. Only about 56 thousand people returned. At that time, a number of industrial enterprises were transferred from Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa, and others cities to Mari El.

In the postwar period, new large enterprises of machine-building and tool-making were opened. In 1972, the first university in the republic was opened - Mari State University.

On December 9, 1992, it became the Republic of Mari El. The name is derived from the ethnic name of indigenous population “Mari” (meaning “man, husband”) and “el” (meaning “country, region”).

In the 2000s, a lot of cultural facilities in Yoshkar-Ola (Tsarevokokshaisk Kremlin, embankment, Arkhangelskaya Sloboda, Sergei Chavain Boulevard, Victory Boulevard and others) were built and reconstructed.

Nature of the Mari El Republic

Small river in Mari El

Author: Alex Grachov

The Volga River in the Mari El Republic

Winter in Mari El

Mari El - Features

Mari El is located in the east of the East European Plain, in the middle reaches of the Volga River. Most of the territory of the republic is located on the left bank of the Volga. Gornomariysky district is situated on the right bank.

The climate is temperate continental with long cold winters and warm summers. The average temperature in summer is about plus 18-20 degrees Celsius, in winter - about minus 18-19 degrees Celsius.

The main natural resources are peat, clay, building stone, limestone, glass, silicate sands, mineral springs. Mari El is rich in lakes and coniferous forests. The main industries are machine-building and metal working, timber, wood processing, paper and pulp, light and food industries. Agriculture is presented by meat and milk producing, sheep, goat and pig breeding, poultry farming. Such crops barley, oats, rye, wheat and vegetables are grown.

Yoshkar-Ola, with the population of about 279,400 people, is the largest city of the region. Also there are three towns: Volzhsk (51,900), Kozmodemyansk (19,700) and Zvenigovo (10,800). The national composition according to the 2010 Census: Russians (45.1%), Mari (41.8%), Tatars (5.5%).

Today, only about 320,000 of Mari out of 670,000 live in the Republic of Mari El. National culture of the Mari region is rich and diverse. Mari El is connected by cultural and economic ties with other Finno-Ugric peoples of Hungary, Finland and the Baltic countries.

The transport network of the republic is presented by all modes of transport: river (the Volga and Vetluga rivers with piers in Zvenigovo, Volzhsk, Kozmodemyansk, Yurino, Kokshaysk), air (the airport in Yoshkar-Ola offers regular flights to Moscow), rail (regular trains to Moscow), highways to Kazan and Cheboksary.

Attractions of Mari El

The Republic of Mari El is one of the most environmentally friendly regions in the European part of Russia. There are a lot of beautiful clean lakes, rivers and forests. It is a popular destination for travelers and tourists who enjoy nature.

The Volga, the longest river in Europe, flows for 155 kilometers through the territory of Mari El. Kozmodemyansk, one of the oldest towns in the territory of the republic, stands on its banks. Kozmodemyansk museum complex includes:

• Art and History Museum named after A.V. Grigoriev;
• Ethnographic Open-Air Museum - an exhibition showing the life and culture of the mountain Mari;
• Museum of Ostap Bender - installations and everyday objects one way or another related to the events of Ilf and Petrov’s novels “12 chairs” and “The Golden Calf”;
• Merchant Life Museum - the interior (furniture, household items) of a merchant’s house.

On the banks of the Volga you can also find the famous Sheremetev Castle (1874-1915). This palace and park ensemble, an architectural monument of federal importance, is located in the village of Yurino.

Numerous lakes are one of the main natural resources of the Republic of Mari El. Many of them are surrounded by forests and very picturesque. Tourist park, sports camps, rest homes, and sanatoriums are located on their shores. Bolshaya Kokshaga Nature Reserve is known for its virgin forests and wildlife.

The National Park “Mari Chodra” , located on Klenovaya (“Maple”) Mount, in the valley of the Ilet River, is an interesting natural complex offering various opportunities for boating, fishing, horseback riding, and mushrooming.

