CWW: Student Write-Ups

The first batch of the online Creative Writing Workshop ended last week. Creative Writing is practised quite extensively by teachers in schools, and yet, we generally follow a format-based approach to writing. Letters, essays, limericks and stories. In CWW, kids will explore any writer’s essential toolkit: writing strategies that they can apply across different forms of writing, from stories to reports. Quick prompts and shared learning facilitate the experience. Participants will experiment with words, sounds and context, and become effective self editors.

Here are some quick write-ups from some of our youngest participants –

It was 4:00 o’clock in the evening and I was reading in my bedroom. While I was reading, I heard the squirrels chirping loudly as they played. I thought to myself, the birds might be shrieking for another reason and so, I went out to see what was happening. There I saw my cat perched on a tree and ready to pounce on the birds. She came down when she saw me. I touched her soft fur and she didn’t even mind it when I pulled her even softer tail. Suddenly, the heavenly smell of chocolate chip cookies wafted in from the kitchen. I was ready to eat them all but I knew I had to share them with my cousin. When I went to the kitchen, mother gave me chocolate milk which was delicious. I would have drunk two more glasses but the first was a bit too chocolaty for me.

– Aruja, Age 9

If I were the principal of my school, the first thing I would do is tell the teachers to be kind to the students. I have noticed that some teachers do not behave nicely with their students and do not explain the concept again if the students ask them. I will not change the teachers but I will definitely ask them to be kind.
The second thing I would change is the number of field trips. Some students complain that they feel bored sitting in classrooms. So, I will make sure that students are taken to trips that are educations. For example:- a museum or an art gallery. Through field trips, children enjoy themselves as well as learn something new.
By following these two things we can make sure the students feel that schools are interesting.

– Manognya, Age 10

Prompt: Imagine you are an alien who has found an ordinary object on this planet and are trying to figure out what it is.

Hello! Hello! Zorwar 49!  I am crashing down to planet 75ac 25.
A few minutes later…
As I struggle for balance, this new planet is completely astonishing, how kind the people are!
Before anyone finds that I’m different, I cover my face . Then I go to see the perplexing city in which I’ve crashed
A few hours later…
As I walk through the crowded street, I see something which is round, black and it feels spiky.
But as I see others of that kind, they are rough loose in all shapes and sizes. I take my tongue out to taste it… yuck! It is so dusty. When i try to to touch it, it rolls round and round. What fun! It makes a screeching sound. One of the objects smells like perfume. But as I smell old ones, they smell different.
It can also be used again! On my planet, we only use things once. This object, it turns out, is the main part of transport on this planet. Inside the frame we can attach led lights! What a customizable, useful object this is!

-Shlok, Age 11