"Getting others' perspectives": a case study of creative writing environments and mentorship

Giving students opportunities to interact with real readers of their work may not only motivate them to write, but also to take on new literacies and see themselves as writers in new ways. I detail two case studies of successful writing communities---a high school classroom and an extracurricular arts program---and describe adolescent writing practices in the active (and often interactive) presence of the two different collaborative audiences. I discuss structural implications for the structure of authentic writing and writing workshop environments, the role of mentors in such instructional spaces, and the importance of teaching students how to be effective, collaborative audience members and readers of each others' writing.