Teacher's Choice: How We Teach Creative Writing
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UntitledTown Book and Author Festival returns to Green Bay September 25-27th, 2026. Filled with over 80 speakers, 11 locations and dozens of different events to choose from, there's something for literally everyone. Whether you're a reader, part of a vibrant fandom, a parent or a writer yourself, you'll find your home in UntitledTown. Best part? Everything is completely free to attend! Share the word by inviting your friends and neighbors and help us celebrate stories and reading in Northeastern Wisconsin.
This craft talk is one of over 80 events at UntitledTown with more details at www.untitledtown.org. Here are the details for this one:
Want to inspire the next generation of Hemingways without the eye-rolls? Join our panel of esteemed educators where we trade the classroom chalkboard for real-world tips. Ever wondered how to get students to write anything besides a five-paragraph essay, or how to handle that one student who only wants to write epic space battles? We’re tackling the good, the bad, and the grammatically questionable parts of teaching creative writing in 2026. Come ready to laugh, swap horror stories, and leave with a toolkit that actually makes writing fun again!
Attendees will learn to:
Spark engagement with unconventional, high-energy writing prompts.
Cultivate a safe classroom space where students feel comfortable sharing.
Integrate digital tools to modernize your creative writing curriculum.
Differentiate instruction to support writers of all skill levels.
Assess creative work without crushing your students’ artistic spirit.
When: Friday, September 25 at 5 pm
Where: The Lion’s Mouth Bookstore, 221 North Washington Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cost: Free!
Juan Martinez is the author of the novel Extended Stay (2023) and the story collection Best Worst American (2017). He lives near Chicago and is an associate professor at Northwestern University and a fiction editor for Jackleg Press. His work has appeared most recently in EPOCH, Ploughshares, The Chicago Quarterly Review, The Sunday Morning Transport, Huizache, Ecotone, NIGHTMARE, McSweeney’s, NPR’s Selected Shorts, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Sudden Fiction Latino, Flash Fiction America, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming in Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latine Horror from Simon & Schuster/Primero Sueño. Find him online at fulmerford.com & on Bluesky at @fulmerford.com
Amanda Zieba is an author, educator, and creator of Word Nerd Collaborative, an ELA teacher membership and community built to spark authentic reading and writing experiences for students and teachers. She is the author of 14 books for a variety of ages, including Life in the Passenger Seat and the Close Quarters series, which explore themes of resilience, independence, and friendship among girls and women. Amanda creates reader-facing YouTube content, hosts author interviews, and designs classroom-ready literacy resources used by educators nationwide. Her work centers on making books—and the people who create them—feel alive. Amanda lives in Holmen, WI with her husband and two sons, who are usually playing or coaching a sport while Amanda cheers them on from the bleachers.
Crystal S. Gibbins is a Canadian American writer of Métis (Ojibwe/Scottish) descent. She is the founding editor of Split Rock Review, author of NOW/HERE, winner of the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award, and editor of Rewilding: Poems for the Environment. Her work appears widely in literary journals. She currently lives on the south shore of Lake Superior.
Craig A. Knitt is an artist / educator / filmmaker / and writer that specializes in ‘story’. He has worked as a visual arts teacher for more than 30 years but he is currently the Creative Arts Specialist for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region (Green Bay, Door County, Shawano). He has created over eight printed works with his young artists including most recently “Baghead’s Bog Book of Jokes and Giggles” which included the work of over 200 club members from the age of 7-16.
Jill Gilson grew up in a small, rural part of Northeastern Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning a degree in English and secondary education. As a recently retired high school English teacher, Jill has enjoyed being in the classroom for over 35 years. Dad’s Journey is her first publication and is working on more writing projects. In her spare time, she enjoys substitute teaching, volunteering, and spending time with her family. She and her husband live in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, and have three adult children.
This craft talk is one of over 80 events at UntitledTown with more details at www.untitledtown.org. Here are the details for this one:
Want to inspire the next generation of Hemingways without the eye-rolls? Join our panel of esteemed educators where we trade the classroom chalkboard for real-world tips. Ever wondered how to get students to write anything besides a five-paragraph essay, or how to handle that one student who only wants to write epic space battles? We’re tackling the good, the bad, and the grammatically questionable parts of teaching creative writing in 2026. Come ready to laugh, swap horror stories, and leave with a toolkit that actually makes writing fun again!
Attendees will learn to:
Spark engagement with unconventional, high-energy writing prompts.
Cultivate a safe classroom space where students feel comfortable sharing.
Integrate digital tools to modernize your creative writing curriculum.
Differentiate instruction to support writers of all skill levels.
Assess creative work without crushing your students’ artistic spirit.
When: Friday, September 25 at 5 pm
Where: The Lion’s Mouth Bookstore, 221 North Washington Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cost: Free!
Juan Martinez is the author of the novel Extended Stay (2023) and the story collection Best Worst American (2017). He lives near Chicago and is an associate professor at Northwestern University and a fiction editor for Jackleg Press. His work has appeared most recently in EPOCH, Ploughshares, The Chicago Quarterly Review, The Sunday Morning Transport, Huizache, Ecotone, NIGHTMARE, McSweeney’s, NPR’s Selected Shorts, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Sudden Fiction Latino, Flash Fiction America, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming in Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latine Horror from Simon & Schuster/Primero Sueño. Find him online at fulmerford.com & on Bluesky at @fulmerford.com
Amanda Zieba is an author, educator, and creator of Word Nerd Collaborative, an ELA teacher membership and community built to spark authentic reading and writing experiences for students and teachers. She is the author of 14 books for a variety of ages, including Life in the Passenger Seat and the Close Quarters series, which explore themes of resilience, independence, and friendship among girls and women. Amanda creates reader-facing YouTube content, hosts author interviews, and designs classroom-ready literacy resources used by educators nationwide. Her work centers on making books—and the people who create them—feel alive. Amanda lives in Holmen, WI with her husband and two sons, who are usually playing or coaching a sport while Amanda cheers them on from the bleachers.
Crystal S. Gibbins is a Canadian American writer of Métis (Ojibwe/Scottish) descent. She is the founding editor of Split Rock Review, author of NOW/HERE, winner of the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award, and editor of Rewilding: Poems for the Environment. Her work appears widely in literary journals. She currently lives on the south shore of Lake Superior.
Craig A. Knitt is an artist / educator / filmmaker / and writer that specializes in ‘story’. He has worked as a visual arts teacher for more than 30 years but he is currently the Creative Arts Specialist for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region (Green Bay, Door County, Shawano). He has created over eight printed works with his young artists including most recently “Baghead’s Bog Book of Jokes and Giggles” which included the work of over 200 club members from the age of 7-16.
Jill Gilson grew up in a small, rural part of Northeastern Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning a degree in English and secondary education. As a recently retired high school English teacher, Jill has enjoyed being in the classroom for over 35 years. Dad’s Journey is her first publication and is working on more writing projects. In her spare time, she enjoys substitute teaching, volunteering, and spending time with her family. She and her husband live in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, and have three adult children.
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Where is it happening?
Lion's Mouth Bookstore, 211 N. Washington Street,Green Bay,WI,United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherUntitledTown
