What do the children write? Proposals for creative writing in the 21st century

Abstract

With the advent of the new century many things have changed in the educational context. Although new technologies have allowed us to broaden the horizons of knowledge and have modified the paradigms of how learning is obtained, there are still traditional forms that must be strengthened to expand creativity, imagination and aesthetic education. Creative writing, a discipline still in its infancy in the school context, allows us to install a different perspective of approaching language as a rich source of vocabulary and discursive structures. Freedom, play, spontaneity and inventiveness are part of a set of skills that articulate a wealth of knowledge and are channeled into the technology of writing. Becoming aware of this creative process, discovering the inner voice, giving shape to feelings and ideas and taking control of language are some of the strongest skills that are achieved with this practice. Writing projects not only promote the aesthetic dimension, but also help to structure logical thinking and channel the desire to express oneself. In that sense, writing represents an integrating experience, insofar as it requires reading as a source of inspiration and enjoyment; it involves a deep exploration of language, feelings and ideas; and uses different resources to find  forms of expression.