Reading & Writing
Columbia new york city residential summer: creative writing courses
Students live on our Morningside Campus, a serene academic community where they will always be mere steps away from classrooms, libraries, amenities—and New York City. Residential students enjoy the convenience of being steps away from class and campus resources alike, and can easily attend a wide variety of daily activities and events—like lectures by our prestigious faculty, college prep workshops, community-building activities, and health & wellness programs.
The Columbia Creative Writing Workshop: This foundational course, adapted from Columbia's MFA in Writing program, serves as a generative exploration of the creative writing process. Students receive instruction in key genres, idea generation, creation and development of drafts, and basic revision and editing skills.
Through frequent and diverse readings and writing exercises, students hone elements of craft through the development of voice, imagery, characterization, dialogue, rhythm, and narration. Students work in poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Works produced by acclaimed writers, as well as by students in the class, form the basis of discussion in the workshop process.
A range of technical and imaginative concerns will be introduced through exercises and discussions students will produce their own writing for the critical analysis of the class. Students will begin to develop the critical skills that will allow them to read like writers and understand, on a technical level, how accomplished creative writing is produced.
Imaginative Fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror: Parallel universes and the supernatural have the power to reveal truths often hidden behind the veil of modern life. Situating oneself in realities other than one’s own imparts lessons in empathy, possibility, and advancement in our real world. From Dune to IT to The Hunger Games, both beloved and feared characters in such fiction have united legions of readers-turned-writers over many continents and generations through the art of world-building.
The course’s aim is to explore and create immersive, exciting fiction that incorporates the unreal—from surreal, ghostly short stories to detailed epic fantasy novels. In this three-week dual seminar-workshop, students will think and write about the futuristic, uncanny, magical, and speculative, and how these elements mesh with our individual writing goals.
Students will analyze published works of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror from a writer’s standpoint, considering: what effect did this have on the reader, and how did the writer create this effect? What draws us to these genres? How can we create work that is compelling, original, artful, and fun? Through discussion and writing exercises, we’ll focus on topics including world-building, hero/villain relationships, plot, magic, and suspense.
In this course, students will uncover the power of imaginative fiction by reading selections of cornerstone texts in the genre, both past and present, and use the techniques discussed in the pieces to write their own original works.
Master Class in Creative Nonfiction: This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience with the writing of creative nonfiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to nonfiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short nonfiction, including personal essays, historical accounts, profiles, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into longer works. The art of telling true stories requires the skills of fact-checking and research, which students can anticipate honing throughout the session. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with accomplished teachers. The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement both instructor and peer feedback.
Master Class in Fiction: This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of fiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to fiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short prose works, including stories, flash fiction, novellas, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into novels. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor. The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.
Master Class in Poetry: This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of poetry. Students explore diverse poetic forms and approaches to poetry and learn essential skills for writing their own verses. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor. The Master Class in Poetry culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.
Iowa Young Writers’ Studio 2-week summer residential program
Every summer we offer both in-person and online versions of the 2-week Summer Residential Program. The summer 2024 in-person and online programs will run concurrently from June 16-29, 2024 (Session 1) and again from July 14-27, 2024 (Session 2). Students at the Summer Residential Program will spend 2 weeks deeply immersed in the art and craft of creative writing. Each student will take one core course for the duration of the session. The core courses are taught by graduates of the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop. Students may select a core course in fiction writing, poetry writing, or creative writing (which includes some combination of fiction, poetry, and personal essay). We also offer core courses in TV writing and playwriting. Students will share their writing with teachers and peers, receive constructive critique, and participate in writing exercises and activities. To supplement the core courses, we'll also offer readings by exciting published writers; workshops on process and aspects of craft; discussions on writing-adjacent subjects (literary translation, film, revision, mental health); collaborative projects to allow small groups of students to work together; as well as open mics, talent shows, icebreakers, and social gatherings designed to give students the opportunity to connect with one another.
The in-person version of the Summer Residential Program will take place in Iowa City, Iowa on the University of Iowa campus.
The online version of the Summer Residential Program will feature daily live class sessions on Zoom. Depending on the course, live class sessions will take place at either 10 AM, 4 PM, or 7 PM US Central Standard Time. Students who are accepted into the online Summer Residential Program in April will be given the chance to look over all the courses and course times and submit their preferences.
We believe that cultivating and protecting one's writing life—the artistic practice, the inner journey of exploration and discovery—should take precedence over pursuing a writing career, though certainly the former can lead to the latter. Above all, we want to bring adolescent writers together to celebrate all that they have in common, to encourage them to explore themselves and their worlds, and to welcome them into the large community of writers that radiates outward from Iowa City.
Interlochen Center for the Arts: Creative Writing Summer Program for High School Students
Develop and amplify your writing voice in our immersive program. Guided by an outstanding faculty of published writers, you will experiment with multiple genres, deepen your understanding of the craft, and cultivate the confidence to share your work with the world. During Interlochen's writing camp, you’ll focus intensively on two genres of creative writing. Genre workshops include:
Fiction
Nonfiction
Playwriting
Poetry
In addition to exploring the fundamentals of your chosen genres, you'll discuss a wide range of published works, and craft your own pieces via in-class exercises and roundtable workshops with a class of dedicated peers. You’ll also experience the natural beauty of Northern Michigan via our Environmental Explorations class, attend readings by award-winning faculty and visiting authors, and learn to craft your work for publication and performance. Each session culminates in a camp anthology and student reading.
