{"id":5775,"date":"2026-01-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=5775"},"modified":"2025-10-08T12:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T16:38:28","slug":"creative-writing-activities-high-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/creative-writing-activities-high-school\/","title":{"rendered":"13\u00a0Engaging Creative Writing Activities\u00a0High School Students Will Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At first, the idea of Creative Writing activities suitable for high school might cause your brain to crash. I think we’re used to thinking of Creative Writing as more of an elementary school unit when in reality, Creative Writing can be even more fun with older students!<\/p>\n\n\n

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This complete 9-week Creative Writing Class <\/a>includes everything you need to teach: bell ringers, minilessons, projects, activities, and more! Every day is planned out and prepped while still providing flexibility for you to take the class and make it yours!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Teaching creative writing to high school students can be both exciting and intimidating. Some students enter your creative writing class bubbling with ideas, while others (especially reluctant writers) freeze when faced with a blank piece of paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don’t worry! If you’re freezing up trying to think of fun and meaningful Creative Writing activities, I’ve got you. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can help every student discover the fun way the written word can become a creative outlet. Below are 13 tried-and-true activities—many pulled directly from my High School Creative Writing Curriculum<\/a>—that build writing skills, foster students’ creativity, and leave a lasting impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, if you need an entire Creative Writing class, you can grab that complete, done-for-you 9-Week Creative Writing Class right here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Blog post Pinterest pin that reads, \"13 Engaging Creative Writing Activities High School Students Will Love\" over the image of many #2 pencils<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Creative Writing Activities #1: Erasure Poems<\/h2>\n\n\n
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This resource includes directions and examples for BOTH blackout and found poetry!<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Erasure poems are a category of poems in which poetry is created from existing text. They blend visual arts and poetry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most well-known variations of erasure poems are probably blackout poetry<\/a> and found poetry. These are great for getting students to warm up to writing because it doesn’t actually require them to write! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it does get them thinking about poetry in a new way and examining the beauty of words. Plus, it’s just hands-on fun for a Creative Writing class or unit that can be a lot of plain pen-and-paper work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can get a resource for teaching both of these types of poems right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative Writing Activities for High School #2: Flash Fiction Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is flash fiction? It’s fiction with a very short and strict word count. It’s the perfect way to help students build writing endurance, challenge them to use precise and concise diction, and just get them writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give students a strict word limit (100–500 words), and see how they handle character development and key elements of plot in a tiny space.<\/strong> These short stories are quick to grade and a fun activity for creative writing clubs, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite variation of flash fiction is the two-sentence horror story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can learn more about using the two-sentence horror story in class in this blog post.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or you can grab a FREE two-sentence horror story activity right her<\/a>e!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Creative Writing Activities for High School #3: Journal Writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Journal writing and Creative Writing go hand in hand, right? <\/p>\n\n\n

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These editable Journal Prompts<\/a> provide two different writing options (plus a free write option) every day for nine weeks. They’ll save you lots of last-minute brainstorming!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You can use journal writing as a daily warm-up or as a once-a-week activity. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use writing prompts or story starters to get students writing. (You could even make a Mad Libs-style prompt.) Make sure they know there’s no pressure to write perfectly, finish their work, or even write coherently!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funny or silly writing prompts are always a hit (like having students write from the perspective of an inanimate object, create a diary entry of a mythical creature, or describe goofy products).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they can also be used to offer unique challenges (write a piece of historical fiction, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can get nine weeks’ worth of editable Creative Writing prompts right here.<\/a> They’ll save you from staring at your screen blankly five minutes before class begins every day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n