Creative writing is often pushed to the margins of the ELA classroom. It gets overshadowed by literary analysis, argumentative essays, and the ever-looming demands of test prep. While I understand that academic writing is important, sidelining creative writing ignores one of the most powerful tools we have for developing student thinking.
After all, creation sits at the very top of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels for very good reasons!
When we ask students to build something entirely new (a story, a world, a character) we’re challenging them to engage in the most complex, meaningful cognitive work they can do.
That’s why I make it a point to intentionally integrate creative writing into my curriculum. Because the truth is, the more students stretch their creative muscles, the stronger their academic thinking becomes too. The imaginative choices they make in a short story (the tone of a narrator, the structure of a plot, the symbolism behind a setting) translate directly into more nuanced reading and writing in other forms.
Now, I also know that TEACHING creative thinking and writing does not come easily to everyone. To be honest, our muscles in this area are often atrophied because of our teacher training too. So, let me put your mind at rest!
Creative writing doesn’t have to start with a blank page— and in my classroom, it rarely does. I’ve found that students thrive when given just enough structure to ignite their imaginations without boxing them in. That’s why I love using things like guided writing experiences that blend visuals, sound effects, and light prompts to spark inspiration and get their ideas flowing.
In this post, I’ll share how I easily bring these immersive writing experiences to life. Including a peek at one of my favorites: a Gothic haunted house activity that blends eerie ambiance with student creativity.
What about time…?
Before I share some of my favorite tips and resources, I want to address the elephant in the room… TIME! ELA teachers have so much they have to tackle every day. I get that it can feel like we don’t have time for creative writing. However, (based on the evidence shared above) I would say that we can’t afford NOT to make the time.
But, I would also say, don’t overthink it! Work with what you have. Even if it’s just devoting 10 minutes to it on one day a week. I started out by having Writing Wednesdays and our warmup was just 5-6 minute creative writing prompts and they got a few minutes to share. I had students telling me YEARS later that those quickwrites each week made a huge impact on them.
You can check out these 50 quickwrites I have ready to go for something simple that you can always have on hand!
Now, lets talk about some other ways easy-to-implement creative writing activities and strategies you can use!
Immersive Writing– Creating the Perfect Haunted House Short Story
This is the first immersive writing activity I ever created! I took my love of Gothic writing and channeled it into this in the most delicious ways. Here’s what I mean by immersive writing.
Think of it like being a Dungeon Master in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign: I set the scene, lay out a few intriguing options, add in some visuals, sound effects, and then hand the story over to my students. They take it from there, turning prompts into plots and settings into entire worlds.
In this activity, you find yourself (as the main character) stranded on a dark and stormy night. However, just ahead, you can make out a house and you head towards it looking for help. You are greeted and allowed into the house, but the longer you stay the stranger things become.
Complete with eerie settings, spine-tingling music and sound effects, and a mysterious young girl, this story is always a raving hit with my students!
I, and my students, LOVED this resource. When I do my end of the year survey many listed this as their favorite writing activity! This was a great way to practice creative writing, which is something many of my students haven’t done in years. If I could do a million of these I would. I cannot recommend this enough!- Mary Jane P.
Check out a preview of this activity below!
The reason these are such a hit is that they take the pressure off of being creative with a blank page looming at them. Instead, it throws them into the story, but it is still THEIR story! My gifted writers also love these because they get to be so creative with it.
I also love this haunted carnival scenario and this hero in plain sight one!
Another Creative Writing Favorite: Self-Paced Fantasy Writing Course
If your students are more drawn to dragons than ghosts, you’ll love this zero-prep Fantasy Writing Course I created! Designed for ages 12–16, this self-paced Google Classroom experience walks students through every stage of building their own fantasy story. It has just the right amount of support and creative freedom.
It’s perfect for classroom enrichment, homeschoolers, or students who just need a little help getting started with their ideas. Through a series of short, pre-recorded videos and 10 detailed handouts, students are guided through:
- Developing a rich fantasy setting (think: magical academies, underwater kingdoms, or sky pirate strongholds)
- Crafting vivid, complex characters (with traits and fatal flaws!)
- Building out the exposition and momentum of their stories
- Submitting drafts for feedback if they want extra support
The handouts are filled with inspiring prompts that remove the dreaded “creative paralysis” while still leaving room for students to dream big and invent their own worlds.
Whether you’re introducing fantasy writing for the first time or offering an extension opportunity, this self-paced course helps students build strong story foundations. And it lets you focus your energy on helping them fine-tune and revise.
📚 Want a sneak peek at some of the character and setting choices? Click HERE and try your hand at choosing between a sky pirate captain or a cunning rogue in a steampunk city!
Turning Creativity Into Informative Writing: Fairy Tale Headlines
Creative writing doesn’t always have to live in the realm of short stories or fantasy worlds. One of my favorite ways to sneak creativity into informational writing is through this playful and engaging Fairy Tale Headlines activity.
