Anytime my students know that we will be working on a writing activity they clam up or moan and groan. One way I have found to teach writing to interest my students is to make it fun and creative. I use pictures to elicit creative writing. Allowing the students to look at different pictures and free write before jumping right into a lesson or writing activity has made the biggest difference in how my students write and how much more creatively they write. The writings are short (5-6 sentences) but full of detail using adjectives and adverbs. Description is also established through these picture writings. Allowing students to write freely has enabled me to advance my writing lessons and build on what my students already know.