Also see:
Comics & Graphic Narratives Intensive: Find your own origin story as a comics and graphic narrative artist at Interlochen this summer. During this energizing week, you'll explore the visual and narrative possibilities of one of today's most exciting genres as you inspire, create, and polish your unique storytelling abilities.
Novel Writing Intensive: Join a community of young writers all working toward finishing their novels. Our intensive gets your manuscript to the next level with the support of fellow young writers and the hands-on instruction of a published novelist.
Performance Poetry Intensive: Get ready to write, recite, plan, slam, transform, perform, and embody your original work. In this one-week program, you'll learn how to own the mic to explore your truth, develop confidence in your writing, and make an impactful performance. Come with an open mind, a willing spirit, the ability to laugh, and a pair of good drum sticks (not joking… bring drumsticks).
university of vermont summer academy: writing the real world with creativity
UVM Summer Academy is an immersive, 4-week, for-credit academic program designed for motivated high school students who have completed 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. In this course we will write creative non-fiction, lyric essays, and also documentary poetry.
Sewanee: Young Writers’ Conference
The SYWC is a summer conference for high schoolers passionate about creative writing. Here in Sewanee, at the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau, you'll spend two weeks reading, cultivating your writing, and forming a community with other young writers from near and far. This year, we're offering courses in the following genres: (1) Fiction; (2) Poetry; (3) Literary Nonfiction; (4) Songwriting, and (5) Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fabulism: Short Fiction through a Fantastic Lens. We also offer multiple craft classes, taught by Sewanee faculty and special guests, as well as opportunities to meet via Zoom with our expert in revision and development.
Georgetown: Creative Writing Institute
Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a wealth of new poems, stories, and essays, and allow you to experiment with innovative forms in the field of creative writing. The Academy will also focus on the publishing and professionalization aspects of the industry, exploring what markets are available for your writing, what jobs are available to creative writers, funding opportunities for your work, undergraduate and graduate programs in writing, and how to get published. Topics for discussion will include literary form and targeted craft points, often in relation to social, political, and environmental themes. In addition, this week-long program will feature excursions to sites around Washington, D.C., including an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to read your work aloud at Busboys and Poets, a famous D.C. literary hub.
Brown: Pre-College Summer@Brown Creative Writing Courses
Along with a robust co-curricular program and a supervised residential experience, Summer@Brown is designed to help prepare students for the self-discipline and independence required for college-level life and learning. Students learn to balance rigorous academics and free time by making daily decisions about homework, activities, and relaxation.
Classes meet for three hours daily, and are scheduled during the morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. Each course may require up to three hours of daily out-of-class homework assignments—reading, writing, group work, and studying. This time also includes scheduled meetings with your instructor or course Teaching Assistant. Many courses feature site visits, excursions, labs, or hands-on projects, all of which broaden the student learning experience.
USC Summer programs - creative writing workshop
This workshop is designed for those with little or no experience in creative writing but eager to give it a try! During our four weeks together, we’ll fully immerse ourselves in the art and craft of creative writing, working collaboratively and doing activities designed to ignite our imaginations. Each week will offer the opportunity to experiment with four genres: the personal essay (also known as the “college application essay”), creative nonfiction, flash fiction, and the short story, respectively. In the process, we’ll learn about the literary techniques of accomplished writers, learn to “read like a writer” and “write like a reader,” and even take a field trip or two to find our inspiration in the city of Los Angeles. You’ll also receive constructive feedback from peers and your instructors to help you to discover your own writing voice. Let’s write!
Telluride Association Summer Program
The Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS) is a free, six-week summer educational experience for high school sophomores and juniors. TASS prepares and inspires promising young students to lead and serve through transformative educational experiences rooted in critical thinking and democratic community. Telluride Association covers all program costs for every student, including tuition, books, room and board, field trips, and facilities fees.
Our Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS) study how power and privilege shape social structures through courses in humanities and social sciences. You may apply to one of two areas of study:
TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) offers seminars that explore topics within history, politics, literature, art, and other intellectual and cultural contributions from people of African descent.
TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies) considers systems of power and oppression including white supremacy, patriarchy, and classism, and considers ways to transform society.
If you participate in TASS, you will attend a three-hour college-level class each weekday, which will typically include discussions, small-group work, lectures by faculty, and other activities. You will be expected to read books and articles, view films and art, and participate in other class activities. You will also write essays during the summer, with help and feedback from the instructor team.
At TASS, you will improve your reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills as you explore your interests in and out of the classroom. In order to encourage students in their love of learning, the program does not assign grades. You will also learn about and explore topics and ideas within history, politics, literature, art, and other disciplines. Finally, you will gain experience with community living, democratic decision-making, and transformative justice.
also see:
Great Books Summer Program — on-campus and online opportunities