It blends the fun of storytelling with the structure of expository writing, giving students a chance to practice tone, word choice, and factual composition— without losing their creative spark.
Here’s how it works: students choose from a list of imaginative, fairy tale-inspired headlines—like:
- “Goldilocks Breaks Silence: Exclusive Interview Reveals the Real Story Behind the Porridge Incident!”
- “Cinderella’s Lost Slipper Found Decades Later – A Museum’s Enchanting Discovery!”
- “Huff and Puff Realty: The Big Bad Wolf’s New Housing Venture!”
Then, they write the informative article that would accompany the headline, just as if they were working for a real (and magical) news outlet. This gives them the opportunity to focus on clear structure, factual tone, and strong diction while staying imaginative.
It’s a perfect crossover between creative and academic writing. Students get to flex their writing muscles in a fresh format, and teachers get to reinforce essential skills in a way that’s actually fun. This activity also makes an excellent creative assessment or even a no-prep sub plan when you need a quick, meaningful lesson.
Whether your students are reporting on the latest scandal at the Gingerbread House or analyzing NASA’s interest in Jack’s beanstalk, they’re still developing the same writing skills you’d expect in a traditional informative essay—just with a lot more voice.
I also have this similar activity with Florida Man headlines that you can download for FREE!
Need it even more simple? Try at-a-glance outlines and task cards!
Sometimes you just need something INCREDIBLY simple. This is a where a great at-a-glance handout or task cards can come into play!
In this Gothic story outline, students can take just a few minutes to brainstorm their spooky story. They quickly get to consider their eerie setting, sensory details they want to add in, supernatural elements, and more.
Again, this takes the pressure off of coming up with something from complete scratch, but it is still THEIR story.
I used this for my creative writing elective. It was an engaging activity and got them thinking about what makes a suspenseful story! I especially liked the scaffolding this activity provides. – Ashley Cooper
Task cards are also a great way to add in bite-sized creative writing. By having them complete micro pieces to add to their larger piece, it helps with overwhelm while not forgetting the important details! For example, one card may have them just describe the magical weapon their hero uses and what it does. Another card may have them just describe their character physically.
Small details that build up over the course of a few days.
I have some for HERO WRITING and some for GOTHIC WRITING. I even have these free ones for writing original myths!
Want All These Activities (and More) in One Place?
If you’re ready to make creative writing a consistent and engaging part of your ELA classroom, I’ve bundled everything I’ve mentioned in this post (and more) into one easy-to-use, discounted Creative Writing Bundle designed especially for middle and high school students.
This bundle includes 14 classroom-tested resources that help you integrate creativity into your daily or weekly routine without overwhelming your planning time. Whether you’re working with reluctant writers or your next generation of novelists, this bundle gives you everything you need to guide them through meaningful, manageable writing experiences.
Here’s what’s included:
✨ Creative Informational Writing – Like the Fairy Tale Headlines activity (plus Florida Man Headlines!) that give students a creative twist on informative writing.
✨ Immersive Writing Experiences – Guided prompts with visuals, sound effects, and atmosphere to inspire student-driven storytelling.
✨ Fantasy Writing Course – A self-paced Google Classroom experience for building rich fantasy stories from the ground up.
✨ Story Outline Handouts – Tools to help students plan and structure their stories with confidence.
✨ Creative Writing Task Cards – Short, engaging prompts perfect for warmups, sub days, or writing centers.
✨ Easy-to-Use Rubrics – Provide quick, clear feedback without the grading overwhelm.
This bundle helps you make creative writing part of your classroom culture—and not just a once-in-a-while activity. Grab it now and always have a go-to toolkit for boosting student voice, imagination, and confidence in writing.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to let creative writing fall by the wayside when we’re juggling standards, pacing guides, and essay rubrics. But when we make space for students to create, we’re not taking time away from academic growth—we’re multiplying it. Creative writing invites students to take risks, make connections, and explore language in ways that deepen their understanding across all genres of writing.
Whether it’s crafting a chilling Gothic tale, dreaming up a fantasy world, or reporting on the scandalous exploits of fairy tale icons, these activities give students voice, agency, and a renewed love of writing.
And here’s the best part: you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make this happen. With a few ready-to-go resources (like the ones in my Creative Writing Bundle), you can build a classroom culture where creativity thrives—and watch your students grow as writers in every way.
Even just 10–15 minutes a week for creative writing warmups or bellringers can make a huge impact on student engagement and writing growth—and everything in this bundle is flexible enough to plug in wherever it fits your schedule. Something as simple as Writing Wednesday warmups can make a major difference!
✨ So go ahead—make room for magic, monsters, mischief, and meaning in your ELA classroom.
You’ll be amazed at how far a little creativity can take your students.
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