Class Description
Part I: Fiction
Ever wondered how to write a scene so immersive a reader feels like she's there in the room? Or how to create characters so vivid and strange, you walk around thinking like them for the rest of the day?
Writers will sharpen their skills during a weeklong escape into the world of short stories. We'll read a wide range of brilliant short stories and discuss how, exactly, they work--and why they blow us away. We'll discuss all the elements of craft--from point-of-view, to dialogue, to characters, to scene-building--and practice using them in our own stories. And, by the end, every writer will leave with a complete draft of a short story.
Part II: True Stories
True stories are literally everywhere: out on the street, in nature, in the news, rolling around in our memories. But with so much possible material, where should you begin? Should you focus on your own experiences or look outward? Strike a personal tone or go more journalistic? And hey, what does “true” mean anyway, when we all have our own ways of seeing the world? In this weeklong camp, we’ll explore different approaches to writing about true events: personal essays, opinion pieces, nature writing, and more.
Our class will gradually ramp up in intensity, from round-table discussions and lectures, to in-class writing activities, to mini-workshops and mini-readings by the end of the week! Writing notebooks will be available, but feel free to bring your own. Readings will be provided by the instructor. For writers 13 -18 ONLY.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
GrubStreet is happy to be able to offer a limited number of full scholarships for our teen writing camps. To apply for a scholarship, please click the "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" link above, and complete the online form describing why you want to take the teen writing camp and detailing your financial need. Please wait to hear from our Scholarship commiittee before registering for the class, as scholarships cannot be applied retroactively. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Friday, June 30th at 5pm.
*If you are registering on behalf of your teen, add their email information in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen before you check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.