When Stories Find Their Voice: The Redhound Way in Creative Writing
Every story begins somewhere.
Sometimes, it begins with a memory. Sometimes, it begins with an old photograph, a handful of marbles, or a pair of baby shoes. And sometimes, it begins with the courage to share a piece of yourself with someone else.
In Mrs. Tara Prewitt’s creative writing classroom at Corbin High School, students spent nine weeks discovering that stories can come from almost anywhere—and that the words they write have the power to connect people in unexpected ways.
This year, Mrs. Prewitt developed new curriculum for the nine-week course, drawing inspiration from meaningful experiences she remembered as a student in the Governor’s School for the Arts. She wanted her students to experience that same sense of discovery: the freedom to explore their creativity, experiment with their writing, and see their ideas come to life.
One project brought that vision to life in a particularly special way. Students spent time observing the people and places around them, paying attention to the little details that make a character feel real or a setting come alive. They used those observations to write original short stories, each one reflecting an idea uniquely their own. Then, their stories took an unexpected journey. Mrs. Smith’s visual arts students received anonymous copies of the stories and were challenged to illustrate them, interpreting each writer’s words through their own artistic lens.
For weeks, the writers had no idea what the artists had created. That changed when they walked into the culminating showcase and discovered their stories displayed alongside the artwork inspired by them.
Words that had once existed only in a student’s imagination had become something others could see and experience. It was a powerful reminder that creativity grows when people share their talents and build something together.
Other assignments invited students to find inspiration in the world around them. Using objects from Mrs. Prewitt’s curiosity collection trunk, students selected items such as an old photograph from the 1800s, a compass, a quill, a conch shell, or a set of old keys. Each object became the starting point for a story.
Students examined their items, asked questions about their origins, and imagined the people, places, and possibilities connected to them. A simple object became the center of an entirely new world, shaped by each writer’s imagination.
Students also explored Appalachian poetry, studying the work of Kentucky poets before creating poems of their own. During this unit, they had the opportunity to speak virtually with Frank X Walker, former Kentucky Poet Laureate, accomplished author, University of Kentucky professor, and founder of the Affrilachian Poets. Walker shared his knowledge of poetry and offered advice to the young writers as they developed their own voices. Students then created a “Where I’m From” poem and a free-verse poem, using Canva to bring their words to life visually.
But the real story of this class was not just what students wrote. It was what happened when they found the courage to share it.
Creative writing can be deeply personal. A poem may reveal a memory, a story may reflect a fear, and a few carefully chosen words may communicate something a student has never quite known how to say aloud. Sharing that work requires vulnerability. Reading it to classmates, discussing its meaning, and allowing others to respond can feel like stepping into unfamiliar territory.
At the end of the nine weeks, students did exactly that.
Their classroom became a showcase of imagination, with original stories displayed alongside student-created illustrations, meaningful objects placed beside the stories they inspired, and poetry arranged for others to read and enjoy. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and fellow students stopped by to explore the work, ask questions, and hear the stories behind the stories. Guests completed feedback forms and engaged students in conversations about their writing, their inspiration, and their creative process.
And the students rose to the occasion.
Rather than simply standing beside their work, they became its storytellers. They explained their choices, discussed their ideas, and shared the thinking behind the words on the page. Students who had spent the nine weeks practicing how to express themselves were now communicating with an audience beyond their own classroom. They were discovering that their voices mattered—and that others were willing to listen.
The showcase was made possible through meaningful collaboration, including Mrs. Smith and her visual arts students, who helped transform written stories into visual works of art, and Mrs. White, who helped prepare the space for the event. Together, they created an opportunity for students to see what can happen when people bring different strengths to a shared purpose.
That’s the Redhound Way.
