The 5 Biggest Challenges When Teaching Creative Writing

Young students are always full of creativity. It is the teacher’s job to channel that creativity into fun and interesting projects.

I’ve taught creative writing in six different countries, and I’ve faced the same five problems every time. With this article, I’ll discuss each problem and how I’ve coped with each out.

1. Students are at different English levels.

This is probably the biggest issue I’ve faced. Every classroom has the overachievers as well as the students who lack confidence because their English is lower. However, I’ve noticed that some of the lower-performing students often come up with some of the best ideas.

The best way to start a writing activity on an even playing field for all students is to incorporate art. Start by splitting up your students into pairs or small groups and have them create comics. They tell their stories through pictures divided into eight or ten panels. That way, they’re focusing on their ideas, not on the grammar. Afterward, they will write sentences under each picture explaining what is happening. At this stage, I never focus on the grammar. I just want them to get their creative ideas on paper without any filters.

2. Some students work much faster than others.

Writing activities in the classroom can be difficult because some writers speed through the assignment while others are much more meticulous. I’ve watched students write and erase the same sentence over and over because they want it to be perfect.

To fix this, a teacher can outlaw erasing. Tell your students that they must write first and edit later. That way, the slower writers are forced to speed up. Also, by creating the stories in pairs and giving clear time limits, students are encouraged to work at the same speed. It helps to partner students at different levels of English, so you can encourage collaboration, but never combine the highest-level student with the lowest. Try to think of the pairs as low with medium, or high with medium.

3. Students lose focus.

Because writing takes time, students might lose focus halfway through. They might speed through the assignment and then give up just so they can use the rest of the allotted time to just sit around. 

As in all classroom activities, the teacher should patrol the classroom and offer words of encouragement throughout the activity. Limit negative feedback and focus on the positive aspects to their work, even if their stories aren’t great. If you have nothing nice to say, then offer questions and suggestions to keep them going.

4. Students aren’t original.

This happens a lot. Half the class creates wild and interesting stories while the other half just copies something from a movie or TV show.

Honestly, the only way to avoid this problem is to set up rules beforehand. Make sure the students understand that they must create original stories and characters. (Also, I always make a rule that they can’t end a story with “…it was all a dream.” That’s just lazy writing.) If you still have a problem with originality, give them more specific writing prompts. For example, I sometimes distribute pictures to each writing pair (a person, a place, and a thing). They must use all three in their stories. This is a good strategy that forces them to create something original.

5. Students don’t listen.

After each story session, the writing groups should share their stories with the rest of the class. It’s an important step in the process, because it gives the students an end-goal and encourages them to try harder.

The problem with this step is that often, the rest of the class stops paying attention. They don’t care about the other groups’ stories and are more focused on their own. To avoid this, encourage listening by making each pair ask one question to the presenters. Either that, or have the presenters choose a group in the audience and ask them something about what they just heard. Not only does this help with listening comprehension, but it encourages a more collaborative environment and allows each student to have his or her moment to shine.

Final Thoughts

Creative writing in the classroom can be difficult, but it’s immensely important. It covers all the skills that they need to learn, and it can be a huge ego-boost to even the lower-performing students. If you can address the five biggest challenges, then your students will have a fun, fulfilling experience.