On its territory you can find “Klenovaya Mountain” sanatorium, such popular tourist places as Zelenyy Klyuch source, the lakes of Yalchik, Mashiner, Glukhoye, Konaner, the rivers of Ilet, Yushut, Petyalka. The oldest oak tree in the republic known as the Pugachev’s Oak is situated here too. According to legend, E.I. Pugachev with his troops stayed the night in its shadow.

Tours with recreational activities include water routes along the rivers of Malaya and Bolshaya Kokshaga, Bolshoy Kundysh, Ilet, Nemda, Volga; hiking and horseback riding in the south-western, southern and north-eastern parts of the republic; cycling and skiing throughout the entire region. Pilgrimage tours to holy places (monasteries, churches, sacred springs) and cult groves are also popular.

Mari El republic of Russia photos

The mari el republic scenery.

Forest in Mari El

Small river in the Mari El Republic

Country life in Mari El

Author: Sergey Kozin

Mari El views

Summer in Mari El

Pine trees on the river bank in Mari El

Pine forest in the Mari El Republic

Pictures of the Republic of Mari El

Mari El landscape

Mari El scenery

Wooden village house in Mari El

Sheremetev Castle in Mari El

Sheremetev Castle in the Mari El Republic

The questions of our visitors

The comments of our visitors.

• Currently 3.03/5

Rating: 3.0 /5 (213 votes cast)

How Russia’s indigenous artists reforged Soviet ballet to revive provincial theatre

Shaped by a domineering socialist aesthetic and the economic blows of the 1990s, the arts scene in provincial Mari El has faced many challenges. Local theatres, however, continue to innovate, re-inventing the art scene’s Soviet legacy using the region’s ethnic heritage.

Seated in the new hall of the Sapaev Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yoshkar-Ola, it is easy to forget that you are almost some 400 miles east of Moscow. The theatre is compact but stately, with a magnificent organ that rises towards the ceiling’s ornate chandelier. It conjures scenes of a Russia best kept pressed between the pages of a novel, where Tolstoyan heroines live out their own private dramas from lavish opera boxes.

Look to the stage, however, and that familiar feeling is interrupted. The boards are bare but for a translucent curtain. A group of ballerinas, dressed in simple white tunics, enter the stage. Their movements seem odd: slow and smooth, as though they are wading through water or parting the branches of trees. Newcomers may be at a loss, but local audiences will recognise the movements at once. This is part of the traditional dance of the Mari, the region’s indigenous nation. Its sudden intrusion into an otherwise classical production is no coincidence. It is part of an experiment that seeks to tackle the some of the most crucial challenges facing the post-Soviet provincial stage: how to use Soviet traditions to create art for a new Russia, while still standing on par with global artistic developments.

Forest Legend on stage. Image: Evgeny Nikiforov, Erik Sapaev Mari Theatre of Opera and Ballet

In the past few decades, creative exploration in Eastern Europe has centred on rejecting Soviet clichés. The Soviet vision of artistic excellence has left a burdensome legacy, with the Revolution’s artistic avant-garde soon giving way to the return of classical high art. By the 1930s, the country state began reigning in bold experimentation, embarking instead to mould the arts into a suitably Soviet forms. Conservative, rigid, and tending towards classicism, the Socialist Realist aesthetic shaped literature, visual arts, and, even ballet, creating a climate that was more conducive to technical achievement than innovation. The aesthetically and politically complex work of choreographers like Leonid Yakobson was an exception that proved the rule: experimentation was difficult, requiring compromise and resources.

Regional artists lacked neither creativity or ambition, but local theatres remained mired in mundane yet potentially fatal problems

From the moment that socialism fell, creatives had more freedom to shake off these old aesthetic restrictions in favour of more innovation, more vision, and fewer boundaries. Some institutions, however, rebounded quicker than others. Experimentation requires resources and audiences. Art spaces in Moscow and St Petersburg began to bounce back faster than their provincial counterparts. Regional artists lacked neither creativity or ambition, but local theatres remained mired in mundane yet potentially fatal problems: limited resources, shrinking audiences, youth migration to big cities — the fallout of the struggle for survival in the 90s. Even today, the experimental productions remain concentrated in larger capitals. In smaller cities, Soviet norms remain influential because of both inertia and the high costs of experimentation — theatregoers, many of them of the older generation, expect traditional productions. Ultimately, many peripheral theatres simply cannot afford to immediately reject the legacy of Soviet-style classicism once and for all.

