ABSTRACT
People who live in rural places are sometimes depicted in literature and popular culture using negative stereotypes (e.g., characters are “slow” or “backwards“). In this chapter, the author provides an analysis of stories written as the culminating project of the Fiction unit of the Promoting PLACE in Rural Schools curriculum. The narrative fiction stories took the form of many different genres (fantasy, adventure, realistic fiction, etc.) and were written by fourth-grade students in the project. Across the stories, families were depicted overwhelmingly as caring, functional, and supportive. Excerpts from students’ stories are shared throughout the chapter to demonstrate the ways in which rural children depicted family life, which likely reflects their own experiences. Findings from this study support research indicating the importance of providing opportunities for gifted rural students to engage in creative writing, as writing can help students engage more fully in the ongoing process of identity formation. Further, focusing on narrative writing tasks in place of “skill-and-drill” lessons intended to prepare students for standardized tests affords students the chance to tell their own stories and develop their own voices, opportunities historically denied to members of marginalized populations.
