Every semester, a small class of aspiring writers opens a fresh notebook and prepares to bring their stories to life. The creative writing class is a recent addition to Rogers High School, with the first course taking place during the fall semester of 2023. Since that time, the class has grown and changed with each group of students who choose to take it.

At the beginning of class each day, the students will be asked to write a vignette, which is a short scene that typically consists of 50 to 100 words. Some vignettes will ask the students to include a certain word, while others might ask the students to write about a song being played. Regardless, it prepares the students to explore their creativity before getting to work.

 “My favorite part of the class was writing a vignette every morning. It was a really fun creative outlet and got my inspiration flowing,” said Elizabeth Dunn, 12.

Along with the morning vignettes, each Friday the students get the entire period to work on their stories. On top of that, students are heavily encouraged to use any extra time earlier in the week to write. Whether they are drafting, revising, or editing, the time is theirs to bring their stories to life with all of the lessons they’ve learned throughout the week. 

“My favorite part of the writing process was actually being forced to write everyday. I know that sounds strange, but it was very beneficial to me because I often give up hobbies to do school work, so doing something I actually was interested in was quite peaceful to me,” said Nyomi Lee, 11. 

Halfway through the semester, students switch from drafting to revising. Revising is much more than just checking grammar and spelling; this requires the students to see if sections of their story make sense. In some cases, entire paragraphs might be deleted before being re-written. A common phrase students will hear in class is that there is no such thing as a good first draft.

“Revision is the toughest; it’s the part that students most resist doing, more than either drafting or editing,” said Jeff Ayers, creative writing and English teacher. 

By the end of the semester, students get to pick photos, titles and headlines for their short stories. Every story will be compiled together into a single volume and added to The Mountain Journal’s catalog. Students will be able to say they’ve officially been published and look back on their stories with pride.

 “I want them to have the process of writing and story-telling under their belts. I want them to be able to adjust that process to their own tastes by the time they’re done. And of course, I want them to have a story written and published that they can be proud of,” Ayers said.