This is particularly true in the country’s non-Russian provinces. There, Soviet aesthetic conventions had an even stronger impact. In many cases, Soviet-styled artforms often arrived hand in hand with the emancipation of ethnic minorities during the Revolution. The Mari El Republic is one such place: a small territory in the Middle Volga, with a sluggish economy and few opportunities for large-scale cultural innovation. Alongside local Russians and Tatars — as well as small but visible migrant populations from the Caucasus, Central and South Asia — the republic is home to the eponymous Mari people. This indigenous group has a vibrant and distinctive culture, and a Finno-Ugric language with two dialects, Hill Mari and Meadow Mari. Today the Mari are a minority in number, if not in name: unlike smaller ethnic groups living in Siberia, the Mari are regarded in Russia as a distinct “nationality.”

People walk in Yoshkar-Ola, capital of the Mari-El Republic. Image: Anna Alyokhina

In Mari El, as in other ethnic republics, the Soviet state has defined a century’s worth of art. Here, cultural modernisation was accompanied by Sovietisation. State institutions used and to a certain extent encouraged Mari art in a way that the Russian Empire had not, allowing for many important firsts, including the first Mari novels, operas, and ballets. But this cultural visibility came at the price of artistic innovation. Mari art was expected to be “national in form, socialist in origin,” which led to moralistic prose, repetitive plots, and predictable techniques. The radical aspects of Soviet artistic life, either the avant-garde or the underground, did not generally make it to the provinces. Throughout the 20th century, Mari theatre had to develop within by the Soviet mainstream.

But in 1991, Soviet funding for arts vanished, along with the state that dispensed it. For artists everywhere, these political changes brought both new horizons and new challenges. In ethnic republics, many turned from socialist themes towards questions of identity, as well as pre-Soviet and even pre-Christian histories. The Mari community became a major driving force of Finno-Ugric cultural resurgence at the time. Welcoming artists from Eastern Europe and Siberia, the Republic emerged as a vibrant centre for ethno-futurism, a movement that inspired visual artists and playwrights alike to reinterpret Mari mythology in a more contemporary way.

Many other Mari productions, however, stuck to the well-trod path carved by Soviet theatre: comedies set in rural settings or adaptations of Gorky and Shakespeare. Struggling both for funding, and to keep audiences on board, the strand of Mari culture that once took to the province’s large stages had lost its former forward momentum — something that new movements such as ethnofuturism could not salvage alone. Breaking free required a new kind of thinking: one which could harness the best of the region’s Soviet legacy to, while leaving create enough room for artistic innovation. When an answer finally did appear, it came from one of the region’s most renowned Soviet-era institutions: a retelling of the Mari people’s first ballet.

The riverside of Yoshkar-Ola, capital of the Mari-El Republic. Image: Alexxx1979/Wikimedia Commons under a CC licence.

Founded in 1968, the Erik Sapaev Theatre of Opera and Ballet is a cultural bulwark in Mari-El. The troupe’s technical excellence is celebrated within and beyond Russia, including the UK, largely due to the creative and administrative direction of former Bolshoi Theatre soloist Konstantin Ivanov. Ivanov, himself a ballet prodigy who grew up in a rural, single-parent Mari household, returned to the Republic in the early 2000s, at the height of his career, to found a dance school. He also pushed the theatre to premiere an updated version of the first Mari ballet, Anatoli Luppov’s The Forest Legend (or Chodra Sem, in Mari) from 1973. Luppov’s score interprets traditional Mari tunes to create support a libretto with the predictable components of a classical ballet. It follows two young people, Erika and Aksai, whose love is threatened by an the evil wizard Keremet. With his eyes on the beautiful Erika, Keremet replaces her with a malevolent double called Shaivi, a woman he has enchanted and enslaved. The strength of the couple’s love — and, more practically, Shaivi’s lack of commitment to Keremet’s schemes — ensure a happy ending. At the libretto’s turning point, Shaivi releases Aksai, who is then free to fight Keremet and liberate his beloved.

