As all other things must, we have come to the end of the 2024 Young Writers’ Workshop.
What a time it has been!
The young writers explored a range of topics and mediums. From poetry, to prose, to writing for the stage, our staff has been impressed at every step of the way at the young writers’ talent.
We began the day with our final morning question: “What was your favorite part of the week?” Writers shared a variety of moments, from the fantastic lessons of our visiting writers to the Fantasy Olympics to simply meeting other likeminded writing enthusiasts.
Once the writers had settled in, they received their specially made 2024 Young Writers’ Workshop t-shirts, and we embarked on a journey to the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum galleries for a group photo.
Just outside the exhibit titled “Upon a Time,” curated by K-State Alum Sarah Morgan (MA ’24), we gathered to commemorate all the memories made this week. Of course, we had to take a silly photo as well. We at the Young Writers’ Workshop don’t like to take ourselves TOO seriously.
Next, we continued our travels to the Sunderland Innovation Lab at K-State’s very own Hale Library. The young writers had the opportunity to explore a two different crafting activities: bookmaking and tote bag decorating. The young writers making books were led through binding their own personal notebooks to continue their writing passions. Meanwhile, the young writers decorating their totes personalized them to carry around their books in style.
Additionally, continuing yesterday’s new tradition, a few of the young writers showed off their dance moves with the Macarena.
After we departed from Hale library, the young writers practiced reading their pieces before today’s presentation. Those who wanted to present took the opportunity to read snippet of something that they were particularly proud of from this week.
With writers warmed up and ready to present, we took a break for lunch and played one last game of Fantasy Olympics. Finally, the saboteurs streak was put to an end. While they successfully disrupted “Fairy Catching” and Badminton (perhaps the most mundane of the Fantasy Olympic games), the honest, hardworking athletes were able to catch those who sabotaged the events and keep them fair.
Now that all was well with the Fantasy Olympics, the writers took a moment to collect themselves before today’s big event: the final reading.
Friends, family, and faculty ushered themselves into the Beach Museum auditorium to witness all of the fantastic work that our writers produced this week. One after another, writers read (and sometimes acted!) their poems, stories, and scripts for the large audience. When they had finished, our director, Dr. Traci Brimhall, presented them with their certificates of completion and they returned to their seats. The young writers were all brilliant and represented various activities, visiting writers, and genres as well as any writer, young or old.
Following their presentations, Traci took a moment to thank parents and young writers alike. As Traci said, we are so grateful to have borrowed these young writers for this fantastic week. The 2024 Young Writers’ Workshop was a resounding success. Friendships were made, old friendships were renewed, and all surpassed our greatest expectations of them.
The week now complete, I wanted to sign off running the Young Writers’ Workshop blog with a special thanks to instructors Aimee, Noah, and Cosette. All three demonstrated kindness and care for their respective groups and have represented the Kansas State University English program with pride.
Please consider donating to the workshop (select English and include “YWW” in the space provided), so that we can keep up the fun and excitement for years to come. Be sure to return next year to see new and returning young writers as they embark on their own literary journeys.
-Eli Long, Program Assistant
K-State Young Writers' Workshop 