Creative Reading:
it's what happens when the reader takes the reins.
Hey, y'all! It's Danielle from Nouvelle ELA here. We spend a LOT of time reading books
and watching TV and movies in our household, and one game we love to play is
“what if”. What if the ending had been different? The characters had had a
stronger motivation? The main conflict had been more believable? This is what I
call creative reading.
In fact,
in pretty much every episode of the YA Café Podcast, we ask ourselves and our
listeners how the story would have turned out differently if the characters or
plot points would have been tweaked just a little bit. What if Leah hadn’t been
turned into a love interest in the movie Love, Simon? What if Bri had
had more people in her corner in On the Come Up? What if the main
character has been transgender in Death Prefers Blondes?
Strong readers do this all the
time. Readers and viewers who do this have two experiences: the experience
of seeing the story as the creator intended it, and then the joy that comes
after, the joy of molding the story to be your own. If you’ve ever written
fanfiction, then you know about that: the freedom you have to explore more of
the world and more from the characters you already love.
Our students deserve creative
reading, too. We can share opportunities and guidance in imagining alternatives
for each page of a novel. Reading is about absorbing someone else’s choices
for a set of characters and events; creative reading is about
reshaping a story to imagine possibilities. Creative Reading is about
transformation.
Practicing creative
reading means taking ownership of material. When you imagine alternatives,
you're writing your own story. It builds student confidence, endurance, and a love
for reading, while still providing space to play.
Here are some ways to give your
students space to read creatively:
1. Share a songfic or filk.
One of the most commercial types of
creative reading and fanfiction in general is songfic. This is any time that someone takes a work of fiction and
shapes a song around it. Generally, they aren’t just telling the story we all
know and love, but pushing it to the next level somehow. Maybe they’re telling
a story about what comes after or
sharing the story we already know from a new perspective.
Here’s an example of a songfic from Katniss’ perspective in The Hunger Games.
This is a parody video, but it also shows some creative reading. The song
is parodying Katniss’ indecision between Gale and Peeta, but also ridiculing
the fact that she thinks about that at all in a time of war. The creator then
speculates about the sort of advice Katniss would receive from Rue.
I also consider Ed Sheeran’s song “I See Fire” a songfic of Tolkien’s characters and situations. Yes, that song was
used in The Hobbit movie, but you can definitely see evidence of creative
reading – Sheeran is imagining a character’s thoughts from first-person,
whereas the original text was in third. Sharing songs with students is such an
easy way to show them that creative reading is everywhere!
Some books leave us free and some books make us free.
–
Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Have students write songs.
Still in the musical vein, you can
have students write songs about a book they’ve read or one of your class
novels. You can even narrow down the topic. I’ve had students write songs about the symbolism they found during our reading of The Pearl. Generally,
students find it much easier to rewrite the words of an existing song than coming
up with a tune on their own.
This is a great form of creative
reading because it also uses multiple intelligences. Students are not only
processing their understanding of a novel; they are sharing insight via a new
medium.
When we read, our mind begins unraveling new ideas.
– Terry Heick
3. Use Creative Reading Task Cards
I developed Creative Reading Task Cards to give students some structure as they practice this skill. Each card asks one focus question about plot, character, conflict, theme, and setting.
You can use this concept as part of
independent reading, literature circles, or with a whole-class novel. Students
can sit in quiet reflection and think about different options for the story, or
they can use the prompts to guide a discussion. Strong readers know what it’s
like to get so engaged in a “what if” conversation with a friend that just
builds and builds until we have a brand new, big and beautiful story. We can
offer students the same opportunity.
Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.
– Mary Schmich
4. Let your students write fanfiction.
When it comes to fanfiction, the sky’s
the limit. You could take anything you’ve read in class – any story, poem, or
novel – and ask students to keep writing. Ask them to write a deleted scene or
even completely reimagine an existing scene. Ask them to map the existing text
on a new setting. What if Wonder had
taken place fifty years into the future? What if Harry Potter took place at an American high school?
Imagine the Possibilities
Some students need permission to
imagine. They don’t know the “secret”—that strong readers already do this. You
can model one a task as a think-aloud to show students how to begin.
Assure them there’s no right answer and encourage them to experiment with
different ideas.
Creative reading also strengthens
the foundation for analysis. This means it's beneficial to a student’s
long-term achievement. Once they can imagine different possibilities for how
the story could have been written, students can analyze the author’s purpose in
making the choices they did.
If you have questions about creative
reading or want to share how you use this concept in your classroom, let me
know in comments or reach out on Instagram @nouvelle_ela. Happy
teaching!
Other resources you will love!
Writing Prompts for Independent Reading by Room 213
