Expressing the voice of youth through creative writing: journey through ‘The Misfits' / Danish Iskandar Baidrul Shahri and Nursyaidatul Kamar Md Shah

• Main Authors: Baidrul Shahri, Danish Iskandar, Md Shah, Nursyaidatul Kamar
• Format: Book Section
• Language: English
• Published: Akademi Pengajian Bahasa 2021
• Subjects: PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania; Books (General). Writing. Paleography
• Online Access: http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/45975/1/45975.pdf; http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/45975/

The author explores his experience as youth through his involvement in the Creative Writing subjects, a sequence of subjects offered under LG120 – Diploma in English for Professional Communication in a local university into becoming a Malaysian theatrical scriptwriter. For two and a half years, or five semesters, students of the program registered for writing courses, where they were required to write, share and perform stories based on their own inspiration and realities. Through the script entitled ‘The Misfits’, this paper highlights the possibilities that exist when the institution makes spaces with and for youths to utilize composing as an instrument to express themselves and voicing out their thoughts creatively. In addition, the author emphasizes how creative writing courses offered supported youths in raising their collective awareness of issues present in their lives while fighting to create their place in the world. Finally, suggestions in the implementation of the course, particularly creative writing are discussed for future improvement and reference.