The 2026 Young Writers’ Workshop is officially underway, and what a way to begin!
The day started with a simple question: “What is your favorite book?” Our young writers shared books ranging from fantasy to beloved classics, and the answers gave us a glimpse into the interests and imaginations of our young writers and set the tone for a week of creativity.
Our workshop officially kicked off with a warm welcome from the Head of the English Department, Dr. Karin Westman. Afterwards, Dr. Ania Payne introduced the workshop staff and walked the young writers through the day’s activities and what they could look forward to throughout the week.
To get everyone talking and build a sense of community, the young writers jumped into a game of “Find Someone Who…” Bingo. The room quickly filled with conversation and new connections as participants searched for people who matched the clues on their cards. Caity was the first to call out “Bingo!”.
Next came one of the most colorful parts of the morning: decorating writing journals. Armed with markers, stickers, and plenty of imagination, the young writers transformed plain notebooks into creative spaces that reflected their personalities.
After a brief break, Maranda led a session titled “Crash Course in Workshopping,” introducing the young writers to one of the most important parts of a creative writing community. The instructors shared stories from their own workshop experiences and spoke about how feedback has helped strengthen their writing over time. Two young writers who had participated in workshops before also reflected on how workshops changed the way they viewed their writing.
Together, the group explored the idea that revision means “to see again” and discussed how workshopping allows writers to revisit their work with fresh eyes.
The first major writing activity of the day, “6-Word Memoir,” was led by Mira, who challenged our young writers to tell the story of who they are in just six words. Before writing, they brainstormed everything from hobbies and interests to dreams, memories, funny habits, and personality traits. The result was a collection of 6-word memoirs that were reflective, funny, creative, and surprisingly powerful. After sharing with partners, the young writers discussed what they learned about each other through only six carefully chosen words. They then read their memoirs aloud to the entire group.
The creativity continued as Aidia led a session on character building. The young writers began creating characters by deciding on names, appearances, ages, genders, and personalities. Before long, they were digging deeper, developing the inner worlds of their characters and thinking about what makes them tick. Our young writers had the chance to talk about the characters they had created. Thereafter, the group had a lunch break and enjoyed pizza from AJ’s.
After the lunch break, we welcomed our first visiting writer, Darren Canady, Professor of English at KU, who asked the young writers to introduce themselves and also share one play, film, or movie they would rewrite if given the chance.
To get everyone ready for the next writing challenge, Darren led the group through a series of stretches while music played in the background. Then came a fast-paced writing warm-up designed to help writers silence their inner critics. Participants were given prompts ranging from animals and kitchen items to places in Kansas and characters from novels and were encouraged to write the very first things that came to mind.
The warm-up soon became even more energetic. Darren asked participants to perform actions while others described what they observed, helping the group explore the connection between movement, observation, and language. Then the room exploded into a whirlwind of collaborative storytelling.
The young writers created characters, placed them in settings, gave them something emotional to say, and then passed their papers around the room. Each new writer added another layer — a new character, an action, a line of dialogue, or a dramatic response. As the pages passed from one hand to another, interesting scenes began to emerge.
Once the stories were complete, the young writers brought them to life by acting them out.
When reflecting on the exercise, some shared that the hardest part was the speed writing because it forced them to trust the first idea that came to mind. In the process, they learned an important lesson: sometimes you should trust your instinct while writing.
After a brief break, the focus shifted to playwriting. The young writers shared their own definitions of a play, describing it as a show, a collection of scenes, and people acting out stories through words and actions. This discussion led naturally into Aristotle’s six key components of drama.
Using either the characters they had developed earlier or entirely new ones, the young writers began exploring deeper questions. What does the character want most in the world? What stands in the way? What place feels most like home? What place fills them with fear?
They imagined moments that shaped their characters and used those experiences to create monologues, stage actions, and dramatic responses. As they shared their work, the group practiced verbal workshopping by identifying memorable hooks, asking thoughtful questions, and responding to emotional moments that stood out.
The day concluded with a lively game of “Untold,” where pairs of young writers created characters, built imaginary worlds, and navigated unexpected dilemmas and heroic adventures. The title of the story in the imaginary world was “Slippery Kansas: Episode 1 – The Slippening.” The story was in Dodge City during the cowboy era. In their tale, aliens descended upon the town with a mission to shrink humans to half their size so they could control them and steal their identities. It was hilarious, wildly imaginative, and exactly the kind of story that could only emerge from a room full of young writers.
From all indications, day one was packed with creativity, laughter, and storytelling. If this first day is anything to go by, we cannot wait to see what stories the rest of the week will bring.
We look forward to bringing you more updates tomorrow!
– Ruth Okon, Program Assistant
K-State Young Writers' Workshop 