In this article, the author, a skeptical writing teacher, gains newfound appreciation for projects that tap creativity--and creative thinking. She argues that teachers need to rethink the genre and make it as appealing as those projects students see as "more fun." The trick is to teach responsibly, knowing when to allow a student to go off and make a board game and when to insist on writing. Offered a balance between essays and alternative projects, students feel empowered. They become more involved--and much more positive--creators of their own education.