The two previous versions of the ballet, Enn Raja’s in 1973 and Olga Komleva’s in 1993, were stymied by a lack of dancers, especially male ones, and by limited finances (Luppov’s forest maidens had to dance in tunics made of medical gauze). Despite these challenges, both productions are fondly remembered by older audiences as authentic representations of Mari culture. Ivanov, however, found the 1993 Forest Legend disappointing.

The two previous versions of the ballet were stymied by a lack of dancers and limited finances. Luppov’s forest maidens had to dance in tunics made of medical gauze

When I speak to Ivanov, he meets me in the office where he has served as Mari-El’s Minister of Culture since 2017, decorated with Mari art and photographs of local landmarks. Now in his forties, Ivanov is impressively tall and retains a dancer’s posture; once we begin discussing the ballet, he grows animated, moving his hands to demonstrate elements of the choreography. Initially, he agrees to talk for 15 minutes. We end up speaking for almost an hour.

Twenty-seven years ago, Ivanov had been excited about the ballet, but upon seeing it, could not help recognising that it lacked structure: “To my mind, it was a completely formless production,” he recalls. When he later took up the position of artistic director at the Erik Sapaev Theatre, Ivanov removed The Forest Legend from the repertoire along with several other productions, focusing instead on rebuilding classic ballets such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake from the ground up. But the question of the first Mari ballet appeared time and again, both in interactions with the press, and with members of the public. Ivanov knew that the old production was not viable, but he also believed that the ballet was special. “It’s the first Mari ballet,” he reiterates, “and we have only had three. Of those, it was also the only ballet that was preserved, and that fact alone says a lot.” One day, after a particularly heated conversation with the media, Ivanov went back to the theatre and asked to see Luppov’s score. He loved it: “it has absolutely incredible passages, adagios that are just fantastic, beautiful themes.” He decided it was time to bring the ballet back.

But while revisiting Luppov’s score together with composer Ivan Yegorov, Ivanov realised what his predecessors’ greatest challenge had been: there simply was not enough music to create the production they wanted. The two decided to expand the score by splicing it together with Luppov’s other ballets: The Interrupted Feast and The Castle of Sheremet . The experiment worked seamlessly, and, after Ivanov sheepishly confessed their musical “hooliganism” to Luppov, even received the composer’s blessing. The score was completed on the day before the premiere. Choreographer Alexander Zverev, who collaborated with Ivanov on the production, arranged one of Luppov’s themes for the synthesiser. The electronic sound worked perfectly for the effect Ivanov was after: a story told “from such a distant past, almost as though it’s being told from space.”

To achieve the desired magical feel, Ivanov also rejected predictable sets of painted birches and brooks. “I absolutely did not want to stage the production in a banal way: ‘here you’ve got the birch, here you’ve got the river, here’s the sky, here’s the earth…’ I was not interested in that at all. I realized that in order to work with this music, the staging needs to be completely different. It must be completely extraordinary. It can’t be prosaic,” he says. The new set, developed by Boris Golodnitsky, is appropriately striking. The space of the stage is carved into three domes: the largest represents the birch grove; the middle one, the mysterious forest; and the third and smallest, the underworld. Ivanov’s choreography has similar clarity: fearing that a direct re-enactment of Mari rituals would look too literal, he stripped everything down to tell the story in laconic movements.

