creative writing
Be Careful With Your Words
By Guest Blogger on April 27th, 2017
This poem was written by Mary-Kelly, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
Creative Writing Club students have been scribbling away all month for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).
With a goal of writing 30 poems in 30 days, the club aims to get students’ creative juices flowing through frequent writing exercises. As club sponsor Mrs. Emery says, “Some prompts will speak to you, and some will not. Some poems will be keepers, but most will not.”
In the spirit of sharing and a love of poetry, students have been responding to writing prompts and supporting each other’s work. Continue reading
Why Libraries Still Matter
By Melodie Robelo on April 11th, 2017
As a young girl, I always enjoyed visiting my local library.
My librarian, Mrs. Ferris, knew me by name and greeted me with a loving smile. She always had recommendations for great books, from beautiful Caldecott Medal picture books to the latest Newberry Award winners. She knew just the right stories that would captivate me for hours, keeping me up well past my bedtime as I read by the light of a flashlight under my covers.
In the days before the internet became a household staple, the library was my go-to source for answers about life’s most pressing questions. Even with nothing but that clunky card catalog of old, Mrs. Ferris could find resources to answer my many questions within minutes of me asking them. I wanted to know everything there was to know about kangaroos? Got it. Pompeii? Easy. The Holocaust? Let’s try reading Number the Stars and go from there. Continue reading
Meet Cristi, Founder of Tallahassee Teen Magazine
By Guest Blogger on March 13th, 2017
FLVS student Cristi McKee has been a member of the Creative Writing Club since 2012 and is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Tallahassee Teen Magazine.
In a recent interview with club students, she answered questions about her experiences as an intern with Tallahassee Woman Magazine.
What motivated you to found Tallahassee Teen Magazine?
I always wanted to inspire teens through writing, but I never could figure out how – until December 2015.
I took my love for writing and approached a local magazine and their publisher, Tallahassee Woman Magazine and Kim Rosier, and told them that I was interested in starting a magazine for teenagers that would be filled with inspirational, encouraging content while also celebrating local teen’s accomplishments. Soon after, Tallahassee Teen Magazine was founded courtesy of Tallahassee Woman Magazine. Continue reading
My Writing Timeline
By Guest Blogger on March 8th, 2017
This post was written by Natalie, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
When I was much, much younger, I saw writing as a chore. There’s not a lot a 7-year-old girl being homeschooled in southwest Florida had to write about, and I certainly didn’t do much of it.
As I grew older, the process of writing morphed from a chore into a helpful emotional outlet and then into a hobby. Although I’ve never been a serious, hardcore dedicated writer, I can say that writing definitely should be credited for its impact in my life.
The earliest I can remember writing would be in my tween years. As most people behave when going through that time in their lives, I could get quite emotional and crave an outlet to vent my frustrations or just write a poem expressing my honest feelings.
I read a ton of books back then and can attribute a lot of my literacy skills to my reading. I kept diary after diary for a few years and grew my writing skills without even realizing it. Writing about anything going on in my life made me think about events and interactions more deeply than I ever had before. Continue reading
Smell the Roses
By Guest Blogger on February 1st, 2017
This post was written by Cheyenne, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club, for her peers with a passion for writing.
I can say, more often than not, that I prefer to schedule as much of my day as I possibly can.
There have been instances when I throw organization to the wind and let the day lead me as it pleases, without so much as a pause to think about how little I completed during my waking hours.
Eventually, it began to wear on me how much time I seem to waste, but how little time I have to be productive. I have become accustomed to writing down my itinerary – scheduling my day minute by minute – simply because I can no longer stand the thought of letting a minute go by, unnamed and unused, in my day without purpose.
I discovered quickly, though, how easy it is to make a schedule but fall out of pace with it. I cannot give inspiration a time slot; like the butterflies in spring or the cool breath of winter, inspiration will come and go as it pleases. It may not visit me at all on some days, and therefore, the time I reserved for writing goes unused. Continue reading
A Writer’s Resolutions
By Guest Blogger on January 17th, 2017
This post was written by Olivia, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
I don’t usually make resolutions. I find that they often get forgotten amongst other priorities and the typical hustle and bustle of everyday life. But this year, I have made a few resolutions that I hope to keep – all involving writing and its influence on my life.
Amidst the typical busy schedule of academics, extracurricular activities, clubs, school events and preparing for college, it can be extremely difficult to dedicate time to creativity. I have found that it often gets left on the back burner: an afterthought among more pressing obligations.
As an involved student, this issue affected my writing process for far too long. I often found myself staying up scribbling ideas in a notebook or waking up early to try to fit writing into my schedule in 2016. In light of the New Year, I am excited to dedicate more time to my creative process as I move into the final stages of editing my novel. Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Lauren Mackey
By Guest Blogger on July 15th, 2016
My first course with Florida Virtual School was M/J Language Arts II with Ms. Wilson.
At the time, I was in seventh grade and planning on majoring in English at New York University to pursue a career as an author. One of my Language Arts assignments had me writing a five paragraph essay about the definition of love, which I definitely had enough experience to write about at the age of 13.
When I presented the essay to Ms. Wilson over the phone, I recall her describing my essay as something she expected to hear from an adult, out of a magazine, and encouraging me to join the FLVS Newspaper Club, News In A Click (NIAC). Continue reading
Get to Know the FLVS Creative Writing Club
By Guest Blogger on February 10th, 2016
Humans are storytellers.
There is a story held close in everyone’s mind, an unforgotten little voice stashed to the back during busy work days and released into all areas of the brain come nightfall when it is time to dream.
Anyone can be a writer – we are all writers – but some people want to expand this talent into a hobby, a career…or perhaps writing stories is like their oxygen. Without gripping novels, somber poems, or thunderous orations, our world would be bland and jejune.
If you have ever pondered an idea, a spark, a dream of a story in your mind that’s begging to break out and be heard, or if you are interested in seeing a hidden talent flourish, then the FLVS Creative Writing Club is for you! Continue reading
National Novel Writing Month
By Guest Blogger on November 21st, 2015
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as I’ve matured, it’s that everyone has a story to tell.
And, that our stories matter. Whether you’re a student, parent, grandparent, teacher, homemaker, hairstylist, or CEO, your story is important and only you can tell it. Did you know that it’s been estimated that 81 percent of Americans say they dream of being an author? That’s roughly 200 million people! I admit I am one of the 200 million, and it’s been a long road, but I will be publishing my book this year.
Have you ever thought of writing a book but didn’t know how to start? Continue reading
Writing Clicks as a Means to Express Oneself
By Guest Blogger on October 22nd, 2015
I’m happy when I’m writing or thinking of ideas about what to write. I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. How lucky I was to find this out about myself while still in school!
You see, after reading a poem I wrote, my second grade teacher, Mrs. Kast, said to me “Suzan, you’re a writer.”
I still remember those words of encouragement, although that is now thirty-something years ago. That praise not only boosted my spirit, it stuck with me my whole life. I began to create, theme, and express myself in many different styles of writing. My friends knew I would always carry paper and pen wherever I went, because you never know when creativity will strike! Continue reading