MONTAGUE – Writing assignments in a classroom setting often come with parameters.
With the Creative Writing Team at Montague High School, there are no rules when it comes to expression.
“It’s all about using your imagination, talking about such things as stories, and we use prompts and all sorts of things to spark creativity and write stories that people might enjoy, might not enjoy,” Montague senior Graceann Barlow said.
“(The Creative Writing Team) is about thinking differently,” Montague junior A.K. Davey said. “You’re in a different perspective and overall improving your writing skill. It’s not about what could come out of it. It’s about just having fun with yourself and with your friends.”
Tricia Coppess, who teaches English 12 and Advanced Placement English Literature, is Language Arts coach for Montague’s Creative Writing Team.
During the Creative Writing season, Coppess conducts meetings on Tuesdays after school. Students often practice their skills by writing silently for a portion of the meeting, then sharing their writing. They also provide feedback to each other.
Coppess facilitates, but she typically allows the captains to take the reins. Sometimes, students will play games such as “Super Fight” to break the ice and just enjoy each other’s company. Coppess also communicates the details of upcoming meets, transports students to meets, and goes over results of previous competitions when they are made available to her.
This is the second year of Montague’s Creative Writing Team.
Photos courtesy of Tricia Coppess
“As students write creatively, they often express themselves in ways that may not be allowed in a class assignment or accepted within the status quo of their peers,” Coppess said. “The truth is, and we unfortunately don’t realize this until we are well into adulthood, that the majority of students (and people in general) often feel lonely. They have thoughts and feelings that they don’t feel comfortable sharing and so they just go along with what is accepted.
“When the students on our team get together to write, they discover common feelings and experiences. It’s a ‘Wait, you feel that way, too? I’m not weird?’ moment that I wish more students could experience.”
Montague’s Creative Writing Team participates in three events: In October, then a month later, followed by an online poetry competition.
At the first two in-person events, designated team members are allowed two hours to write about a provided prompt, share their writing with their teammates, provide feedback, write final copies, and submit their entries.
Coaches are not allowed in writing rooms. Each school must submit at least seven entries between the three competitions.
Teams are allowed no more than 20 members. Montague’s Creative Writing Team fluctuates in terms of numbers, as other extracurricular activities and part-time jobs factor in, but Coppess said her squad typically features six to eight students.
Montague junior Alixendre Draves has been a member of the Creative Writing Team for two years. He’s very active, also participating in cross country, FFA, auditorium tech club, and track and field, but he thought a writing-oriented club was a very interesting idea.
“To be able to share and learn from my peers definitely sounded like a great idea, and I just figured it would help my writing a bunch,” he said. “The little community we have is very pleasant, though, and I have continued to enjoy the time I spend among them.
“The most rewarding part of being part of this club is probably being able to compete and socialize in the WMC Writing Competitions. Other than that, it would have to be the companionship and the community that comes in this club.”
In competitions, entries are scored by writing coaches from each school. They do not grade their own school’s entries.
Coaches use writing rubrics that have been agreed upon by all of the coaches. The West Michigan Conference (WMC) Language Arts Competition coordinator collects scores, tallies results to determined the team with the highest average, declares a winner of the event, and sends all of the results to each school.
Coaches receive a copy of their entries with judges’ comments and scores. Combined scores from each round of competitions are averaged to determine the overall team winner.
Coaches nominate individuals for all-conference recognition, similar to an athlete competition. They also nominate students to receive all-conference individual honors. Awards include a first-place team plaque, 12 all-conference medals, 12 all-conference certificates, and a dozen all-conference honorable mention certificates.
Barlow and Davey both earned first-team all-conference accolades this school year, while Ethan Sandoval received all-conference honorable mention.
This is Montague senior Scott Hysell’s first year with the Montague Creative Writing Team. He also participates in robotics, but he was looking for an additional activity that also was fun. He appreciates sharing ideas and seeing what others think of his writing.
“It allows you to show your ideas and express how you feel about topics. Also, it is important to be involved with something you enjoy,” Hysell said.
“We are very creative. And bad handwriting doesn’t matter, or else it would be less fun.”
Coppess said she was approached by Montague’s administration in the fall of 2022 when it learned about the WMC writing competition. She was excited to get to know students she might not have in class and to encourage them in their writing.
Coppess encourages students of all skill levels to join the Creative Writing Team. In addition to competitions, she said the team has some fun things planned for the rest of the year.
“The most rewarding part of being involved is seeing another side of the students,” she said. “I read their writing as a part of their job when they write for me in class, but that writing is typically formulaic and restricted. The writing that the team does in practices and for competitions allows them to write freely and to tap into their unique ideas.
“These students are intelligent, funny, courageous, and independent. To see all of those traits emerge is truly a privilege.”
