Meeting with friends and spilling ideas onto paper, letting the creative juices flow into words of entertainment is something some students might not find interesting. However, certain Wildkats can not wait to share their ideas. English III teacher Laura Brackin welcomes scribes of fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry to join her in a new creative writing club.

“I found that during the time I’ve been teaching here, that Willis High School has a significant number of emerging writers, talented writers and writers who are just starting to feel out their craft,” Brackin said. “I’d like to help these folks polish their skills and find pride in themselves for their work. I encourage them to speak from their hearts and allow their feelings to lead them.”

A creative writing club allows for freedom of expression and more room to delve into new ideas without worrying about a grade.

“Writing is a way to express your thoughts and emotions,” senior Jasper Pierce said. “I have found that writing at a young age has helped me uncover deep emotions and with that, I’ve discovered more about who I am.”

The work put into the creative writing club can help improve grades and level of thinking. Writing outside of a class can offer advantages to club members.

“So often young people are told what to do and think, which can actually shrink their sense of imagination and critical thinking,” Brackin said. “Learning how to tell their stories, being encouraged to explore their world and have opinions they can share, helps young people see possibilities for themselves that they might not have imagined otherwise.”

Getting with club members and writing without restrictions gives Wildkats a chance to choose what they want to write about.

“If students have a choice to write about topics they relate to more, they’ll actually feel engaged,” senior Taylor Mapston said. “It allows students to share their point of view without worrying about what a teacher thinks about it.”

Wildkats always have the option to write, some just decide against it.

“One of the questions I ask my students when we are reading is, ‘what is the author saying about being human?’,” Brackin said. “Writing allows the writer to ponder their thoughts, opinions, and experiences with regard to their place in humanity, and sharing that with others extends that connection.”