“Struggles of Today”: The Young Writers Learn about Conflict and Character in YA Fiction

Today’s theme was “struggles of today,” and the young writers started the workshop by answering the question “What personal struggles do young people face today?” Their answers included peer pressure, self-image, self-discovery, being taken seriously, isolation, and taking on the burden of previous generations’ problems. The young writers address personal struggle on the Zoom white … Continue reading “Struggles of Today”: The Young Writers Learn about Conflict and Character in YA Fiction

“Imagining Other Worlds”: The Young Writers Take on Songwriting and Aliens!

Today’s theme was “Imagining Other Worlds,” and the young writers started the session by answering the question “What would you tell extraterrestrials about Earth?” Many suggested that the aliens go back home due to this year being “kinda crazy,” but others urged the aliens to make sure they wash their hands, use hand sanitizer, and … Continue reading “Imagining Other Worlds”: The Young Writers Take on Songwriting and Aliens!

“Creating a Spy”: The Young Writers Practice Developing Character in Fiction

“What would your spy name be?”The young writers started out their morning answering that very question on the Zoom board.The theme for the day was “creating a spy,” and the young writers embraced it with fun spy names like Allegra, Rainstorm, and Phoenix. Some young writers aimed to be discreet by electing to choose “a … Continue reading “Creating a Spy”: The Young Writers Practice Developing Character in Fiction

“Writing Yourself into History”: The Young Writers Explore Poetry and Postcards

Today was a wonderful first day for our young writers and staff! Our theme was “Writing Yourself into History,” and the young writers started off the morning by responding to the question of the day: “If you were to write a postcard to the future, how would you describe 2020?” After many creative and thoughtful … Continue reading “Writing Yourself into History”: The Young Writers Explore Poetry and Postcards