The rejection of past norms is a well-established artistic route to modernise a tired genre. Ivanov and Zverev’s The Forest Legend , however, is notable because it does not follow that path. It does not contest Soviet aesthetic canons or traditional themes of good against evil. Instead, it reinvigorates and develops the possibilities inherent in the classical forms that were expected from Soviet choreographers. They are used to explore questions about human relationships that are profound but also highly topical: in human society and in personal relationships, what does it mean to consent or submit, to control and be controlled? More broadly, what does it look like to relate to others and to act independently?

For those who had seen the original staging, Ivanov and Zverev’s production, with its abstract set design and a choreography that reinterprets, rather than replicates, folk dance, seemed revolutionary. When the new production premiered in the Sapaev theatre in 2005, tickets sold out immediately. Fifteen years later, the show continues to fill the theatre to capacity.

But even if innovations in the production were rather mild, the road to acceptance was not without its difficulties. In the months after the 2005 premiere, audience members would challenge Ivanov during press events, lamenting the lost soulfulness and ethnographic detail of the old versions.

Although folk elements are toned down in The Forest Legend , a Mari spirit permeates the new production, communicated in the language of academic dance. The forest maidens’ striking gestures, which suggest swimming or parting tree branches, are borrowed directly from Mari tradition. (Incidentally, they were the only element left unchanged from the original 1973 production.) Aksai’s final solo is another example of Mari culture shaping the choreography. Like Tchaikovsky’s Prince Siegfried and other ballet protagonists before him, the victorious hero returns home from a transformative adventure. “But this is no Swan Lake,” explains Ivanov. “This is not a European story about a medieval duke. This is a story of the Mari people, about the nature of the Mari people, about the spirit of the Mari people.” The triumphant Aksai rushes not into the arms of his beloved but into the space of the kyusoto , the sacred grove. His dance is not about romance; it is a “monologue of admiration and adoration for the world. An anthem of love for one’s native land.”

The constant of Mari heritage which appears in both adaptations of The Forest Legend has helped to bridge the old and the new — perhaps most obviously by the pride it inspires in local audiences. The Sapaev troupe is multi-ethnic, as is almost always the case in Russia, and the ballet’s themes and techniques have universal appeal. But for ballerinas such as Svetlana Sergeeva, an ethnic Mari, the choreography has another layer of significance: “I loved the Mari music and these movements. I myself am Mari, and when I hear Mari music, my body starts to move. My feet start dancing, and my hands, with these gestures, they move on their own. When I danced that part, I was in heaven.” As a fellow Mari woman seated in the audience, I shared her excitement: each detail was unmissable and profoundly moving.

The new Forest Legend is not revolutionary. Instead, what it achieves is an almost impossible act of synthesis: bridging the half-imagined distant past of Mari legends, the circumscribed empowerment of Soviet stage arts, and post-Soviet experimentation. Because it uses the language of Russian classical ballet, the new Forest Legend draws in crowds of viewers who may not risk venturing into more experimental productions. Sergeeva believes that even people used to “the pure classics – Giselle , Swan Lake – will come see The Forest Legend . Even if at first it’s just curiosity: to see what this ballet is about. They will come and have different feelings after the show.” Divergence of opinion, in provincial and metropolitan theatres alike, is an advantage. Controversy and debate are key to a thriving artistic scene.

But perhaps the key to the ballet’s significance is that it is not solely for Mari audiences. The lessons it embodies can be taken elsewhere, to prove that provincial art can adopt and subvert global genres, excel at them and develop them, without the need for big budgets or the heady challenges of starting from scratch. Artists do not need to be based in Moscow or St Petersburg, or throw away the rule book to raise profound questions of being – and of art.

For Ivanov, combining a deeply-rooted sense of place with artistic exploration has been a rare honour. The Forest Legend is about “love for [your] native land,” he says, “and generally for everything that happens here.”

Follow of the week: get to know rising Bolshoi Ballet dancer and descendent of Matilda

“Learn to live with it, even forgive.” Russia’s bestselling author Guzel Yakhina on the traumas of Soviet history

The art of work: why the creative industries should embrace, not replace, the legacy of industry