Creativity is in everyone; they just don’t always have the opportunity to show it. The creative writing class here at BSM gives students the perfect chance to do so. This class is taught by Ms. Kaia Preus, who has her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing.

The class entails writing non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and sometimes drama. Preus said they really try to understand the art of creative writing in how and why it works. “We try to build up skills and techniques so that we can write well enough to have the ideas in their head transfer well to paper,” Preus said.

The class starts out with a shorty, which is just a five-minute writing prompt. Then the class differs day-to-day; they can do anything from small group workshops to reading their stories to the class. “A shorty is a five-minute prompt at the beginning of class. It is kind of a loved secret of the Creative Writing class,” Preus said.

The creative writing class is a place to put creative ideas on paper, which isn’t as common as other classes. “Students are really able to be creative and to write short stories and try poems, but it is still in a rigorous setting where they have to use good verbs, and they have to be mindful of their adjectives and adverbs. They also have the additional element of making it interesting for the reader,” Preus said.

Going with the theme of creativity, Preus wants students to learn how to put their creative concepts onto paper in an orderly fashion. “I want them to feel confident in their writing and communication skills, and I want them to feel unlocked when it comes to their creativity. I want them to follow their passions and for them to know they can write anything they want to,” Preus said.

Senior Emily Olson takes creative writing and loves the freedom the class offers. “My favorite part of this class is being able to explore new types of writing and also having Ms. Preus as a teacher. She encourages us to be better writers and makes it fun,” Olson said.