Windham High School student shares her journey in writing a novel

By Jolene Bailey

Windham High School has a graduation requirement that seniors must complete a capstone project, an independent study in which students can delve into a variety of topics that interest them.

Windham High senior Ellie Curtis attended the Longfellow
Writing Camp at the UMaine Farmington campus last 
summer to gain knowledge about college classes 
focusing on writing. She's using what she learned for
her Capstone project at WHS. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Students are completely in charge of this project and rules mandate that they must put in at least 30 hours of research. Capstone projects are an opportunity for students to independently design, implement, and exhibit their learning on a topic or subject that they are passionate about. It provides an opportunity for students to identify and tackle an issue in their local or global communities and the projects stress the importance of making a connection from local mentors while using learning experiences that occur outside of the four walls of Windham High School.

This year WHS senior Ellie Curtis has decided to do her Capstone project about her experience in writing a novel.

“Writing a novel has been a goal of mine since as early as elementary school when I joined my school’s creative writing club. Choosing my capstone project gave me the opportunity to embark on the journey of writing a novel since scheduling can often make it difficult to prioritize that,” said Curtis.

She was able to gain her research hours in the time she spent writing.

“With all the work involved in completing a capstone project such as the numerous hours of research and dedication, I wanted my topic to be something that I was passionate about, something that I would happily dedicate my time to,” Curtis said.

Other current students are devoting their projects to solving and advocating for varied issues such as beach pollution while others are using unforgettable historical moments like World War II to base their projects on or using their future career ideas to generate their theme and general questions their Capstone project upholds.

Curtis’ case strives for an emotional and circumstantial component that all projects can implement in a way. A novel comes with many ingredients to digest such as creating characters, setting, plot, conflict, themes, and other creative elements. She says her imagination and expressiveness coached her throughout the process.

“I will be focusing on one character then switching to focusing on another,” Curtis said. “During that transition, I have to remember the tone in which the character talks, how they carry themselves in situations, and how they interact with others. I have to go back and reread what I have already written to recapture their personality.”

One of Curtis’s goals for writing this novel is to make it something that readers relate to, but trial and error in her writing has occurred.

“I have struggled and made mistakes in my writing when exploring a character. From time to time, I have forgotten that they have their own voice in addition to flaws,” said Curtis.

She has always had a burning passion for writing since she was a little girl with a strong imagination.

“Though I intend to pursue a career in psychology, I plan on continuing writing. Ever since I began writing, I had no intention to stop,” Curtis said. “It was always a fun and creative outlet through which I could express myself.”

During the research hour process, students have found the time to move quickly. It includes a required element to volunteer, and students do not need to perform volunteering work for their capstone but rather to relate to their community.

Writing is a way that can lead to building community and lifelong friendships. Through the doors writing opens can call for new perspectives and influences throughout a writing piece. Curtis used her hours volunteering at the Meow Lounge in Portland.

“When I write, it’s important that I have a comfortable space where I can really get settled and lock in, but a change of scenery is always good from time to time. Wanting a change, I stumbled upon a cat cafe in Portland, The Meow Lounge. Despite the cold weather outside, it was a warm and cozy atmosphere with a hint of productivity in the air.” said Curtis

Over the summer before Curtis stumbled across the Meow Lounge, she found herself attending the Longfellow Writing Camp at the UMaine Farmington Campus. This had also helped her with her research hours and obtaining an inside glimpse of what a college experience could be like while exploring different types of workshops at the camp.

“I wanted to have a story that others could read with the same fascination that I had. I wanted to look at a bookshelf and smile at seeing something that I had written,” Curtis said. “There are plenty of ideas floating out there that don’t have a book or story to go with them. I wanted to give a story to those ideas.”

For details about WHS Capstone projects and requirements visit https://sites.google.com/rsu14.org/eloandcapstoneprojects/senior-capstone-project <