Everyone has at least one exciting event in his or her life but could everyone write about the experience?  Sophomores in Mrs. Jennie Dorsey's Honors English class had the opportunity to relate their experience in the form of a short story.
Few students struggled thinking of an idea, and most knew right away what their story would focus on.  Some of the more creative students imagined a fictitious event for their assignment.
"As soon as I learned of this assignment, I knew exactly what my story would be," Alexa Antill exclaimed once finished her story.  "I loved writing down how I felt during my experience and why I chose to do what I had done."
After prewriting in class and having other students peer review the stories, each student entered his or her essay in Writing Roadmap to be scored. The final draft was also reevaluated by Mrs. Dorsey.  The top stories in the class were also submitted to the Young Writer's Association, where the winner receives a savings bond. 
After writing the stories, the students felt more secure in using literary elements and are more prepared for future English classes.