Three Creative Writing Games to Start the School Year

Getting students ready to write can be a daunting task! These quick and easy writing games are great for beginning the year as they give students the opportunity to think creatively using a variety of writing formats. By providing a fun and accessible introduction to writing, both students and teachers learn to think creatively and communicate effectively.

Character Messages

This game is a take on twenty questions that is a fun, low stakes intro to writing dialogue. Have one student select a favorite character from a book, TV show, or movie to act out while another student writes messages asking questions (what they look like, where they live, etc). They can’t directly ask the name of the character (well, they can, but the student “in character” is prompted not to answer). The goal is to guess the character’s name before sending all twenty questions out. This activity can be modified using text to speech to make it more accessible for all students.

Monster Maker

A take on an old school favorite of mine, exquisite corpse, which incorporates art and randomness. (Apparently, the game has roots in the Surrealist movement, which makes for a fairly easy fine art crossover lesson.) Have a student fold a sheet of paper into thirds and draw the head of a friendly monster in the top section, folding the paper back to hide this section before passing it on. The second student draws the middle of the monster (arms or tentacles included), folds the paper back, and passes it along to the third and final monster maker who adds the feet and legs of the creation. Unfold to reveal the new star of your short fiction story! Students can work in teams or independently to give the monster a personality and backstory before writing a short piece featuring them.

Flash Fiction Generator

Flash fiction is extra short fiction (think 100 to 300 words). A small group or pair of students come up with characters, settings, and problems for flash stories (a rabbit, the Moon, losing car keys). Then a way to randomize selection of the character, setting, or problem is used (random number generator, writing on strips of paper and pulling them out of a hat). Once a prompt is given, students are tasked with writing a short piece featuring the character, setting, and problem assigned. This can also make a fun improv activity to integrate performing arts into the classroom.